In this comparison article, we are going to be taking an in depth look at the brands Rado Vs Mido. These are two lesser known Swiss brands that are considered entry level Swiss luxury watches. Both brands are subsidiaries of the Swatch group.
It is a known fact that Swiss watches are usually made of high grade materials, and crafted to the finest quality standards. In fact, for a watch to be truly certified as an officially Swiss made watch, it must meet several requirements.
It is for these reasons, among others, that Swiss luxury watches have historically been quite expensive. In fact, many of the bigger Swiss brands are unaffordable for the majority of consumers. This is where brands such as Rado and Mido come in.
These brands are entry level Swiss luxury watches. What this means, is that they offer true Swiss luxury quality at more affordable prices. This allows consumers to experience Swiss elegance who would otherwise be unable to due to higher prices.
And that brings us to the purpose of this article. between Rado and Mido, which one of these entry level luxury brands is the better purchase? In order to come to a conclusion, we are going to compare the overall build quality, designs, and prices between these two brands.
Whichever brand consistently produces the best quality, and style, at the most reasonable price is going to be the one to get. But before we get into that, let’s get to know these brands a bit better.
About The Brands
Rado
The story of Rado, much like many other Swiss brands, begins as a rather modest family owned business. The company was founded in 1917 by the Schlup brothers.
In the early days of the business, they exclusively built watch movements only. However, as the business grew and expanded, they began acquiring factories. This allowed for the manufacturing and mass producing of complete wristwatches as well.
Rado is known for their water resistant watches, and their scratch resistant cases. Rado, in fact, was the first watch manufacturer to introduce watches with scratch resistant cases into the market.
Though they may not be as well known as other Swiss brands, Rado nonetheless continues to impress both newcomers and hardened Swiss watch enthusiasts.
Mido
Mido was founded in 1918, which is around the same time as Rado. Now Mido has an interesting history in fashion.
In the 1920’s they were producing stylish women’s watches. Also, in this same time period, they were making men’s watches in the art deco style. Even more original was their collaboration with the auto industry. Mido produced watches in the shape of car radiator grills. They worked with brands such as Bugatti, Ford, Buick, and others.
Mido also brought significant contributions to the watch industry. Their so called “unbreakable mainsprings” were introduced into their watches in 1934. This was the first time in history that any watch brand had ever used these types of springs.
Additionally, in 1954, Mido released the most efficient winding mechanism for a watch that had ever been seen at the time.
Looking at all that Mido has accomplished in its history, it definitely lives up to its heritage as a Swiss made watch brand.
Now that we’ve been properly introduced to the brands, we can start making the comparisons. The first thing we will be looking at is the differences in build quality.
Rado Vs Mido: Build Quality
Rado
The Rado brand manufactures both quartz and automatic analog watches. The cases will be made of stainless steel mostly, but there are titanium and gold ones as well.
One thing that does set Rado apart from the competition is that they have some watches with cases made out of a material called “Ceramos”. Ceramos is Rado’s own proprietary blend of metal and ceramic. It is highly resilient against scratches.
Moving on though, the dial windows in Rado’s watches will be made of sapphire crystal. Water resistance among their watches can vary from as little as 30 meters of resistance up to 100 meters of resistance.
Mido
Mido has both quartz and automatic watches in their library. The cases are traditionally going to be made of stainless steel. Though you can also find gold plated and titanium models also.
Dial windows are sapphire crystal. Water resistance ranges usually from around 30 to 100 meters of resistance depending on the model.
Verdict on Build Quality
Rado has the advantage when it comes to build quality. Especially considering their focus on scratch resistance.
Rado Vs Mido: Design & Style
Rado
The style Rado uses is not your typical luxury watch style. They have a style that is unique to them. Rado manages to combine artistic flavor to luxury design in a way that works.
The result is here is an eye catching fashionable style. While they do also have traditional luxury styles among their collections, the majority of them follow Rado’s distinct stylistic approach.
Mido
Mido takes the more conservative approach to fashion, while at the same time maintaining their own identity. They have all of the usual luxury styles such as minimalist, chronograph, and diving watches.
However, they do manage a style that slightly distinguishes them from other brands. Overall though, if you like traditional luxury styles, Mido does it right!
Verdict on Design & Style
Both brands leave their own distinct mark when it comes to fashion. However, Rado has the more eye catching designs. Rado truly has a style of its own that manages to be different, while at the same time giving off a luxury vibe.
Rado Vs Mido: Pricing
When it comes to pricing, both Mido and Rado trend towards mid priced watches. Although they do also each have higher priced watches as well. But either way it goes, you will not be spending the kind of money on these that you would spend on brands such as Rolex or Patek Philippe.
The watches produced by Rado and Mido are definitely going to be more affordable. This is especially true if you stick with their mid priced watches.
Now, while both brands are similarly priced, you will find that Rado has slightly lower priced watches on average.
Check Rado Watch Prices on Amazon
Check Mido Watch Prices on Amazon
Now, finally, which brand can we honestly say is better?
Final Verdict
So Which brand is better? Well, Rado appears to have more robust builds, creative designs, and consistently lower prices than Mido.
Does this automatically mean you should choose Rado over Mido? Not necessarily, and not in all cases. Ultimately it is up to you to choose the brand you like the most. Use this information only as an aid to help guide you in your purchasing decisions.
That concludes today’s comparison. If you enjoyed it, and found it to be helpful, then feel free to take a look at some of our other comparison articles here
