Hands-On With The New Modello Quattro U4-A, A Fixed Bezel Diver From Unimatic

Unimatic keeps their foot on the gas with the release of another new model built upon their tried and true minimal dive watch template. The newest watch is the Modello Quattro ref. U4-A, and it represents the beginning of a 4th family of watches from the Italian brand. The Quattro shares similarities with the OG Modello Uno watches, but moves to a fixed bezel design along with receiving a number of other subtle, but welcome changes. This is still unequivocally a Unimatic watch, so if you’re a fan of what they do, the U4-A should be right in your wheelhouse.

The mid-case of the Quattro looks exactly what you’d find on other Unimatic divers in the Uno family, save for the lugs which now sport drilled holes at their end.  The feature makes sense in the context of these watches and the ethos they subscribe to, and is something many fans of the brand have been asking for. A new screw in caseback and bezel assembly add a smidge of thickness to the case, bumping it to a still manageable 13.8mm. 

The move to a fixed bezel does yield more noticeable change both in feel and in appearance. The outer rim of the bezel where you’d normally find a coin-edge texture for ratcheting the assembly is now a brushed chamfer, bringing the case diameter to an even 40mm in the process. This tightens up the appearance of the watch as well, drawing the focal point inward toward the dial. Looking at it next to a Modello Uno, you’d swear the viewing area is smaller on the Quattro but it remains at 29mm. The surface of the bezel is bare, with no markings in sight. Just a flat, brushed surface sitting flush with the crystal. This adds a tank-like appearance which is fitting given the ‘heavy-duty’ nature of this watch.

The dial is matte black with circular hour plots consisting of pale green C3 Super-LumiNova. Horizontal bars mark the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions with a triangle sits at 12 o’clock. The minute hashes are long and legible, and they push the hour markers inward, creating a more compact dial configuration that also attributes to the feeling of it being a smaller watch than an Uno. One small difference that will not go unnoticed by vintage Rolex fans is the move away from the meters first depth rating, to a feet first configuration. 

The Modello Quattro is offered on an olive drab heavy duty nylon strap with signed buckle and matte keepers. It’s supple and wearable out of the box, but this is a watch that will look pretty good on all manner of strap, something the new drilled lugs should encourage you to explore. Unimatic is still using the Seiko automatic caliber NH35A, which may not be fancy or even particularly accurate but it keeps the price at a relatively wallet friendly $560. This is a regular production model so supply should be somewhat consistent. More from Unimatic.