The New Hodinkee Collab Sees Unimatic’s First Forged Carbon Watches

Two hyped brands have teamed up on a limited-edition collab, and that can only mean one thing: superhype. The exclusivity and unique nature of the new watches from Hodinkee x Unimatic will inevitably grab attention, but they’re notable for other reasons too.

Teaming up with Hodinkee for the second time, Unimatic claims a first: it’s a new foray into watches produced in forged carbon for the Italian microbrand. They went all out with premium features for the occasion, and we must say, they look pretty damn slick in both their time-only and GMT variants. Here’s what you should know about them.

Products in the Guide

• Hodinkee x Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-Carbon

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• Hodinkee x Unimatic Modello Uno U1S-Carbon GMT

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Hodinkee

They’re going to be hyped

Back in 2021, the first Hodinkee x Unimatic collaboration sold out in a matter of hours. Each brand is known for its quick-selling collabs, and the mere fact of either releasing a new watch will often get the masses chattering. Each brand can be polarizing, but that only feeds into the hype in an endless loop.

Adding to the commotion will surely be the unconventional look of carbon with its marbled effect, as well as the prices, which are higher than the average Unimatic (though not unprecedented) at $2,200 for the time-only U4 and $2,900 for the U1 GMT.

Hodinkee

They’re Unimatic’s first forged carbon watches

Carbon (forged, fiber, etc.) is one of those alternative watchmaking materials gaining steam and wider usage, with Tudor being one of the latest adopters. The watch world is constantly in search of new and interesting ingredients, and carbon fits the bill: in addition to being extremely lightweight and strong, it can achieve the look of a black watch without a coating that can be scratched, and can offer interesting visual effects.

Forged carbon can have a marbled look, as seen in these examples, and its exact pattern will differ depending on the cut, making each example unique. In the right light, it can even resemble camouflage, which fits Unimatic’s often military vibe. While we’re especially drawn to the GMT (we’re always drawn to GMTs), the time-only U4 model is easily heavier on the carbon look as its thick bezel displays the material’s unique pattern while the GMT has a black insert for its 24-hour scale.

While carbon is still exotic and technical, brands have increasingly been offering it at lower prices, such as Tissot with its recent ~$1,000 Sideral. That said, it’s a very different endeavor for a small brand like Unimatic than it is for a big brand such as Tissot, which benefits from the Swatch Group’s vast resources.

Hodinkee

There’s more to these watches than their carbon cases

Still, there’s more to the new Unimatic x Hodinkee watches than their case material — the brands went the extra mile on a range of details to make them feel special. Inside each forged carbon case is a titanium core further protecting the movements and ensuring durability but also helping to keep the watches extremely lightweight.

The movements themselves are Swiss automatics, a Sellita SW200-1 b for the time-only Modello Quattro U4S-Carbon and an ETA 2893-2 for the Modello Uno U1S-Carbon GMT. Featuring the familiar specs of Unimatic’s existing watches with 40mm diameters (41.5mm for the GMT’s bezel), both watches are also water resistant to a dive-ready 300m while remaining reasonably thin (12.4mm and 11.6mm, respectively — the GMT actually being thinner). The included rubber straps even feature forged carbon buckles to match their cases.

Each model is limited to 250 examples and available online exclusively through the Hodinkee Shop.

Unimatic

Hodinkee x Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-Carbon

• $2,200.00 at Hodinkee

Unimatic

Hodinkee x Unimatic Modello Uno U1S-Carbon GMT

• $2,900.00 at Hodinkee

Read More

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  The Best GMT Watches

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