This New Mido Multifort Mechanical Gives Back the Mundane Unitas its Necessary Credentials

The Unitas, known under the names ETA 6498 and 6497 (depending on its configuration, Lépine or Savonette), is without a doubt one of the most important and most long-lasting movements of the Swiss industry. This simple, no-nonsense but reliable hand-wound movement has been produced since the 1950s, yet originates from classic pocket watch calibres. Often seen as an entry-level and quite mundane alternative, it shouldn’t however be overlooked. And Mido, a brand owned by the Swatch Group, owner of ETA, has decided to give this movement its credentials back, putting an X-ray image of its mechanics right on the dial. Pretty cool, maybe even cooler than an entry-level openworked movement.

There’s been a bit of a trend recently with so-called sketched dials, watches where the movement inside the case was suggested by a drawing on the dial – such as this Octo Finissimo Automatic 140th anniversary, or a unique Czapek for TimeforArt auction. Mido somehow brings the same concept to a much more accessible level, with a classic Multifort model where the dial reveals its mechanics through X-ray vision, and with a clever use of lume to make it even more striking at night. Some will say that it might be a bit gimmicky, but it’s also a way to give the old Unitas the respect it deserves.

With this Mido Multifort Mechanical Limited Edition, it all starts with a fairly classic case with large dimensions – understandable considering the 37mm movement inside. Made of steel and measuring 44mm in diameter and 12.2mm in thickness, it retains the classic robustness of the Multifort collection since its introduction in 1934, with a 100m water-resistance and sapphire crystal with double AR coating. It is finished with brushed surfaces and some polished accents.

What matters is, of course, the dial that mimics the look of the Unitas movement that beats underneath. White Super-LumiNova is used to trace the form of the calibre’s hidden components on the anthracite dial, as an X-ray image. The phosphorescent material creates a cool outline, which glows blue and orange in the dark, with all key components (wheels, jewels, regulating organ, barrel) nicely highlighted – it’s like a watchmaking lesson to study at night… The display is classic, with central hours and minutes, as well as a small seconds at 6 o’clock – the specificity of the ETA 6498-1 compared to the ETA 6497-1, with a small seconds at 9 o’clock.

Turn the watch over and the back reveals the large hand-wound movement, here finished with rhodium-plated and bevelled bridges with Geneva stripes. This oversized pocket-watch-inspired calibre beats at a slow 2.5Hz frequency and stores about 46 hours of power reserve. In addition to the steel bracelet you can see here, this new Mido Multifort is delivered with two additional straps – black textile and brown leather, both with luminescent white thread – and quick-release bars will make it easy to swap between strap and bracelet.

A limited edition of 999 pieces, now available from the brand and retailers, the Mido Multifort Mechanical is priced at EUR 1,590 or CHF 1,590. For more details, please visit MidoWatches.com.