Amida is an independent Swiss watch brand originally founded in 1925 in Grenchen, Switzerland, by Joseph Zwahlen. The brand initially focused on producing accessible mechanical timepieces before specializing in jumping-hour complications during the 1970s. After ceasing operations in 1979 amidst the quartz crisis, Amida was revived in 2024 by a team of watch industry professionals including designer Matthieu Allègre, Depancel founder Clément Meynier, and movement engineer Bruno Herbet.
Watch enthusiasts value Amida for its distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic and pioneering display technology. Rather than using traditional hands, the brand is known for its Light Reflecting Display (LRD), a patented system that utilizes a optical sapphire prism to project horizontal mechanical hour and minute discs into a vertical readout. This “casquette” design allowed drivers to read the time without removing their hands from the steering wheel, offering a unique blend of Space Age styling and mechanical ingenuity.
The flagship creation in the brand’s portfolio is the Digitrend, originally introduced at the Basel Fair in 1976. The modern revival lineup centers on the Digitrend Steel Edition, which pairs a 39mm stainless steel car-body style case with an automatic Soprod movement modified with a custom jumping-hour module. Other notable variations include the Take-Off Edition, versions in black DLC and 4N gold PVD, and the Digitrend Open Sapphire, which features a semi-transparent case crafted from sapphire crystal.
