If you are a longtime reader of Fratero, you know that I am an imaginative fan. I often sang songs from admiring brands for developing one of the most well-known and versatile visual design languages in the watch industry. Design Works Works’ minimalist approach to work miraculously for brands almost every time. As imaginary founders, Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziata are industrial designers in trade, so this may not be a surprise. However, a great designer doesn’t always guarantee a great design. But the diversity of Unimatic’s minimalist style never surprises me. The latest set of watches displaying this is the new one-sided diving heritage collection. I had the opportunity to practice Tropical Brown Heritage Diver GMT and see the details.
When I reported on the new Unimatic Diving Heritage Collection a few weeks ago, I praised the watch for injecting an accurate amount of vintage charm. What I like about the nine watches is that they don’t overdo it. Changing the colour completely changes the visual presence and gives it a vintage tint. Essentially, it was just that the Unimatic team changed the Lume on the dial and changed the hands to a nice cream colour. Additionally, the bezel insert markers and numbers correspond to room colors. That’s the foundation of a retro atmosphere.
The imaginative story of a modello uno heritage gmt diver
However, in the next step, the navy and brown colours used in the six models are also properly selected. Saturated colors accentuate the overall feel of the vintage. The last three models use Black as the base color to create the most neutral trio of the three TRIO models. In summary, the trio consists of a Modello Uno Heritage Diver, a Modello UNO GMT Diver, and a Modello Tre Heritage Chronograph Diver. As a GMTS fan, I was delighted to spin the Tropical Brown Modello UNO GMT Diver (REF.U1-GMT-DHBR).
At first glance, it is comfortable and familiar. I own some imaginary models so the overall style feels like I’m in my wrist home. This watch comes in a set of specs similar to those of previous releases. The Modello UNO GMT diver has a 40mm stainless steel case with a 41.5mm bezel. This makes it easier to grip and rotate the Nauru bezel.
Furthermore, the case is 13.2mm thick and 49mm long without sapphire crystal. This makes it not a pretty watch, but not a very big one. The case profile is very straightforward. Therefore, if your wrists are small, this watch may not be for you.
Attractive overall aesthetic
As mentioned before, the case is paired with a tropical brown dial with a cream index and black hands filled with cream-colored rooms. Because this is GMT, the watch has a 24-hour hand with an extra arrow shape in black with a cream-colored lume tip. What I like is that imagination chose to keep the bezel insert black. It’s subtle, but necessary, creating a nice looking contrast. If it were brown too, it would have looked like a funky color exercise, not a vintage-inspired watch.
Within the case, Unimatic uses a Seiko NH34A caliber. It is an automatic movement that runs at 21,600VPH, has 24 gems and offers a 41-hour power reserve. As mentioned in the introduction article, the moderate accuracy of -20/+40 seconds per day is impressive.
However, in terms of actual accuracy, a considerable number of my imitation models with Seiko NH series calibers are far better than that. Plus, the caliber is very reliable and starts turning the moment you pick it up. The brand uses Sellita Caliber for its series of releases, but as you know, it raises prices significantly. Everyone has a Modello UNO GMT because I appreciate that I don’t imagine it.
Wearing an imaginative Modello UNO Heritage GMT diver
The mimicked Modello UNO Heritage GMT Diver comes with a brown two-piece TPU strap with a stainless steel pin buckle that matches the dial. It’s a wonderful and flexible strap that makes wearing the watch very comfortable. The buckle end tapers neatly from 22mm on the case to 20mm on the buckle. Strap tapered tail ends from 22mm to 16mm. This will result in a large difference in width if your wrist is large. Because the tail end is in the slimmest. As a result, there is some play between the two different parts, but some people may dislike it.
One way to solve it is to wear it neatly and tightly. That’s what I did. It also balances the wrist watch. There is too much play in my taste when I wear it looser. But like I said, if you wear it normally, there’s no problem.
In terms of overall presence, comfort and friendliness have become very high. Like I said, I own some imaginative watches, so when I put a new model on my wrist I always get closer to home. But the vintage touch offers another touch that I like. It’s subtle, but there’s more appeal to the existence, and that’s exactly what you’d expect from a vintage-inspired overall aesthetic.
Using a 24-hour GMT bezel is fun
Once on the wrist, the 18.5mm wrist size and dimensions are spot-on. Like all imaginary watches, the overall feel is very solid. The watch is very well made and I feel it can get the right be hit. It makes them a great everyday wearer that you don’t need to worry about. Plus, it’s fun to operate the 24-hour GMT bezel. The overall feel is comfortable. Turning the bezel gives you a substantial amount of feedback and a series of high-pitched metallic clicks. It sounds like a quality ratchet wrench when you turn it normally, so it’s a sound I love.
However, if you slow the rotation speed, it sounds like you’re turning the rotary combination lock dial to the safe. It’s an attractive sound. Certainly there was a bit of play on the bezel, but it’s a 120-click bezel so it’s perfectly lined up. Because it is a caller-style GMT, you can adjust the 24-hour GMT hand by removing the crown and pulling it out to its initial position. Because there is no date, if you move actively through different time zones, this is somewhat flawed and you want to track the date. As a static GMT that tracks two specified time zones, it works well.
Final Thoughts on the New One-Side Modello Unie Heritage GMT Diver
Overall, I enjoyed the imaginative Modello UNO Heritage GMT Diver a lot. You may not be that excited when you own a portion of a branded watch, but I’m always eager to learn more about new releases of the brand. It is the direct result of falling in love with an overall imaginative aesthetic. After all, the vintage look fits well with the watch, and I especially love tropical browns and vintage navy models. It’s difficult to choose between the two. I think the tropical brown models look more vintage-inspired than the vintage Navy models.
Does this ask the question whether it is tilting too hard towards a proper vintage clock with a tropical dial? The simple answer to that question is a solid “no”. If you want the right vintage vibe, get a vintage watch. But if you like modern watches with the right vintage charms, then definitely check out our imaginative diving heritage collection. After giving some thought, out of the nine models available, I chose the Vintage Navy Diver or GMT Diver. I like the brown color, but I would prefer a slightly darker color on the dial and strap, with a more chocolate brown color. But that’s a very personal view.
Overall, this imaginative Modello Uno Heritage GMT Diver is another solid release from a Milan-based brand that can be yours for VAT of over 750 euros. There are many other options available for that money. But this is your perfect choice if you’re looking for a ready-to-recognize minimalist style that’s infused with enough vintage charm. Plus, Italian brands design something much better than other brands. Certainly, I’m a fan, but the balance and style of this new series and Heritage GMT divers are especially quick to stand out.
