u/glm1986italy

Dopo un periodo di impegni finalmente sto Sabato sera ho potuto prendermi cura di Lei...

#bmwe39

wanted to celebrate an important milestone in my life...

No, I'm not getting married, and unfortunately I didn't buy a BMW E31 either. 😅

But if everything goes according to plan, I should be reaching that milestone very soon.

I was looking for a watch that felt different, distinctive, minimalist and, for once, Italian.

So here it is: my new Unimatic Modello Due Classic.

It currently wears the original black NATO strap, but I've already ordered the original Unimatic black Shell Cordovan leather strap as well.

And I have to say: I really like this thing.

The movement is the familiar Seiko NH35A. Nothing exotic, but simple, proven and reliable.

The case, however, is what really sold me on this watch.

It's chunky, substantial and completely unapologetic. No unnecessary details, no polished decorative elements:

38mm of pure minimalist brutality.

The caseback is engraved with a compass rose, while the large screw-down crown is engraved with the Unimatic logo and feels appropriately massive for the design.

Water resistance is 300 metres / 1000 ft.

Which is obviously essential considering... I can't even swim. 😅

The domed sapphire crystal has an internal anti-reflective coating. The crystal itself looks great and gives the watch a lot of character, although I have to admit that the AR coating is probably the one thing I would criticise: reflections can still be quite noticeable.

And then there's the green Super-LumiNova C3.

It's basically a lighthouse. 😅

See the lume shot.

Unfortunately, the minimalist philosophy also seems to apply to the packaging. You get a very basic Unimatic fabric travel case, the NATO strap and the warranty card.

Considering the price, I think they could have done a little better here. I actually prefer the hard cases Unimatic used to provide with some of their older watches.

And speaking of price, this is where things get interesting.

Unimatic releases quite a few limited editions, and I've noticed some of them being listed on the secondary market for more than their original retail price.

Fair enough for rare sold-out editions, perhaps.

What's more surprising is seeing something similar even with regular models such as the Classic.

The official retail price for this one is €550. I found mine brand new from an authorised retailer in Milan for €468 delivered, with full warranty.

Meanwhile, I've seen used examples — sometimes with visible signs of wear — being offered for €500–600.

The watch market can be a strange place. 😅

Anyway, I wanted something genuinely different from the other watches in my collection, with a very strong design identity.

I think I found it.

Un saluto dall'Italia

Ecco la mia 523i, acquistata nel Dicembre del 2022

Cambio manuale, ora ha solo 95.000km

In Italia ha ottenuto uno dei massimi riconoscimenti per un'auto storica: la Targa Oro ASI