In this article, we are going to be comparing the two watch brands Mido Vs Longines. Now the interesting thing about these two brands is that they are both Swiss made watch brands. What this means is that they represent some of the highest quality timepieces in the industry.
This is because the Swiss have a long history of producing watches of exquisite quality and craftsmanship. Surely both Mido and Longines will hold up to the standards set by this legacy. After all, for a watch to be considered an authentic Swiss watch, is must pass a series of strict qualifications.
However, there is a notable difference between these two brands. That is that Mido would be considered more of an entry level Swiss brand, whereas Longines is a more mid level example of Swiss quality. Neither brand is going to be as high end as examples such as Rolex or Audemars Piguet.
So, how exactly do Mido and Longines fare in terms of quality. And if Mido is an entry level brand, does that mean that Longines will automatically be superior? Well, we are going to attempt to answer these questions!
In order to do so, we will take a close look at the build quality, design, and pricing of these two brands. By looking at these factors, it should become clear which brand would, indeed make a better purchase. Before we start getting into that though, let’s take a brief look into the history of these brands.
About The Brands
Mido
Mido was founded in 1918. Looking back at their early days, they had close ties to the fashion industry. Some of their earliest watches were targeted more towards women, and the men’s watches were made in the Art Deco style.
Mido even partnered with automakers to produce watches that resembled car radiator grills. They worked with auto makers such as Buick, Ford, and Bugatti. Over time Their reputation continued to gain momentum. Mido even went on to make technological contributions to the industry.
In 1934, they introduced into the market watches that possessed what were dubbed “unbreakable mainsprings” due to their robustness. And, in 1954, they created some of the most efficient winding mechanisms for mechanical watches ever seen at that time.
Longines
Founded in 1832, Longines claims the title as the oldest registered watch brand in history. This is because in 1989, they registered with the Federal Office of Intellectual Property. Additionally, Longines has also made great strides towards innovation in the industry.
Case in point, they released the first automatic movement for a wristwatch. This movement, introduced in 1945, was called the Calibre 22a. Also, to their credit, was the thinnest electrotechnical watch manufactured for its time.
Today, Longines stands as a popular face in the Swiss watch industry. They have appeared as the official timekeeper in several national sporting events.
Now that we know a little more about Mido and Longines, let’s begin the comparisons! We’ll begin by looking at the overall build quality.
Mido Vs Longines: Build Quality
Mido
You can find both quartz and automatic analog watches among Mido’s collections. They are manufactured using in house movements based off of the ETA architecture.
Most of the cases are made of stainless steel, but there are also gold plated as well as titanium models. The dial windows are made out of sapphire crystal. Lastly water resistance varies on average from 30 to 100 meters of resistance depending on the model.
Longines
Longines also manufactures analog quartz and automatic mechanical watches. For the most part, Longines uses quality ETA movements.
The cases are most commonly made of stainless steel, but there are models with gold cases as well. Like most luxury watches, the dial windows are sapphire crystal. Water resistance among models will usually range from 30 all the way up to 300 meters of resistance.
Verdict on Build Quality
Both brands are of a good quality, but Longines has the advantage here. And for the record, Longines watches have unique serial numbers to guarantee the authenticity of the product. Now, next, let’s take a look at the design and style of these two brands.
Mido Vs Longines: Design & Style
Mido
With Mido you will find the luxury styles that you are surely familiar with, such as diving watches, chronographs, casual, and sports watches.
However, they do have their own decidedly unique take on these styles. While not straying far from classic sensibilities, they do manage to distinguish themselves a bit from the crowd.
Longines
For the most part, Longines sticks to the script when it comes to luxury fashion. They have kind of an old school style and aesthetic.
You will find the typical chronograph, sports, casual, and diving styles. Longines keeps things simple, and it works very well for them.
Verdict on Design & Style
Both brands mostly stick to the standard luxury watch formula when it comes to style, however, ultimately Mido manages to stand out a little more from the others that follow this trend.
Finally, let’s look at the pricing differences between the two.
Mido Vs Longines: Pricing
There is always going to be a bit of apprehension about pricing when it comes to Swiss luxury watches. We all know that these watches are not going to be cheap, but rather expensive. The question, though, is how expensive?
Well, the good news is that the watches from both brands are at least somewhat affordable. Both brands have watches that are priced from mid tier pricing to borderline high. However, Mido is going to have lower priced watches on average, with their watches usually staying around mid level pricing.
Check Mido Watches Prices on Amazon
Check Longines Watches Prices on Amazon
Now that we’ve looked at a few different factors, we can come to a definitive conclusion about these brands.
Final Verdict
Between these two brands, Longines has the finer quality watches, but it’s actually Mido that has lower prices on average, and a more focused approach to style.
So, if you are looking for a more decidedly luxury watch, and willing to spend a bit more, then Longines has that. On the other hand, if you want a less expensive luxury watch with a slightly refreshed take on classic styles, then Mido is the brand to look into.
This completes are comparison between Mido and Longines. If you enjoyed this comparison, then you may want to take a look at some of our other comparison articles. You can find those here
