UNIMATIC Is The Microbrand Pushing Watch Design Forward in 2024
2024 is the best time to buy a watch. When considering your next timepiece, many of us ponder similar questions. How will this watch look in my wrist roll video? Will the Pride & Pinion subreddit critique my choice? Does this watch complement my wardrobe? And, importantly, which watch delivers the best performance and build quality for my budget?
While the appeal of mainstream brands like Rolex, Omega, and Grand Seiko cannot be ignored, UNIMATIC Watches and other microbrand watches offer exceptional value in today's watchmaking market.
The world of watch microbrands is rapidly expanding within the horology scene, making the decision-making process quite daunting—and, if you'll forgive the pun, time-consuming.
However, amidst a sea of options, UNIMATIC Watches stand out prominently this season. This relatively new Italian microbrand has quickly become a favorite for its tool watches, striking a perfect balance between minimalist, industrial design and a profound appreciation for the history of watchmaking.
But let's dial it back a moment. What exactly defines microbrand watches?
Where all the magic happens: What are microbrand watches?
If you mention the term "microbrand" to any watch enthusiast, their eyes will widen with excitement, listing all of the hidden gems and best players — with UNIMATIC sure to come up in the discussion. Nonetheless, what exactly is a watch microbrand? According to the watch guru himself, Teddy Baldassarre..."a microbrand is a limited-production watch company that typically specializes in a particular style that does not have extensive resources to produce its own in-house calibers or other proprietary parts."
These watches diverge from the mainstream, offering unique regional, manufacturing, or design perspectives, usually in limited quantities. However, this exclusivity is far from a drawback.
The best microbrand watches, like UNIMATIC, offer remarkable value, sometimes rivaling watches priced two to five times higher. They combine meticulous design and vibrant storytelling, culminating in exceptional timepieces that are visually striking on the wrist. In a relatively short period, UNIMATIC has not only embraced the microbrand ethos but also broadened its appeal to the mass market.
The reason is simple: UNIMATIC watches are well-crafted, blending quality and design in a way that resonates with watch enthusiasts worldwide.
UNIMATIC makes some of the best watches in Italian horological history.
Even if Italian watchmaking isn't your forte, you're probably familiar with some of its remarkable contributions. Italy, renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship and daring design principles, has produced icons such as the military-inspired Panerai and the avant-garde Bulgari. While its footprint in the global watch scene might be modest, its influence is undeniably profound and far-reaching.
This tradition of making significant waves in the watch industry is being perpetuated by the innovators at UNIMATIC. Located in Milan, this watch microbrand was established in 2015 by friends Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato.
The pair, who met while studying at the Politecnico di Milano, shared a passion for industrial design and vintage timepieces. This enthusiasm for some of the watch world's most celebrated icons would later shape the team's design ethos.
"The design concepts that lie behind this was to take inspiration, reference or elements from several classic diving watch designs and blend them together inside one watch," the founders told Gear Patrol.
Even with only a basic understanding of watches, UNIMATIC's design language is likely to resonate with you, possibly evoking a sense of nostalgia. Since day one, the Italian brand has been heavily focused on "design-first." Consider the Modello Uno, UNIMATIC's inaugural market entry.
Its watch case and dial echo the styles of Blancpain and Rolex, and the bezel bears a resemblance to the Omega Seamaster 300. These elements are all present, yet they're distilled to their essence and functionality, endowing each watch with a unique and captivating appearance.
It makes the brand special to those who have spent hours on end thumbing through old watch reference numbers and have an obnoxiously long list of saved vintage watches in their Instagram folders.
Since introducing the Modello Uno, UNIMATIC has broadened its range, incorporating field watches and chrono-divers in an extensive mix of materials and styles.
Despite this expansion, UNIMATIC watches have achieved iconic status within the watch community, often becoming a coveted grail item for collectors seeking a unique addition to their assemblage, provided they can get their hand on these rapidly selling watches.
UNIMATIC's watches are limited-edition, minimalistic, and highly functional.
"Are UNIMATIC good watches?" is a common question thrown around the watch subreddits. And those who have spent time with UNIMATIC will tell you that they are excellent watches — one of the best in the sub $1000 category.
What separates the watch from most is the brand is UNIMATIC's meticulous, thought-through design language, build quality, and dedication to performance. You won't find any "toy watches" here. Moro and Nunziato have a deep respect for the functional design and engineering of timekeeping.
"From a designer's point of view, the dive watch was born for a reason: as a tool. It's a very accomplished object. To use a metaphor, let's talk about a hammer. The hammer's design was perfected over thousands of years. There's very little you can do to make it better," said the duo, speaking on the design process for their Dive watch.
"In a way, we felt the diving watch was similar. There is very little to invent on a tool watch. Our goal was to make some kind of synthesis of what had been done before, in a modern way, and at a price point that could be accessed by a lot of people."
Functionality and form are ever-present thanks to the brand's commitment to minimalism and Bauhaus aesthetics. This minimalist approach highlights the elegance of the timekeeping watch design, free from unnecessary markings beyond those essential for telling time or operating an additional complication. The monochromatic color schemes embody a 'beauty in simplicity' philosophy, exemplified in the watch brand's most popular models.
Their design is always rugged, often equipped with a 316 stainless steel brushed case in a very wearable 38mm - 41.5 mm case — with the size depending on the specified model. Watches include inner-side anti-reflective coating, luminous indices for night-time wearability, are antimagnetic ≥4800 A / m, and feature an impressive 300m of water resistance.
All of the watches are made in a workshop in Milan and are powered by either a Seiko movement or a Swiss-made Sellita. But you always have to be quick when a new UNIMATIC piece catches your eye.
To ensure a truly unique product experience, each UNIMATIC watch is individually engraved with a progressive serial number, indicating the total number of pieces produced for that specific reference. Once a design sells out, it becomes a part of history – UNIMATIC never reproduces the same design again, making each timepiece a distinct and exclusive grail.
UNIMATIC has already mastered the art of the watch collaboration.
UNIMATIC has not only expanded its "Made to Order" collection but has also become a leading collaborator in the watch industry in recent years. The brand partners with various companies to enhance watch lore, advance functionality, and experiment with new case materials like carbon fiber and blue stonewashed steel, all while adhering to its core design philosophy.
UNIMATIC has collaborated with notable entities like NASA, Hodinkee, Massena LAB, Spongebob, and the MoMA, to name just a few.
More recently, UNIMATIC is joining forces with Highsnobiety and Disney Studios to create an exclusive capsule collection commemorating Disney's 100th anniversary — available exclusively on the Highsnobiety Shop from November 22.
Shop Disney x UNIMATIC x Highsnobiety
Despite being less than a decade old and, therefore, a relative newcomer in the watchmaking world, UNIMATIC has a remarkable knack for creating memorable horological moments. Its commitment to balancing history, performance, and aesthetics positions it as a disruptive force in the industry and a personal favorite for my wrist roll videos.
