MIDO Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes: time in vivid colour

Some watches simply tell the time. Others tell a story. With the Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes, MIDO sets Swiss watchmaking in conversation with a cultural world where memory is celebrated in colour, where symbols keep the bond between generations alive and where imagination turns everyday life into a living narrative.

For this 2026 special edition, the Swiss brand draws on Día de los Muertos, the Mexican tradition devoted to remembering loved ones and celebrating life. For the first time, the theme takes over the distinctive case of the Multifort TV Big Date. At the heart of a dial graduated from grey to black, an expressive calavera sits alongside the Alebrijes, fantastical creatures born from the imagination of a Mexican artist in the 1930s.

The composition is rich, teeming and luminous. Twelve lacquers and three colours of Super-LumiNova® give the dial a striking depth, while subtle details carry the story right through to the date display. Behind this artistic profusion, the automatic Calibre 80 delivers a power reserve of up to 80 hours. It is a creation that makes the watch as much a means of expression as an instrument for measuring time.

Día de los Muertos, a tradition passed down the generations

Since 2020, MIDO has paid tribute to Día de los Muertos with special editions inspired by this Mexican tradition. Originally conceived for the Mexican market, these creations have gradually travelled beyond its borders to share a singular vision of remembrance: one that does not merely look to the past, but lives on through the emotions, stories and symbols handed down from generation to generation.

In 2026, this celebration takes on a new dimension as it joins the Multifort TV Big Date collection for the first time. Its instantly recognisable case hosts a dial that becomes the stage for an encounter between memory and imagination.

The calavera, the emblematic figure of Día de los Muertos, takes centre stage in this composition. Far from being a mere decorative motif, it recalls the spirit of the celebration: honouring loved ones while affirming the vitality of life. The watch thus belongs to a tradition in which symbols give visible form to something deeply personal.

The Alebrijes, fantastical creatures between dream and reality

Around the calavera unfolds the world of the Alebrijes. These imaginary creatures emerged in the 1930s through the work of Mexican artist Pedro Linares. They combine features borrowed from different animals to create hybrid figures that are surprising and often spectacular.

Their identity rests on creative freedom, unexpected combinations of forms and the use of especially expressive colours. Each creature seems to come from a world where the boundaries between the real and the imaginary become porous.

MIDO channels this visual energy into an exuberant dial on which the Alebrijes accompany the calavera and enrich the narrative. The animals engraved in negative add relief to the whole, while the colour contrasts give every detail a presence of its own.

This approach turns the dial into a true narrative surface. It is no longer just about arranging the time indications, but about creating a world to explore, where motifs, materials and colours all contribute to the same story.

A dial that reveals another personality in the dark

The dial features a gradient running from grey to black. This dark base lets the decoration stand out while lending depth to the composition. The twelve lacquers used contribute to the richness of its shades and the variety of its visual effects.

Super-LumiNova® adds a further dimension. Three colours of luminescent material are used to change the appearance of the dial as the light fades. The recessed indexes are also coated with it, while the hour and minute hands receive a white luminescent treatment.

The Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes is therefore not just a spectacular dial in broad daylight. It reveals another side when the surroundings grow dark, extending the dialogue between motifs and contrasts.

The minute track sits on the flange, while the big date is positioned at 12 o’clock. This large aperture is one of the functional signatures of the Multifort TV Big Date. Here, MIDO takes its attention to detail right down to the shape of the numerals: the “1”s of the date are shaped like bones, a discreet nod to the graphic universe of this edition.

The diamond-cut, faceted hour and minute hands are designed to enhance legibility. The large central seconds hand, also diamond-cut, completes the display.

The Multifort TV Big Date, a bold watchmaking architecture

This special edition retains the distinctive lines of the Multifort TV Big Date. Its satin-finished and polished stainless steel case measures 40 mm wide by 39.2 mm long. Its singular geometry gives the watch a strong identity, while providing a contemporary setting for the richness of the dial.

The sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides. At 12 o’clock, a sandblasted dot adds a further detail to the visual construction of the piece. The transparent caseback, meanwhile, offers a view of the automatic movement.

The screw-down crown contributes to the stated water resistance of 10 bar, or 100 metres. The lug-to-lug length is 46.85 mm, a useful figure for gauging the watch’s proportions on the wrist.

The finish alternates satin-brushed and polished surfaces, highlighting the volumes of the case without drawing attention away from the dial. The Multifort TV Big Date thus becomes the canvas for intense artistic expression, while keeping a construction designed for everyday wear.

Calibre 80, a movement built to last

Beneath this highly expressive identity lies MIDO’s automatic Calibre 80, based on the ETA C07.651. This 12 ¾-ligne movement measures 28.80 mm in diameter and 5.86 mm in thickness. It has 25 jewels and beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

Its main asset is a power reserve of up to 80 hours. This autonomy allows the watch to keep running for more than three days without winding, depending on conditions of use.

The movement is fitted with a Nivachron™ balance spring, designed to help maintain stable timekeeping in the face of magnetic fields and the stresses of daily life. It is adjusted in three positions, a process intended to promote good precision.

The oscillating weight is decorated with Côtes de Genève and the MIDO logo. Visible through the transparent caseback, it extends the aesthetic care lavished on the watch right into its mechanics.

Calibre 80 drives the hours, minutes, seconds and big date. The creation thus strikes a balance between a spectacular dial, a prominently displayed calendar complication and a movement whose autonomy is a tangible advantage in daily use.

Three straps to express different facets

The Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes is offered with three strap options, allowing its character to be adjusted.

The integrated stainless steel bracelet alternates satin-brushed links with polished centre links. It extends the lines of the case and accentuates the watch’s architecture. Its folding clasp, fitted with push-buttons, bears the engraved MIDO logo.

A satin-brushed steel Milanese mesh version offers another interpretation, with a sliding clasp designed for optimised and secure adjustment.

Finally, the textured red rubber strap brings a bolder note. Its colour echoes the visual energy of the dial and heightens the expressiveness of this special edition. It is paired with a stainless steel pin buckle bearing the engraved MIDO logo.

All three configurations feature quick-release spring bars for fast changes. The strap thus becomes a means of personalisation, able to shift the watch’s presence to suit mood and occasion.

When watchmaking becomes a cultural language

With this Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes, MIDO offers an interpretation of time that goes beyond simply measuring the hours. The dial tells of a tradition, summons figures from the Mexican imagination and translates into colour a particular relationship with memory.

The calavera evokes loved ones and the continuity of memories. The Alebrijes embody creative freedom and transformation. The interplay of lacquers and Super-LumiNova® gives these symbols a presence that shifts with the light. Even the big date joins in the narrative, with its “1” numerals drawn in the shape of bones.

The mechanics provide another form of continuity. Calibre 80, its Nivachron™ balance spring and its power reserve of up to 80 hours anchor this creation in MIDO’s Swiss watchmaking expertise.

Together, these elements make for an expressive watch in which every detail contributes to a coherent identity. A special edition that reminds us that time is not limited to what we read on a dial: it is also nourished by the stories we keep, the bonds we maintain and the emotions we pass on.

Technical specifications

Model	MIDO Multifort TV Big Date Día de los Muertos Alebrijes
Movement	automatic MIDO Calibre 80, based on ETA C07.651
Movement dimensions	12 ¾ lignes, 28.80 mm diameter, 5.86 mm thick
Jewels	25
Frequency	21,600 vibrations per hour
Balance spring	Nivachron™
Power reserve	up to 80 hours
Functions	hours, minutes, seconds and big date
Adjustment	movement adjusted in three positions
Oscillating weight	decorated with Côtes de Genève and the MIDO logo
Case	satin-finished and polished stainless steel, three-piece construction
Case dimensions	40 × 39.2 mm
Lug-to-lug	46.85 mm
Crystal	sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Caseback	transparent, showing the movement
Crown	screw-down
Water resistance	10 bar (100 metres)
Dial	grey-to-black gradient, calavera and Alebrijes motifs, twelve lacquers and three colours of Super-LumiNova®
Hands	diamond-cut, faceted hours and minutes with white Super-LumiNova®; flat diamond-cut central seconds
Straps	integrated satin-finished and polished steel, satin-brushed steel Milanese mesh or textured red rubber
Strap change	quick-release spring bars

Frequently asked questions