The Future is Female

Mido’s 100th anniversary coincides with the launch of a range of women’s watches, signaling an exciting change in the brand’s focus

On November 2018, Swiss watch brand Mido celebrated its 100th anniversary in Singapore where the spotlight was shone on its historic women’s watches through an exhibition that took guests on a journey through time. Held at the ArtScience Museum, the landmark event signaled a shift in the brand’s focus, bringing its women’s watches to the forefront – and with good reason.

A Woman’s World

“Today, the majority of our references are still men’s watches and our share between the ladies is at 6040,” reveals Mr. Franz Linder, Mido’s CEO. “Out of the five main collections, the Multifort, Ocean Star, and Commander feature a more masculine design. Meanwhile, we have the Baroncelli and Belluna, which are dedicated women’s collections. That said, we are working towards the day where we will have collections that see a good 50-50 split.” Mr. Linder also shares that fashion watches were previously a more popular choice among women, but today, he sees that automatic watches are increasing in popularity, and Mido is perfectly positioned to meet this changing demand. And change starts now because during the event, two women’s ranges were unveiled, starting with the new Baroncelli Lady Day watches, with particular focus on the Baroncelli Lady Day & Night, which features three interchangeable straps.

The Rainflower Blooms

What followed was the evening’s highlight – the introduction of the Rainflower, a timepiece collection that’s stunning in its simplicity, which was coincidentally inspired by the evening’s chosen venue. “It is in pure Mido tradition with its architectural inspiration,” says Mr. Linder. “It is named Rainflower, in a delicate, subtle reference to the ArtScience Museum, especially its distinctive shape in the form of an open lotus flower,” he shares. With their pure lines, gentle curves, and a subtle evocation of the splendor of the plant world, the Rainflower and the Moshe Safdie-designed building is indeed a perfect match. Speaking about the architectural icon and the resulting product, Mr. Linder says, “When we have a project inspired by architecture, we don’t choose a country or a city. The starting point is determining what the purpose of the project is. Following that, we have to find something that reflects it and to be honest, it’s not always easy to find something suitable.”

All Roads Lead to Southeast Asia

Coincidentally, the launch of the Rainflower collection comes at an opportune time. In addition to a Singapore monument representing the range, the Mido brand has always enjoyed good business on this side of the world. “Southeast Asia is a key part for the history of Mido. For the longest time, it was the biggest market for us. This is a place where the brand enjoys good business and more importantly, our products have a good reputation here. If you take Singapore, for example, we have a very long history here. The brand is also very popular in Thailand and Indonesia, which is then followed by Europe and Latin America. At the end of the day, Mido’s presence in every country is different, but overall, Southeast Asia is an important part of the world for us,” says Mr. Linder. The launch of the first four pieces in the Rainflower collection is scheduled for May 2019. For more information, visit www.midowatches.com