Breaking a sweat in Bangkok with Mido
Jamie WeissThe Asia-Pacific has long been one of the most important regions for Swiss watch brands, with countries like China, Japan and Singapore ranking as some of the biggest watch markets in the world. Thailand is increasingly part of that conversation, too: the Thais are passionate watch collectors, with watchmakers having frequently blessed Thai enthusiasts with envy-worthy regional limited editions in recent years. Perhaps that’s why Mido chose to hold its biggest watch launch of 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand’s bustling capital, this week – which I was lucky enough to attend.
The watch in question? The new Multifort TV Chronograph, which builds upon the unprecedented success of the Multifort TV collection by introducing its first major mechanical complication. The Multifort TV has been a revelation for Mido: perfectly poised to take advantage of the current obsession with shaped watches and 70s aesthetics, it’s grown to become the brand’s #1 product line, in Australia at least.
In Australia, watch launch events tend to be fairly demure – but that’s not the case in Thailand. Taking place at the ritzy Four Seasons Bangkok, Mido pulled the covers off the Multifort TV Chronograph with an eclectic horologically-themed breakdance routine, roving saxophonists and a guest list filled with big-name Thai celebrities and press from around the Asia-Pacific.
Thailand is one of Mido’s key markets, and the brand is clearly on a tear – hitting a perfect sweet spot between Swiss-made quality, approachable prices and considered design. And that’s very much intentional, as Mido CEO Franz Linder confirmed with me in Bangkok.
“Mido always has a mission to offer the best standard in the Swiss watch industry [while] staying loyal to a certain price range… It’s consistency. We try not to be opportunistic,” he explains.
The launch was great, but being the only Aussie there, I stood out like a sore thumb – but that ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it meant I could be found in the crowd by David Jumpa (@which_watch_next), an extremely talented Bangkok-based photographer whose beautiful shots of watches you will have no doubt seen on social media.
David’s one of the founders of @watchlads.bkk, a thriving watch club consisting of locals and expats alike who share a welcoming, down-to-earth approach to watch collecting and community – an ethos we very much share at Time+Tide. David gave me a taste of what a typical Watchlads night in Bangkok looks like: rather than meeting over a very buttoned-down, fine dining meal, they’re more likely to find some great street food at a local place and talk watches over frosty beers rather than flutes of champagne.
Thanks again David for your hospitality, and another big thanks to Adam Coldicutt, General Manager of Mido Australia, for having me in Bangkok. Stay tuned for my review of the Mido Multifort TV Chronograph in the coming weeks. But first, I need to get over my jet lag. Well, I say ‘get over’ – I’m off to Switzerland for Geneva Watch Days next week. Ain’t no rest for the wicked… Hope you have a great weekend!
Jamie and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: public transport priorities
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Better to flex on a bus than wear an Invicta in your Porsche.
Wrist shot of the week: look what you made me do
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For some of the Time+Tide team (looking at you, Beth), Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement – which saw the pop superstar prominently show off her yellow gold and diamond-set Santos Demoiselle – was the biggest piece of horological news we’ve covered all year. So, of course this was going to be the wrist shot of the week! Tay Tay’s got good taste in timepieces, but for anyone looking to match her style on a non-Grammy-winning budget, we’ve found a great affordable alternative, too.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns
Mido’s Multifort collection isn’t just home to funky TV watches, but also on-trend integrated bracelet models, too. The Multifort 8 Two Crowns, as its name implies, has a similarly 70s octagonal design with an internal compressor-style bezel, manipulated by a second crown. We’ve got three different colourways in stock: a black dial, a grey dial and a blue dial, which can be paired with either an integrated dial colour-matching rubber strap or a three-link bracelet.
Discover the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns in our Melbourne Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio and via the Time+Tide Shop online. Price: A$1,950 (rubber), A$2,025 (bracelet)
Accessory of the month: The Sickness
When Time+Tide was founded in 2014, we just wanted to start a new kind of conversation about watches. Less pretentious watch stories. More honest watch stories. A new, energised angle on things. And 11 years later, while some things have changed, our addiction to stories about watch addiction is potentially even worse than it was in the beginning. This is why we made The Sickness – a game for watch addicts. For ourselves. As seen on A Matter of Time, think of The Sickness as a cross between Cards Against Humanity and a therapy session, just all about watches. Filled with spicy questions about watch collecting and culture, it’s the ideal horological icebreaker.
The Sickness is now available in both our London and Melbourne Studios and online in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: A$39
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
Breitling celebrates its groundbreaking NFL partnership with new team-inspired collections
While I was in Bangkok this week watching breakdancers, Zach was in New York watching a very different kind of dance performance: the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleaders doing a flashy routine as part of big celebrations marking Breitling’s big reveal as the NFL’s first official timekeeper. To celebrate this partnership, Breitling has debuted not one, but two sequel ranges to the previous NFL collection with new team-inspired Chronomat GMT and Endurance Pro 44 watches for all of the league’s 32 teams… That’s a lot of watches. Zach has the scoop here.
Vacheron Constantin debuts new Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin configurations
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is a range that many would categorise as a grail watch collection. Prized for slender design, high complication, and handsome aesthetics, whether the solid dial models or the openworked models, this is a design with a sizeable fanbase. There were already a fair number of options to explore, but two new watches have just come out: a more monochromatic execution in pink gold, and a white gold variant with a rich, contrasting dial hue. Get into it with us here.
A Matter of Time Episode 04: What makes a watch GOOD, GREAT, or GRAIL?
Episode 4 of A Matter of Time explores the distinctions between a good watch, a great watch, and a grail watch. Andrew, Eleonor, and Kristian do a deep dive into what separates these categories in terms of design, quality, emotional value, and personal significance. Of course, the trio acknowledges that how we appreciate watches individually can be very subjective, especially when differentiating between good, great, and grail watches. Watch their chat on YouTube above.