Italian watchmaker UNIMATIC has become one of the most popular micro-brands in the industry, and in such a short time, by using vintage designs to inspire its contemporary watches, such as the Modello Quattro. Now, Unimatic has taken its flagship watch and released a special edition in partnership with Italian car designer Automobili Amos, known for retrofitting classic ‘80s rally cars with modern tech and the its own unique design language.
This latest collaboration sees the limited release of a pair of Modello Quattro watches: the UT4-AA and UT4-AA2. Both watches sport the same minimalist dial that UNIMATIC is known for, and feature a fixed monoblock bezel like a typical Modello Quattro. Powered by a quartz Seiko VH31 movement for heightened robustness and accuracy, the timepieces further benefit from the first-ever 360-degree protection system for a quartz movement, which allows the watch to endure extreme environmental stress, including a U.S. Military Standard drop test.
The main difference between the UT4-AA and UT4-AA2 is the small car — specifically, an Automobili Amos Delta Futurista — at the end of the seconds hand that can be seen “driving” around the dial on the former. The yellow seconds hand on both watches, however, has a sweeping motion — unusual for a quartz watch and a result of the unique movement chosen — over the green dial that was inspired by the Automobili Amos Brinzio Green. Thinner than the standard Modello Quattro at just over 12mm, the new release takes the watch’s typical stainless steel case and sandblasts it with a gunmetal finish.
Water resistant to 300m and antimagnetic, each watch is engraved on the caseback with Unimatic and Automobili Amos’ logo, along with the edition number. The UT4-AA is limited to just 50 pieces and can be purchased via Automobili Amos’ online store, while the UT4-AA2 consists of 150 examples and is sold on UNIMATIC’s website. The watches retail for €520 (~$549).
