Collection History
The Top Second was born in the 1970s, in Mondia's most experimental production period, when the brand — then part of the Movado-Zenith-Mondia galaxy — sought to stand out with unconventional technical and aesthetic solutions compared with the mid-range Swiss competition. Sources agree in describing it as one of the most recognizable models of that era, thanks to an uncommon seconds-reading system with an index/scan display for the time, which over the years made it a sought-after piece among collectors of vintage Italian and Swiss watchmaking.
Like much of Mondia's production, the Top Second also suffered from the quartz crisis and the brand's troubled corporate history between the late 1970s and the 1980s, remaining for a long time a name known only to enthusiasts and to those browsing flea markets and online auctions, rather than an actively marketed product.
The name is among the very few in Mondia's historical archive to have been revived in the brand's most recent relaunch: it is indeed present, alongside other historic names such as Madison, among the lines currently offered by Mondia Swiss, evidence of how identifying that original design has remained for the brand. Contemporary versions reinterpret the original idea with current materials and movements, keeping the name as a direct reference to the 1970s legacy.
Technical Specifications
Main Executions
Among Mondia's historic models, the Top Second is one of the very few whose name has survived every change of ownership the brand has gone through — from the Movado-Zenith-Mondia holding of the 1970s to the more recent management under Diffusione Orologi — still appearing today in the Mondia Swiss catalogue.