Just took delivery of a Unimatic U2-C and thought some of the good folk at TZ might be interested by it. I must admit I'm much more taken by this watch than I expected.

https://www.unimaticwatches.com/u2-c/

I bought it on a whim, fully expecting not to like it, but sufficiently intrigued to take a punt. Turns out it was a good punt.

It's an odd watch, and I can genuinely say I'm not aware of any other that looks like it, which in itself makes it pretty special.

The most obvious (and contentious) feature is the case.

The lugs are not curved towards the wrist, but sit along the centre line of the case, with the effect of raising the lugs above the wrist.
It has a sort of UFO silhouette. The closest shape I can call to mind is that of the Panerai Radiomir, but even that is less "extreme' than the Unimatic.
It also bears a passing resemblance to the Rolex James Cameron Deep Sea Challenge , albeit a much smaller and less bulbous version.

I was highly dubious as to how it would wear. It shouldn't sit well, given the shape, but I'm pleasantly surprised that it does, lying flat on the centre of the wrist and not wobbling around or sitting at an odd angle on my sticky-out bits.
The closest feeling is that of a Rolex 36mm Explorer. From head on it has a pretty close resemblance, and size wise it's similar (it's actually 38.5mm w/o crown, but wears small IMO). From all other angles, it really looks like nothing else.

As for the dial, I went for the most simple variant, which is sort of charcoal colour, with vintage lume and a gilt chapter ring. Very vintage, very simple, and IMO perfectly proportioned. The Unimatic logo is very discreet at 6 o'clock, and the empty space at 12 just emphasises the simple elegance of the design.

The case itself is nicely finished, with sharp (but not too sharp) edges and just the right grade of brushing on all surfaces. Time will tell how it copes with scratches.

The double-dome sapphire has the perfect bulge to it, and blends nicely into the bezel.

It has a lovely big crown and a very smooth action to winding an setting.

The movement is a Seiko NH35A, an unspectacular but perfectly acceptable and reliable workhorse. I haven't paid much attention to accuracy, but I expect it to be acceptable without being mind-blowing.

I tried a bunch of different straps on this, but I ended up going back to the OEM one that came with it, which is very unusual for me. I tried a Marathon RAF-style one piece nylon in sand, an Erika's Original MN in vintage brown/red, and a raw brown suede, but none of them suited as well as the sand nylon/canvas that came with it. It also comes with a rubber strap in the box, but I'm not a fan of rubber straps and haven't tried it.

Gripes? I have two.
1) It's basically impossible to look at or photograph the watch without reflections. The combination of double domed sapphire and single-sided AR means that ALL nearby light sources are simultaneously reflected back at you.
2) There's no date (that's not the gripe). As far as I can tell, none of the Unimatic watches have a date. So why use a date movement? There's a non-date version of the NH35A (the NH38A) so why not use that? It just feels sloppy, and that unnecessary extra stem position winds me up (geddit?)

But that's nit-picking. I'm happily surprised at how much I like this watch, and I already know it'll be getting a much larger share of my rotation than it's £350(+VAT) price would suggest.

Thanks for reading, enjoy a few photos. They're not Jocke or LTF quality, but hopefully they give an idea of what it's like.