Unimatic × Revolution U1 MilSub "Blue"

Rising Italian watch brand Unimatic and Revolution create an all-blue U1 dive watch featuring a distressed Cerakote coating and a modern twist on the iconic MilSub design. Available in a limited and numbered edition of 200 pieces, priced at EUR 1,100, excluding taxes. WORDS BY WEI KOH, FOUNDER OF REVOLUTION, THE RAKE & GRAIL WATCH

Our first collaboration with Italian brand Unimatic resulted in the all-white Unimatic U1 GMT “Arctic Fox,” a tribute to the winter camouflage adopted by both the animal which changes the color of its fur to pure white during winter, and the “snow camo” smocks worn by soldiers such as legendary Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä.

But when it came time for our second collaboration, Unimatic co-founders Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato wanted to focus on blue, a color that reminds them of the oceans which occupy more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, and the history of exploration and conservation of this priceless resource. At the same time, they wanted to pay tribute to a hue that has fascinated some of their favorite artists, including Yves Klein, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

A new spin on the diver

When it comes to sports watches, there is nothing more iconic than the dive watch. Born in the early ’50s, the design of the dive watch is unmistakable. There are, first of all, the markers on the dial which are a combination of luminous circles with rectangles at 3, 6 and 9, and the famous inverted triangle at 12 o’clock. This was created to provide the ultimate visibility underwater so there would be no mistaking one index from another. At Unimatic, the rectangle at six o’clock is oriented horizontally as a design leitmotif.

Then there are the luminous sword hands of the watch. These are read off the watch’s unidirectional rotating bezel, which has a luminous pearl at its start point.

Nunziato adds, “For our watch, we wanted to demarcate each individual minute mark on the bezel, which is a bit of a tribute to the Rolex 5517 MilSubs [military issued Submariners] that were created for the British Ministry of Defense. We liked how this provided enhanced legibility and functionality to the bezel. It’s funny, because today everyone has a dive computer that tells you when to resurface after a dive, but in the pioneering era of scuba, the rotating bezel was the instrument that was used to tell elapsed time and indicate when the dive was over.”

A bolt of blue

Moro reveals, “For our latest collaboration, we applied an all-blue colorway to the U1 dive watch, in the same way that we used the all-white theme for our last collaboration with Revolution.”

Nunziato explains, “This is for two reasons. Firstly, during a period of increased urgency for conservation, the idea of an all-blue dive watch is a nice reminder to respect our oceans. In Italy, we love the sea and so much of our life and our culture from the Amalfi Coast to Capri to Taormina are inextricably linked with the water.

"At the same time, blue has been one of the most powerfully symbolic colors in the contemporary art that Giovanni and I both love.” Indeed, in artworks such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, the paintings from Picasso’s Blue Period and the works of Wassily Kandinsky, Yves Klein and Chagall, blue was the color of change. “We wanted to apply this color in the most dynamic way possible on our U1 dive watch in collaboration with you.”

After significant discussion about the case color, Moro, Nunziato and Wei agreed upon Pantone 7462C, a stunning Cerulean blue that is almost a vibrant royal blue but with just a touch of stonewashed denim undertones, so that it would pair perfectly with jeans.

Nunziato adds, “We also love that Cerulean blue symbolizes peace and confidence. For that reason, it was used by the United Nations for the color of its logo.”

Lighting up the dark 

To us, the luminous signature of any Revolution limited edition is extremely important as it has become one of our calling cards. In the Unimatic × Revolution U1 MilSub "Blue," the luminous material has been added to just the white surrounds of the markers, while the white hands have been painted with navy Super-LumiNova. However, Unimatic has color-matched these elements so that they both glow a shade of electric blue.

Says Moro, “Toying with perception and subverting expectations is something we love doing and, we know, so does Revolution. The result is a watch that features so many wonderful hidden details.”

The 316 steel Cerakote watch measures 41.5mm in diameter including the bezel, with a lug width of 22mm. It fetures a screw-down crown and 300 meters of water resistance. It is made in Italy, save for its Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1b automatic movement with a 4Hz vibrational speed, 41 hours of power reserve and the hacking seconds function vital for a dive watch. It comes with two straps: a handsome navy nylon strap and a badass vintage navy NATO strap with fabric keepers.

The Unimatic × Revolution U1 MilSub "Blue" is available in a limited and numbered edition of 200 pieces, priced at EUR 1,100 excluding taxes.

Technical specifications

Unimatic × Revolution U1 MilSub "Blue"

Reference: U1S-REV

Limited edition of 200 pieces

Case

• Material: 316 stainless steel case with Cerakote cerulean blue stonewashed coating
• Diameter: 41.5 mm
• Glass: 2.5mm thick double domed sapphire crystal
• Crown: 8mm screw-down crown
• Unimatic x Revolution screw-down caseback
• Water-resistant to 300 meters

Dial and hands

• Matte vintage navy; hour markers outlined in Super-LumiNova
• Matte white ladder phantom Hour and Minute hands, reverse lollipop S, Super-LumiNova matte vintage navy tip

Movement

• Automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1 b
• Frequency: 28'800 vph (4 Hz)
• Hacking seconds hand
• Power reserve of 38 - 41 hours

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes and seconds

Strap and buckle

• Vintage navy TPU-coated nylon; additional vintage navy nylon with fabric keepers
• 22mm lug width

MSRP: EUR 1'100 (excl. taxes)

For more information, please visit revolutionwatch.com