Introducing The Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro U1-MY2

The small pool of ultra minimal dive watches gets a little bigger today with the introduction of the Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro U1-MY2. The U1-MY2 is the second collaboration between Unimatic and Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro (see the first here), and this one dials the color all the way down (up?) to a weathered blank white canvas. It’s a stylish going on straight up artistic take on the U1 we know and love from the Italian brand, and like the rest this one will be limited. 

The U1-MY2 features a stonewashed Cerakote white case with some weathering at its edges to provide the only points of contrast in sight. The dial, bezel, and even the lume are white as well. The stone washing, which is processed by hand, means that each of the 100 pieces produced will be unique, much like the U1-MY we saw last year. The watch will be offered with two straps, one 2 piece calf leather, the other a 2 piece nylon. Both in white. 

Mihara Yasuhiro is a clothing and sneaker designer known for his inventive use of weathered colors and materials, which we see reflected in the case of the U1-MY2. In 2016 Mihara Yasuhiro released a G-Shock DW-5600 in a uniform khaki green, and in 2019 collaborated with Unimatic for the U1-MY, which paired a blue case and dial with bright yellow hands and hour markers.

The U1 case retains the same dimensions as previous models, which are 40mm in diameter, 49mm lug to lug, and 13.6mm in thickness. Nothing to complain about there. While this is not the most practical execution of the diver we’ve ever seen, it does allow us to appreciate the form factor in a new way outside the confines of the established “diver’s tool” lore. Putting on our art critic hat, this collaboration allows us to reflect on the very nature of how we actually use tool watches in our day to day lives, forcing us to confront the reality that we tend to fetishize a lifestyle we assign to our watches. 

On movement duty is the Seiko NH35A, an automatic movement providing 41 hours of power reserve and -20/+40 seconds/day of accuracy. The screwed in caseback is engraved and individually numbered.  The Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro U1-MY2 will be available for purchase on September 19th for a price of €777 from Unimatic watches right here.