For many years, Mido has been one of the discreet, accessible brands of the Swatch Group, releasing very decent watches but possibly lacking some wow effect. Things changed recently, as the brand seems to have found its own pace. Think, for instance, about the cool Decompression Timer 1961, the Multifort TV Big Date as an accessible take on the sporty-chic steel watch, or the compact, slim and attractive Ocean Star 39. Today, the brand is at it again, unveiling the Multifort 8 Two Crowns, a watch that plays on the classic codes of the integrated-style sports watch with shaped bezel, but in a compact, slim case with compelling specs.?Mido is a venerable Swiss brand born in 1918, which made a name for itself in the 1930s with its Multifort design, the first Mido to use a self-winding movement, but also a watch with superior shock-resistance, anti-magnetism and water-resistance. In recent years, the brand was probably underestimated and its potential was overlooked. But things changed in the past 2 to 3 years, with compelling offerings, bolder designs and interesting price/feature ratios. Watches such as the Multifort TV Big Date, the Ocean Star 39 or the Ocean Star GMT are perfect examples of this renewed strategy: watches answering the market trends (small sports watches, elegant sports steel watches) and all very well equipped considering the price. Ad - Scroll to continue with article With the new Multifort 8 Two Crowns, Mido strikes hard once again, this time entering the all-important segment of the shaped, integrated-style sports watch. We know that the Swatch Group has been crushing the market already with Tissot and its PRX collection, and this new Mido, while also using some familiar traits of the genre, adds a certain distinctiveness in the design, proportions and features to make it different.At first, the Multifort 8 Two Crowns appears as a bold, potentially oversized sports watch. But images can be deceptive, and a quick look at the specification sheet reveals a watch with great proportions – just like the Ocean Star 39 offered a compact and slim take on the dive watch. The Multifort 8 is far from big, on the contrary, as it measures 40mm in diameter – somehow the golden ratio for a sports watch – but with a unexpected slimness in this price segment, as the case, despite being 100m water-resistant and equipped with two crowns and an internal rotating bezel, is only 9.5mm in thickness. And the lug-to-lug…? A compact sub-45mm measurement. I’m curious to see it in the metal. For the rest, the design might be a bit risk-free and it feels familiar. The watch combines a barrel-shaped middle case with a raised octagonal bezel with slopped sides. The lugs are faceted and the connection with the bracelet or strap is done by a narrow mid-link, with the contours of the bracelet following the flanks of the case – all very 1970s luxury sports watch (you know what I’m talking about…) The originality of the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns is in its name, with a pair of screw-down crowns, one for the movement (4 o’clock) and one for the inner rotating bezel (2 o’clock). Considering the water-resistance, we’re not looking at a proper dive watch, but it will be comfortable underwater. Depending on the edition, the crowns are either steel, blue PVD or black PVD.The dial, available in blue, black or grey, relies on the classic codes of the genre as well as signature traits of modern Mido models. It features a thin striped pattern in the centre and, like the Multifort TV Big Date and the Ocean Star 39, the hour markers (round and trapezoidal on the quarter-hours) are recessed into the dial, creating a nice, modern 3D effect. The rotating bezel features a 60-minute scale with white numerals and recessed minute markers, while the hands are thin, faceted, polished steel batons that contrast well with the matte background. All elements are coated in Super-LumiNova, and the date is either white or black, depending on the dial colour.Inside the case, and explaining the thin profile of the watch, is the Calibre 72, the same movement as the Ocean Star 39. Also known as the ETA A31.111, it is an evolution of the slimmer ETA 2892 and is used with some minor differences by Longines. It runs at a frequency of 3.5Hz (25,200 vibrations/hour) and stores a comfortable 72-hour power reserve. It also has an anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring.The Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns is released in 3 editions: blue dial with blue rubber strap, black dial with steel bracelet, and grey dial with steel bracelet. All of them come with quick-release spring bars, so you can easily swap between both options. And the price is, as always with Mido, very fair – EUR 1,190 on rubber strap and EUR 1,220 on steel bracelet. For more details, please visit midowatches.com.