Hodinkee And Unimatic Join Forces To Release The Unimatic H Series

The Hodinkee × Unimatic H Series consists of three new watches powered by Sellita movements

July 08, 2021

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We have been a fan of the Unimatic brand for some time now at Fratello. Their fresh approach to watch design combined with a constant flow of exciting limited offerings has delivered outstanding results. When the word came out that the guys at Unimatic and our friends from Hodinkee have been working on a limited edition release, I was all ears. But as it turns out, we were in for a surprise. The Hodinkee × Unimatic Limited Edition collaboration is not just one watch but a trio of new watches. Additionally, they feature a surprise upgrade in movements. Plenty of reasons to get excited.

When I talked to Unimatic founder Giovanni Moro last year, he explained that he was very appreciative of the diverse audience that his brand attracts. Combining the refreshing minimalist design philosophy combined with iconic watch silhouettes has been very well received by a wide audience. Both watch enthusiasts and more design and fashion-related people alike love the brand. Additionally, Moro and co-founder Simone Nunziato have very carefully selected the brands they do collaborations with. It’s this same eclectic mix of design, fashion, and watch-related brands. Essentially it’s a mix of brands that both founders personally love themselves. That love is reflected in the watches. As a result, the brand has become very popular, with most releases selling out in a matter of minutes.

Hodinkee × Unimatic Limited Editions

For their latest collaboration, Unimatic joined forces with our friends from Hodinkee. But it’s not simply a one-off limited edition release. Instead, Hodinkee and Unimatic have created a trio of watches inspired by adventures on land, at sea, and in the air, and together they make up the Unimatic H Series. Two of them are familiar models, and one is a completely new addition to the Unimatic line-up. All three models are powered by Sellita movements, which is a first for Unimatic. As a result, all three watches feature a slimmer profile, each landing under 12mm. Additionally, the watches also integrate Hodinkee’s signature shade of grey in the color configuration resulting in an incredibly stylish trio of watches.

For the Land edition, the brands release the US-H field watch, a new version of the Unimatic Modello Due. For the Sea edition, the obvious choice was a new edition of the popular Modello Uno called the U1-H Diver. Lastly, for the Air edition, both brands collaborated on Unimatic’s first GMT version of the Modello Uno called the U1-GMTH. A GMT version of the Modello Uno, new movements, slimmer profiles, a stealthy appearance? There is definitely plenty to check out here. So let take a closer look at all three of the watches that make up the H Series.

The Unimatic Modello Due US-H

For the first release, Unimatic and Hodinkee worked on a special edition of the Unimatic Modello Due. The Modello Due US-H is a field watch that features a grey California dial. The case is 38.5mm in diameter and 11.8mm high compared to 13.7mm of previous versions. The California dial is a first for the Modello Due. We have seen the dial used before for the Modello Uno U1-NU. The upper part of the dial features Roman numerals for the 1, 2, 10, and 11 o’clock markers. The lower part of the dial features Arabic numerals for the 4, 5, 7, and 8 o’clock markers. The 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock markers are executed in a typical Unimatic fashion to complete the dial. The 12 o’clock marker is a large triangle, whereas the other markers are rectangles.

The Modello Due US-H is water-resistant up to 300 meters. Inside the case, the automatic caliber Sellita Caliber SW200-1 powers the watch. The well-known movement operates at 28,800vph, has 26 jewels, and a 38-hour power reserve. The movement is a definitive step up from the usual Seiko NH35 movements that Unimatic has used for their Modello Uno and Modello Due watches. Personally, I loved seeing the Modello Due U2-C and the U2-CN that looked amazing and showed the incredible diversity this watch can bring. This new Modello US-H combines the straightforward looks of the Modello Due with the popular California dial, so it might just shine a new spotlight on the model, ultimately making it a hit. The watch will cost $675 and comes with a black two-piece Cordura strap and a black NATO strap.

The Unimatic H Series Modello Uno U1-H

For sea adventures, the brand’s popular Modello Uno diver was the only right pick. For the Modello Uno U1-H, Hodinkee and Unimatic have chosen a light grey dial with white markers combined with a black bezel insert. The watch comes with a rubber strap and a NATO strap, with the rubber strap being a first for the Modello Uno. The case for the Modello Uno is 41.5mm in diameter and 11.8mm in height, making it significantly thinner compared to the 13.6mm of the previous Modello Uno releases. It’s also the result of the same automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1 that powers the U1-H Diver. Good to know that 41.5mm is actually the diameter of the bezel, where the case is 40mm. It makes it easy to operate the bezel, and the 40mm case makes the Modello Uno the perfect fit for various wrist sizes.

The watch is water-resistant up to 300 meters, and the closed case back has the decompression scale engraved in it. Overall the color combination looks stylish with a combination of grey and black colors. The rubber strap perfectly fits the series of stylish and minimalist divers that we have come to know from Unimatic. Additionally, if you put this on a suede leather strap, for instance, and you’ll see that it perfectly fits a wide variety of situations. When it comes to the dial execution, the elements are the same we have seen from several Modello Uno variants. A nice touch is the central seconds hand that features two shades of grey. The darker shade makes sure the hand creates enough contrast with the lighter dial. The Modello Uno will be available for $875 and comes with a rubber strap and a NATO strap.

The Unimatic H Series Modello Uno U1-GMTH

The last watch of the H Series is inspired by adventures in the sky. On top of that, it is the biggest surprise out of the three. The Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMTH is the first GMT watch the brand releases. It is based on the Modello Uno diver and features the same 41.5mm case and a thickness of 11.8mm. The watch comes with a matte black dial with white markers and a date window at 6 o’clock. As it’s a GMT watch, the U1-GMTH features a unidirectional bezel with a grey GMT bezel inlay. The 24-hour scale on the bezel is printed in black and white, indicating night and day. Next to the regular hour, minute, and seconds hand, we see the addition of the grey GMT hand that can be independently adjusted in 24-hour increments to indicate a second timezone.

Just like the other two releases, the Modello Uno U1-GMTH is water-resistant up to 300 meters. Inside the case, Hodinkee and Unimatic picked the automatic caliber Sellita SW330-2 to power the all-new U1-GMTH. The movement operates at 28,800vph, has 25 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve. On the solid case back, you will find an engraving of a custom display highlighting the world’s major 24 time zones. The Modello Uno U1-GMTH comes with a cordovan black leather strap and a single-pass NATO strap and will be available for $1,395 in the Hodinkee Shop.

First Thoughts

It’s great to see that Unimatic and Hodinkee worked on not one but three limited-edition models. On top of that, it’s brilliant to see the Modello Uno U1-GMTH as the first minimalist GMT watch that Unimatic has created. Overall the three watches perfectly show what has made Unimatic so popular over the last couple of years. Their minimalist approach to watch design works perfectly on a variety of different watches. Additionally, I love that the team at Hodinkee understands the design philosophy perfectly. The choice only to use the signature Hodinkee grey is perfect proof of that, and the results are classy.

The three watches make a great stylish trio, with the Modello Uno U1-GMTH as my personal favorite. I love the addition of a GMT watch because it is my favorite watch complication. Combined with the minimalist stealthy appearance of the watch, it perfectly shows the Unimatic design philosophy works on a variety of different watches. It will be interesting to find out whether we will see more GMT versions of the Modello Uno in the future. For now, I am very tempted to join the large group of people that will, without a doubt, have their finger on the trigger.

A step in a new direction?

Another welcome upgrade is the change to Sellita movements. They are, without a doubt, a great step up in terms of both quality and accuracy. If we then look at the prices of the three models, we have to give Hodinkee and Unimatic huge credit. The prices of all three watches are well within reach of what we have come to know from Unimatic: great minimalist watches for an affordable price. It will be great to determine whether the switch to the Sellita movements will be a permanent one. For now, these three watches make for a great trio that will surely fly out the door.

All three watches will be available in a limited production run of 500 pieces each and will be available in the Hodinkee Shop. The watches come in a Unimatic-branded Tough Case with two different straps and are individually numbered. The sale of the three watches will start today, the 8th of July, at 11 am EST for our readers in the United States or 17:00 CET for our European readers. You might have to be quick to make sure you can get your hands on one of these releases.

For more information about Unimatic, visit their official website.