Introducing the Unimatic Modello Uno

Most watch collectors take little convincing when the term “vintage diver” is mentioned. After all, many of the most famous and influential watches fit into that category. But without a large watch budget, most of those watches are not exactly obtainable, and should you actually want to go diving or swimming with a watch, it’s best to leave your vintage and investment grade pieces in the safe. As such, the amount of vintage-inspired dive watches has grown tremendously in the last few years, but not all hit the mark visually. Well, Unimatic, a new Italian brand, has certainly done so with their inaugural offering, the Modello Uno, which also achieves a very attractive price point.

Coming in just shy of $500 (currency rates depending) the Modello Uno clearly draws from various sources, but comes together to have its own feel. The 40mm case is nice size for a any dive watch, let alone a vintage inspired one. Sure, there were smaller divers in the 50’s and 60’s, but plenty were much larger too. 40mm with a 41mm bezel should wear well. The case itself has a fairly classic shape, but with a bezel that clearly speaks to more mid-century designs. It’s thin, with a coined edge, a wide flat insert, numerals only at quarter-hour increments and a single lumed pip.

Similarly, the crown is thin and flat, with a finely toothed edge. On the flat outside, instead of traditional logo, they put a dot and a circle, which likely relates to the design on the case back. Speaking of, the case back art is noticeably well-executed, with an enjoyable atomic-esque drawing with a stamped “Unimatic” in the center. Based on their photos, which hopefully give an honest depiction, the finishing looks quite good all around. The brushing on the top surface and bracelet appears clean and sharp. A particular detail that stood out was how well the end link fit into the case. The case is finished with a sapphire crystal with a/r.

The dial too speaks to various designs, clearly there’s some Sub/Squale influence, but the hands give it a slightly more unique look. That said, it’s not exactly offering a unique spin on the dive dial. The dial surface appears to be a dark gray, giving it a slightly aged feel. The markers, which consist of a triangle at 12, rectangles at 3, 6 and 9 and dots for the rest of the hours, are all printed in C3 lume. I quite like C3 as it’s very bright and gives the look of tritium. Around the edge of the dial are white lines for the individual minutes and seconds.

Their approach to dial branding is a nice change as well. They put everything on the lower half of the dial, speaking to the many lines of text often seen on Subs and other watches, but creating a semi-sterile look by having nothing under 12. It’s clean, and serious looking, giving it a military edge. Adding to that feeling are the sword hands with split lines, almost touching on Benrus Type I and II territory. The seconds hand is a long thin stick that is half black, half red with lumed dot for a counter weight. This detail is surprising, bringing to mind a few Seiko references.

Inside of the Unimatic Modello Uno a Seiko NH35a automatic, clearly chosen for its reliability and value. Part of what sets this watch apart is that it’s assembled, finished, tested and QCed in Italy. And should repairs be needed, they will take place there as well. The “Made in Italy” text is a bit misleading as it’s not fabricated in Italy, rather in Asia, but various important parts of the manufacturing process take place there. Though it still qualifies as “Made in Italy” under Italian law. Considering they didn’t use this fact to drive up prices, it’s a cool detail that adds a bit to the story of the watch. The watch is also designed by Giovanni Moro, who designed the very rugged PRS-40. All in all, a seemingly nice option for a 300M automatic diver with some vintage appeal.