News · Mido

Mido puts a COSC movement in the Multifort TV Big Date

The familiar TV case gains an independently certified Caliber 80, a textured blue dial and a confirmed Australian list price.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 4 min read · 15 October 2026

• The first COSC-certified Multifort TV Big Date uses the automatic Caliber 80 COSC with up to 80 hours of reserve.
• The blue reference has a 39.2 × 40 × 11.5 mm steel case, chequerboard dial and 100-metre water resistance.
• Mido lists it at A$2,325 including GST; its Australian online store currently marks this reference out of stock.

Mido has put a chronometer movement into the Multifort TV Big Date. That is the actual change here: the broad, softly rectangular case and date at 12 o'clock remain familiar, while the automatic Caliber 80 now carries independent COSC certification. Mido dated the announcement 14 October. For anyone who liked the TV's shape but wanted a more explicit promise about its timekeeping, this is a sensible development rather than a new watch pretending to be a revolution.

The blue reference, M049.567.11.041.00, is the one pictured here. It has a sunray dial overlaid with a small rectangular chequerboard pattern. In the straight-on image the texture is quite pronounced; in Mido's wrist photograph it quietens as the light crosses the face. That difference matters more than another line of marketing about depth. A patterned dial can crowd a large date display, but Mido has kept the two white date discs in a framed aperture at the top, where they read cleanly against the blue.

What COSC adds to the TV Big Date

Mido calls this the first COSC-certified movement in the Multifort TV Big Date collection. COSC tests each movement for 15 days in five positions and at different temperatures, according to the brand's announcement. That is a specific testing regime, not a claim that every owner's watch will behave identically on every wrist. It is nevertheless a useful distinction in a range whose appeal has largely been visual. The word “Chronometer” on the lower half of the dial now points to something independently assessed.

The Caliber 80 COSC is automatic and offers up to 80 hours of power reserve. Mido also specifies a Nivachron balance spring, intended to help the movement resist magnetic fields, shocks and temperature changes. Its see-through back lets the mechanical part of the story share some space with the shaped case. The manufacturer gives this COSC model a five-year warranty. None of those details makes the watch more complicated to read; that restraint is welcome when the dial already has a strong pattern and a big aperture.

There is a small point of design judgement here. A chronometer badge can look like a certificate pasted onto an otherwise unchanged dial. Mido has instead revised the applied indices and added a minute track around the stepped flange. It has kept the diamond-cut, faceted hands and luminous markers. The track gives the accuracy story a visible place to live: minutes have clear marks to meet, and the handset does not have to compete with the chequerboard for every glance. Whether you like the resulting face is personal, but the changes serve the premise rather than merely decorating it.

The blue case and bracelet in numbers

The 316L stainless-steel case measures 39.2 mm in length, 40 mm in width and an average 11.5 mm thick on Mido's Australian specification page. These are the case's stated dimensions, not a wrist fit guarantee. The page also gives 22 mm between the lugs and a weight of 155 g. A steel bracelet with a push-button butterfly clasp completes this reference. The watch has a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides of the crystal, a screw-down crown and a transparent back. Water resistance is stated as 10 bar, or 100 metres.

Those last two details make the TV shape easier to take seriously as an everyday watch. An expressive case can sometimes arrive with a dress-watch water rating and make you think twice before taking it outside. Here the 100-metre figure and secured crown give the owner a more forgiving specification, provided the crown is closed properly. The bracelet's integrated-looking transition into the case is part of the attraction, though the published 22 mm lug width is also worth knowing if a different strap is on your mind.

Mido's announcement shows two versions at the same Swiss price. This article concentrates on the blue-dial steel reference because that is the one for which the Australian storefront supplies a specific local price and full technical sheet. A second, darker-dial reference appears in the launch material. The important point is shared across them: the TV Big Date has gained a certified movement, while the blue watch also presents a more deliberate minute scale and dial texture.

Pricing and availability

Mido lists the blue M049.567.11.041.00 at A$2,325 recommended retail, including GST, on its Australian site. The international launch page lists CHF 1,350 for each of the two versions it shows. Those are regional prices, not numbers converted from one currency into another. At the time of checking, Mido's Australian product page marked the blue reference out of stock online and offered a stock notification and store finder. That does not establish whether an individual Australian retailer has one in a cabinet, so I would check with a store before making the trip.

The certification is the worthwhile news here. It gives a design-led model a measurable mechanical claim without disturbing the things that made the TV Big Date recognisable. At this price, the question is no longer whether the case is interesting enough to carry an ordinary automatic. Mido has given the movement a reason to be part of the conversation.