A WEEK ON THE WRIST: The Unimatic U3-FFF is a distinctive bargain of a dive watch that proves less is more

Jason Marsden

In today’s watch world, Unimatic are punching above their weight. Founded in 2015 by two Italian industrial design students, this relatively new company has established a clean and unique core style in an environment flooded with start-ups and Kickstarter watches.

Often the key to good design (and indeed writing) is to edit down.  Just because you can do something, or it is traditional to include it, does not make for a clear and unified design story.  For example, I own a Jeep and, with thousands of aftermarket parts available, it pays to consider that just because you can add something does not mean you should.

Design wise Unimatic’s core watches are allowed to breathe.  Perhaps this just resonates with me at the moment as I have been gravitating towards more simple time-only designs, often eschewing chronographs, date windows and other complications.  This is in stark contrast to my earliest memories of luxury watch lustings that focused on Breitling Navitimers – a watch that I have never owned and today find far too busy for my tastes.

Recently I got to spend a week with a Unimatic U3-FFF.  This Model Three is their most complex offering in their classic range, with the inclusion of two sub dials, a 24 hour register on the right and 60 minute chronograph on the left.  This particular model, in its attractive blue colourway, is a limited-edition in collaboration with Fivefortyfive watches, hence the FFF designation.

Without a running second hand, just a central chronograph second hand, the watch presents as a snapshot of time, without any apparent movement.  This removes any distraction form the overall style impact of the watch. This can take a little getting used to but ultimately adds to the uniqueness.

The Seiko VK64 movement is a hybrid, combining a three-year battery life quartz platform interfaced with a mechanical chronograph.  This type of movement was first experimented with by Federic Piguet and Jaeger LeCoultre during the ’80s and ’90s.  The mecaquartz movement offers a crisp mechanical feel to the chronograph buttons as well as the familiar instant spring back to zero upon resetting. The second hand also advances at a relatively smooth five steps per second, not the normal one second jumps from a traditional quartz chronograph.

Unimatic’s design-editing skills are demonstrated with the deletion of the movement’s 6 o’clock date window.  The presence of the date function is only hinted at with the 24-hour sub dial and the soft date advance click noticeable when rotating the crown in its first position.

Most noticeable, and the stand-out design element, is the bezel.  Upon first sight you may think that the watch is just playing at a diving style watch and that form has overridden function, inviting comparison with fashion brand watches.  The attention to materials and finish should dissuade you of this.  As to the bezel the single lume pip and unidirectional 120 click rotation, combined with the on-board dial minute marks actually make this a completely usable feature for countdown and count up timing.  I love the proportions of equal thickness steel bands either side of the anodised bezel insert, Unimatic have nailed this detail.  I would go so far as to say that Unimatic have designed a watch that beats their Italian design cousins, Alessi, at their own game.

The bezel has a very nice coin edge and at 41.5mm slightly overhangs the 40mm case, further aiding usability. An oversize screwdown crown also features a complementary coin edge finish.  The trade off with the larger crown (one I’m happy to make) is the top chronograph button screw-down shroud can be a little fiddly to unscrew as your fingers get slightly wedged between the lug and crown. An issue, due to angle, that the bottom pusher does not suffer from.

The lack of a constant second hand, markers on the bezel and other small items means that this watch would not qualify for ISO6425 diver’s certification, but it is still very much a dive-capable watch with 300m water resistance and anti-reflective coating inside the double-domed sapphire crystal.

This watch came with both a rubber and leather strap.  The TPU rubber was reasonably supple but not soft, the closer than normal buckle pin holes ensuring a comfortable fit.   The ridged strap pattern not only further reflects the coin edge found elsewhere but allows the buckle loop keeper to be held in place with a single ridge inside the top of the loop.  No drifting away during vigorous wear thus avoiding a flapping strap-end and accidental unbuckling.  This strap is two-faced, offering the ability to remove and flip the buckle over then wear it with the smooth side outwards for a more streamlined look.  The only hiccup here was the supplied spring-bar tool’s pin end was slightly too wide to fit the holes in the buckle so the V notch end needed to be utilised.  A small detail that hopefully Unimatic can correct.

The leather strap is also house branded and well made.  It does squeak at the lugs like a new pair of shoes but this will no doubt go away after a period of use.  Much like some brand-new steel Rolex bracelets can squeak for a time until they are worn in or enough organic lubricants accumulate from the wearer.

My only aesthetic dislike for this particular collaboration is the red sub text under the Unimatic brand, maybe it’s just my failing eyesight that makes this just about impossible to read without a loupe, I may have stood a chance had it been in white.

If you are into contemporary minimalist design and want a well-made, water capable watch, then Unimatic may well just have the simple and stylish solution for you.

Pricing and availability:

 The Unimatic U3-FFF is a limited edition watch of 200 pieces. Price: €650,00