Two friends and industrial designers, Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato, started UNIMATIC in 2015 to make watches in which every design decision serves a function.
How it began
UNIMATIC was born in 2015. Moro and Nunziato dreamed of watches that celebrate both heritage and modernity, and every step, from the first sketches to assembly, is handled in Italy. The brand’s own account of its origin runs from a decade-long obsession to a cold email that changed everything.
The first watch was the Modello Uno (U1-A), a diver’s watch released in a limited edition of 300 pieces. A year later came the first collaboration. The U1-C was an all-black diver made with Colette, the Paris concept store, in an edition of 50 pieces. More co-branded projects followed from 2017. One of them, the U1-KSA of 2021, celebrated collectors across the Arabic world and was the first UNIMATIC with Eastern Arabic numerals.
Design by removal
UNIMATIC calls its method design by removal. Every design decision serves a function, and anything unnecessary is taken out, so that the watch stays clear, durable and purpose-built.
The brand says it was born as a continuous watchmaking research lab, and its designers draw on vintage and contemporary watches alike. It treats “Made in Italy” as a statement of design philosophy. In its words, that means how an object ages matters more than where it is assembled.
Numbering is part of the method. Limited designs are numbered, and the brand says a design is not reproduced once its edition is gone. Even the permanent Classic line is numbered in yearly batches.
The watches
The Modello Uno set the pattern. Its steel case measures 40mm, or 41.5mm across the 120-click bezel. Each one is individually tested for water resistance to 300 metres.
The Modello Due followed in 2016. It takes its cue from vintage field watches, with a symmetrical case and an ultra-domed crystal. The Modello Tre of 2018 was the first UNIMATIC chrono-diver, with screw-down pusher guards. In 2020 the Modello Quattro reworked the Modello Uno with a fixed monoblock bezel.
In 2023 the Modello Cinque became the first 36mm UNIMATIC. Its first edition was made with Massena LAB and numbered 300 pieces. Its design draws on Brutalism, the Bauhaus and Italian Rationalism.
The Classic Modello Uno, Due and Quattro use NH35A automatic movements with a 41-hour power reserve. The Toolwatch line uses quartz movements and a 360° anti-shock system developed in-house. In 2024 all four toolwatches passed MIL-STD-810H, a United States military standard that tests for drops, impacts and vibration.
The house today
In 2021 UNIMATIC brought assembly and testing in-house, near Milan. In April 2023 it opened its first store in Milan. The Swedish architects Claesson Koivisto Rune designed it, taking the Modello Quattro as their starting point and stripping it back to the bare metal.
In September 2026 UNIMATIC was again at Geneva Watch Days, among an international community of independent watch brands. The U1-MI, a Modello Uno titled The History of UNIMATIC, looks back. Its dial is divided into twelve sectors, one for each of twelve past collaborations.
At a glance
- Founded: 2015
- Founders: Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato, industrial designers
- Based in: Milan, Italy
- Known for: Limited, numbered divers and tool watches; design by removal; the Modello Uno to Modello Cinque
- Independent: Yes, by its own account (among independent watch brands at Geneva Watch Days); the trademark belongs to Caligola S.R.L.
Sources: UNIMATIC’s own website (About Us, Our Lines, U1-MI The History of UNIMATIC, Imprint, and news posts on the Milan flagship store, Modello 5, MIL-STD-810H testing and Geneva Watch Days 2026).