Hands-On With The Brand-New Unimatic Modello Quattro U4-GMT

It’s no secret that I am a fan of both Unimatic and GMT watches. And in all fairness, the Italian brand has released some amazing GMTs that I would have loved to add to my collection. But there is a right time for everything, and the timing just might be right with the release of the new Modello Uno U1-GMT and Modello Quattro U4-GMT. The two watches return to Unimatic’s beginnings with a Japanese Seiko movement, which makes them the most affordable GMTs the brand has ever released. I had a chance to go hands-on with the Modello Quattro U4-GMT. It introduces a new fixed stainless steel 24-hour bezel that is purposeful and looks awesome to boot.

Immediately after I laid eyes on the two new Unimatic GMTs, the Modello Quattro U4-GMT intrigued me. If you are familiar with Unimatic, you know that the Modello Uno is the brand’s popular dive watch. The Modello Quattro, on the other hand, is Unimatic’s modern take on a military field watch. It shares the signature minimalist dial design and the case with the Modello Uno but loses the rotating bezel and replaces it with a fixed stainless steel one. But what if you give that broad bezel a purpose as a 24-hour scale? As it turns out, you end up with a really cool-looking GMT that stands out in the ever-growing catalog of Unimatic releases.

The story of the new Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMT and Quattro U4-GMT

The new Modello Quattro U4-GMT is one part of the story of this new duo of watches. The second model is the Modello Uno U1-GMT. It follows the design of previously released Modello Uno GMT models but not exactly. Compared to earlier releases, the design was updated with a new font for the 24-hour bezel. On top of that, we have never seen a stainless steel GMT version with a black dial and a black bezel insert. So while it feels very familiar, it is a design we haven’t seen before.

The second piece of big news about these releases is that they are powered by Seiko’s NH34A GMT movement. As many of you know, Unimatic started out using the three-hand Seiko NH35 caliber for many of its mechanical watches. It allowed brand founders Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato to keep their offerings affordable. But for the GMT versions of the Modello Uno and Modello Quattro, the brand mainly used Swiss ETA or Sellita movements.

That also meant that the prices of the GMTs were substantially higher. Now, by returning to Seiko’s NH series of movements, Unimatic can offer both watches for very reasonable prices. The Modello Uno U1-GMT is priced at €675 before taxes, and the Modello Quattro U4-GMT comes in at €600, also excluding taxes. All things considered, I had a lot to look forward to with this hands-on experience.

Let’s talk specs

It’s time to go over the basic specs of these two watches. Both have a 40mm stainless steel case with a 49mm length, a 22mm lug spacing, and a 300m depth rating. The Modello Uno features a 41.5mm 120-click bezel that gives the watch slightly more wrist presence.

The Modello Uno is also slightly thinner, at 13.6mm versus 13.9mm for the Modello Quattro above. Part of that is due to the latter’s thicker sapphire crystal. Both watches feature a large 8mm crown protected by modern-style crown guards.

Both watches have a matte black dial with Unimatic’s characteristic minimalist hands and hour markers. The indexes are executed in white Super-LumiNova C1, and on the outside of them, you will find a minute track in cool gray.

The brand’s wordmark, characteristically located on the lower half of the dial, is also executed in the same gray shade. Though the difference is subtle, having both crisp white and cool gray on the matte black backdrop works super well.

The standard phantom ladder-style hands are accompanied by a 24-hour GMT hand with a large white triangular tip. Adding another subtle shade of gray is the charcoal two-piece TPU strap that tapers from 22mm to 20mm wide. The strap features a Unimatic-branded stainless steel buckle and is easy to swap for another strap thanks to the quick-release pins. For those who would like to swap it for a bracelet, that’s possible too. Unimatic offers its all-brushed steel three-row bracelet as an add-on for €180.

The Seiko caliber inside

As previously mentioned, Unimatic chose the Seiko NH34A caliber to power these new watches. This caller-style GMT movement operates at 21,600vph and has a 41-hour power reserve. In terms of accuracy, the movement offers an average rate of -20/+40 seconds per day. Those numbers are decent at best, but I am not a stickler for accuracy with my Unimatic watches.

From my experience owning several watches with NH-series movements, I can say that they are very reliable. On top of that, most owners report with far greater accuracy than the official numbers indicate. The accuracy is often reported to be between ±1–10 seconds per day, which is much more impressive.

The movement hides behind the stainless steel screw-in case back, which features engravings of the different time zones. Unimatic will produce 300 pieces of both models, and every case back will have a unique LE number engraved.

But after all 600 pieces undoubtedly sell out quickly, it wouldn’t surprise me to see these GMTs coming back as part of the permanent collection. Well, that’s probably also my love for GMTs talking.

Wearing the Unimatic Modello Quattro U4-GMT

This brings me to whether I love the new Modello Quattro U4-GMT. After wearing the watch for a few days, I can say that I do. While I would generally gravitate towards the Modello Uno GMT versions because of their look and the rotatable 24-hour bezel, this new Modello Quattro GMT is special. We have seen GMT versions of the Modello Quattro before, but none of them were like this.

The limited edition for Henry Singer and the recently released Toolwatch version had the 24-hour scale/indicator on the dial. While I love both of them, this new version is more exciting. As I mentioned, the 24-hour scale gives the bezel a purpose, and it simply looks cool.

The Modello Quattro is a sturdy and slightly chunky series of watches. This new GMT version is no different. But despite its substantial weight and dimensions, it sits comfortably on my wrist. On top of that, the watch feels very well made.

The case is super solid, and the crown action is really smooth. Putting this tool watch on the wrist immediately gave me the feeling that the Modello Quattro U4-GMT would be a great daily wearer.

It looks great, can withstand a beating, and offers great functionality with the added GMT complication. I also put the watch on Unimatic’s stainless steel bracelet, making it even more serious. The sturdy bracelet gives the watch a proper utilitarian look that oozes competence.

Final thoughts on the Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMT and Modello Quattro U4-GMT

I immediately fell in love with this new limited edition, making me want to add one to my slowly growing collection. The only question is whether I would go for the Modello Uno or Modello Quattro. There is no right or wrong answer; it’s just a matter of personal preference. But I suspect I will have to make my choice quickly because I’m sure the 300 pieces of each will sell out in no time.

The Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMT and Modello Quattro U4-GMT are a great reminder of the beginnings of the Unimatic brand. The attractive minimalist designs and Seiko NH movements make these two watches tempting additions to the lineup. They offer incredible value for money, and with these looks, I expect a lot of Unimatic fans will jump at the chance to get one. I am certainly one of them!

For more information, please visit the official Unimatic website. In the comments section, let us know your thoughts on the new Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMT and Modello Quattro U4-GMT.