Don't miss the next drop
If you want to understand what Swiss watchmaking looked like when it was swinging for the fences in the early 1970s, look no further than the Mido Multi Star Datoday. This was Mido at its most confident and expressive, a brand that had spent decades building a reputation for robust, cleverly engineered timepieces and was now channeling that expertise into designs that were unabashedly of their moment. The Multi Star line sat at the top of Mido’s automatic range, and the “Datoday” designation told you this was the full-complication version, packing both day and date into a single window at 3 o’clock. It was Mido’s answer to the Rolex Day-Date ethos, delivered with Swiss precision and a whole lot more personality.
Mido, founded in 1918 in Le Locle by Georges Schaeren, had always been a brand that valued technical innovation alongside design. The company’s name, derived from the Spanish “Yo mido” meaning “I measure,” spoke to a philosophy rooted in precision. By the 1970s, Mido had earned a sterling reputation in markets worldwide, particularly in Latin America and Asia, where the brand’s combination of reliability and bold styling made it a favorite. The Multi Star Datoday represented the pinnacle of that formula, housing a capable 17-jewel automatic caliber in cases that screamed space-age sophistication.
This particular example is an absolute head-turner. The case is a massive, sculptural cushion shape in gold tone that feels like it was carved from a single block of metal. The proportions are gloriously 1970s, with broad, smooth surfaces that flow seamlessly from lug to bezel without interruption. In profile, the case reveals its architectural ambitions, with faceted sides and a slim, integrated crown guard that speaks to thoughtful, deliberate design. But it’s the dial that truly steals the show here. That fumé finish is extraordinary, transitioning from a deep, smoky brown at the center to a warm golden hue at the outer edge where the applied stick indices sit within their own raised chapter ring. The effect is mesmerizing, giving the dial a depth and richness that changes dramatically depending on the angle and lighting. The gold dauphine hands are perfectly proportioned, and the day-date window is neatly integrated at 3 o’clock without disrupting the dial’s symmetry.
Flip the watch over and you’re treated to the a solid caseback, which covers the Cal. 1819. The Mido-signed gold-tone rotor with its distinctive knurled texture sits proudly atop a well-finished 17-jewel movement. It’s not haute horlogerie finishing by any means, but it’s honest, well-built Swiss automatic engineering that was made to run reliably for decades, and clearly has. The outer caseback is engraved with the Mido logo, “Swiss Made,” “Stainless Steel Back,” and “Brevet Depose,” confirming the patented construction. The case shows the kind of light surface wear consistent with a watch that has lived a full life, with fine scratches across the polished surfaces that are entirely honest and never cross into heavy damage territory. The gold plating remains strong and warm throughout.
To us, this is one of the most compelling 1970s watches you can wear today. It’s a piece that fully embraces the era’s design ethos without apology, and it does so with a level of quality and mechanical substance that puts it head and shoulders above the fashion watches of the period. The fumé dial alone is worth the price of admission, but pair it with that sculptural case, and a reliable day-date automatic movement, and you have something that feels genuinely special. Whether you’re a dedicated vintage collector looking for a bold weekend piece or someone who simply appreciates the audacious confidence of 1970s design, this Mido Multi Star Datoday is a fantastic find and a wildly cool watch.
