Introducing the Unimatic Modello Tre U3-AS Apollo Soyuz

For years, space nerds have had a single watch at the center of their lives: the Omega Speedmaster Professional. This, as we all know, is the “Moonwatch,” officially sanctioned by NASA for spaceflight, and an object of desire for many who see astronauts, particularly Apollo era astronauts, as heroes and great explorers. It’s almost the stuff of myth, and makes it easy to forget that the history of space exploration reaches far wider than the Apollo missions. The latest watch from Unimatic is a great reminder of that, and highlights a mission tangentially related to Apollo, but with implications far different than those of the projects that got Americans to the moon. Let’s take a look at the all new Unimatic Modello Tre U3-AS Apollo Soyuz. 

As the name given to it implies, this new diving chronograph commemorates the Apollo-Soyuz mission, a joint operation between the United States and Soviet Union executed in the summer of 1975. Apollo-Soyuz was historic for several key reasons: it was the first international manned space mission, it was the last crewed mission the United States took part in prior to the Space Shuttle era, and the partnership between the US and Soviet Union effectively ended the two decade Space Race. The project involved the docking of an Apollo module with a Soyuz capsule, followed by crews of both ships participating in scientific experiments together. It was considered a major public relations victory for the space programs of both countries, and set the stage for a new era of international cooperation in space exploration – a stark contrast to the posture of both the United States and Soviet Union in the years prior. 

The new watch from Unimatic places a specific focus on Soviet architect and designer Galina Andreevna Balashova, who not only created the Apollo-Soyuz logo, but also designed much of the interior space within Soviet era spacecraft, including the furniture and control panels, and she is credited with the idea of using contrasting colors in interior spaces to solve the problem of disorientation in a zero gravity environment. The Modello Tre features Balashova’s logo design in the 3:00 subdial, as well as references to her interior design on the caseback and laser etched in the leather strap. The limited edition set also includes an individually numbered print of a schematic of the Soyuz module with Balashova’s signature. 

As you can see, the watch itself is a chronograph, powered by the Seiko VK-64 Mecha-quartz chronograph movement, combining the timekeeping benefits of quartz with the mechanical feel and action of an old-school mechanical chronograph (note that the subdial at 9:00 is a 30 minute totalizer, while the register at 3:00 is a 24 hour indicator, a unique quirk of this particular movement). The watch is fitted with a somewhat unusual rotating tachymeter bezel, which allows users to determine time and pace over a distance of consecutive miles. As with all Unimatic watches up to this point, the timepiece is designed as a function first tool with a compelling design layed over it – the Modello Tre has a screw down crown and 300 meters of water resistance, as well as a case finish that is entirely brushed and a double domed sapphire crystal. The case measures 40mm in diameter, and a relatively slender 13.7mm tall (including the domed crystal) thanks to the use of the Mecha-quartz movement. For a chrono-diver with 300 meters of water resistance, that’s fairly discrete. 

The Unimatic Modello Tre US-AS Apollo Soyuz is limited to 200 pieces, and is on sale right now via Unimatic’s website. The retail price is 650 EUR. Unimatic