Sunday Morning Showdown: Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns Vs. Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown
You blink once and it’s Sunday again, folks! Get ready for another battle royale between two competitive offerings from different brands. This week, we’ll pit two rather different watches against each other. These aren’t necessarily directly comparable except for one distinguishing feature — twice the number of crowns you usually get. Daan takes the red corner with the new Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns. On the opposite side of the canvas, in the blue corner, we find Thomas with a Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown. Welcome to our game of crowns!
As mentioned, these watches come with rather different propositions. The Mido is a sports watch with an integrated bracelet, costing CHF 1,150. The Baltic is a dive watch with retro styling and a price tag of €883.30 (on the bracelet). Both, however, would work perfectly as everyday sporty watches. Similarly, both would perform just fine underwater. So we felt it would be interesting to see which you, the Fratelli, prefer. Is it the angular, modern Mido or the charmingly vintage Baltic? Let’s find out!
But first, last week’s results
Before we dive in, we have to take a look at last week’s results. Jorg and Mike stepped into the ring with a pair of costly, hardcore, high-end dive watches. Jorg defended the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV, while Mike represented the Rolex Sea-Dweller. Now, we knew Jorg would be the underdog here as Rolex candidates have an uncanny tendency to win. So, how did they do?
Well, there were no big surprises. The Rolex Sea-Dweller took the win with a comfortable 61% of the votes. Congratulations, Mike, you get to wear the paper crown this week. You have the skull for it!
Interestingly, both watches could count on a fair bit of criticism in the comments section. Most of you seemingly consider both to be too large. It seems these are some of the less popular siblings within their respective lineups. The Blancpain seems to have scored some love for being the original choice. The Rolex, on the other hand, scored points for being half the price with no obvious corners cut. Okay, with that out of the way, let’s come back to a more sensible price level this week with the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns versus the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown. Thomas, you take the keyboard first!
Thomas: Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown
We meet again, Daan! I have to say, I would’ve been happy to defend either candidate today. I’m not typically much of a Mido fan, but the new Multifort 8 Two Crowns looks plain cool! I like its originality and the clear design approach. It seems a little more refined than I typically associate with Mido, which is great! Still, if I were out to maximize my crown count, my pick would be the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown. Allow me to elaborate.
For starters, both of these brands operate at the more affordable level of our very costly subject of affection. To me, Baltic plays this game better. The brand focuses on vintage designs, clearly inspired by the great watches from the middle decades of the previous century, and then executes them in a way that keeps costs down quite cleverly. The watches are designed so they do not rely on higher-end manufacturing and finishing. Their appeal comes from charming, old-school shapes executed simply and effectively. To me, this makes them feel honest and worthwhile.
Now, I am not about to bash Mido, but I will say I like its approach a lot less. The brand’s offerings aren’t nearly as clear, mixing vintage reissue stuff with modern designs like the Multifort 8 Two Crowns. I can often see where the costs were saved, such as on the dial printing and handset finishing of some of Mido’s brightly colored dials. Baltic, to me, feels much more considered and cohesive in its offerings and the way it operates. So, if I want a watch in the sub-€1,500 segment, I would much rather turn to the young French outfit.
The Baltic over the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns
Granted, that is merely on a brand level. Let me zoom in on my specific watch next. The Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown debuted in 2021, and I came very close to buying one. Why? Because I just love its looks and can appreciate its build and quality at this price. For starters, the Baltic mimics the original compressor-case dive watches of old. It does so without ever truly copying any existing watch. The design pays homage to a genre more than a specific watch, which is clever. In my book, this gives the Aquascaphe Dual-Crown more of a right to exist compared to actual homage watches.
The dial and hands stand out to me. I remember this handset debuted on the Aquascaphe Dual-Crown, and I think it’s simply great. It’s bold and powerful enough for a diver yet classy and elegant at the same time — much like most of Baltic’s vintage-inspired sports watches overall, by the way. Similarly, the dial feels considered and balanced. I especially like the black version, with its starkest of contrasts.
Another thing I appreciate about this watch is its non-sentimental approach to vintage watch design. This could have easily come out cheesy, with overly vintage style cues. Baltic practiced restraint, though. The Aquascaphe Dual-Crown comes across more as timeless with a touch of old-world charm than truly retro. It shows that the people behind the brand truly love their watches and design them with attention and care.
A fantastic case
The highlight of the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown, however, is its case. For starters, it is perfectly proportioned at 39mm wide by 47mm long and 11.9mm thick (including the domed sapphire). However, Baltic did more than just find the right size. The case also combines slender, curved flanks with a sort of bowl-shaped central portion. The bezel flares out at a lovely angle, subtly exaggerating the watch’s diameter, only to come back in with a sharp polished facet.
The flat top surface is the icing on the cake. Baltic applied a rifled brushing finish to it as a sort of signature feature. It adds a barely noticeable but crucial bit of flair to an otherwise conservative watch. It breathes life into it, so to speak. Lastly, the domed sapphire looks fantastic, emanating from this uniquely finished flat bezel like a bubble on the water’s surface.
Well, I think this shows that I truly admire the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown. I am curious to read what you put up against it, Daan! Take it away!
Daan: Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns
This promises to be a very mellow clash this week, Thomas, as I also very much admire the watch in the other corner. As you said, Baltic’s designs are indeed clearly inspired by vintage watches, but they never feel like direct copies of anything that’s already out there. Especially at the price point where the brand operates, that’s quite rare and deserves respect. With a 200m water resistance, the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown is also the only proper dive watch in the ring today. However, the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns isn’t afraid of water either with its 100m rating.
The Multifort does face a kind of identity crisis, though. Compressor-case dive watches most certainly inspired the inner bezel and dual-crown setup. However, the Multifort 8 isn’t presented as a single-purpose dive watch. Instead, it’s more like a sturdy stainless steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet or rubber strap. Finally, I also don’t feel the Multifort name suits the watch very well, especially when you look at what else is available in that collection. But instead of bashing the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns, I’m here to defend it. Luckily, there’s a lot to like here as well, so let’s go!
A streamlined and fresh design
I was immediately on board with the Multifort 8’s streamlined design from the moment I first saw it on the wrist of a Mido representative at a Swatch Group press event recently. Of course, the Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown, at just under 12mm thick, isn’t beefy at all for a dive watch. However, with a thickness of only 9.5mm and a very flush case design, the Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns just feels so much more streamlined. Still, though, it has a beveled octagonal bezel and contrasting crowns that give it a lot of presence and character.
The same goes for the dial with its horizontal texture and sandwich-like, three-dimensional design. It feels fresh and modern, especially in the gray-green color option. I truly hope a matching rubber strap will become available for that variant because, so far, I’ve only seen it on the integrated stainless steel bracelet.
Swatch Group reliability
It’s true that Baltic, being the smaller and younger company, has a more consistent product portfolio. Mido’s is indeed all over the place, and true consistency is hard to find. However, Mido’s maturity and size can also work in its favor. Nothing is wrong with Baltic’s use of the Japanese Miyota 9039 automatic movement. But in the Multifort 8 Two Crowns, you get a Swiss-made ETA 2892-A2-based caliber 72. It holds a comfortable power reserve of 72 hours and is almost as reliable as it can get when it comes to mechanical movements.
It will also be very easy for any watchmaker to service the watch, and spare parts are widely available. If you don’t have a local watchmaker at your disposal, I’m sure there’s a Mido/Swatch Group retailer closeby that will take care of your watch. Aside from its three showrooms, Baltic is a very online-focused brand. That results in more affordable watches, but it also means it’s harder to get some in-person customer service.
But let me get back to my contender. The Multifort 8 Two Crowns is a fantastic new offering from Mido. Its case is slim and full of character, and it wears great on a wide variety of wrists. If you haven’t seen it in person yet, I highly suggest doing so if you can!
Vote now!
There you have it — another Sunday Morning Showdown. Which fairly affordable double-crown watch will you vote for today? Is the vintage-inspired, young-spirited, and slightly cheaper Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown your pick? Or are you going with the all-new Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns with its more streamlined and integrated design? Please, vote here below, and let us know in the comments why you chose that particular watch.
