Italian watchmaker Unimatic’s U2-C is one of our favorite watches under $500 — with its military-inspired case and dial design, it packs a ton of punch and has formed the basis of several different versions and special editions.
Now, Unimatic has teamed up with famed British designer Nigel Cabourn on a new take on the U2 platform, dubbed the U2-NC. A stonewashed olive drab Cerakote coating gives the case a unique, lived-in military look, while a navy blue dial and a safety orange 2-piece fabric strap provide contrast (the watch also ships with a navy blue nylon strap). Inspired by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-1958, the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica, the U2-NC features a blueprint map of the southernmost continent on the steel case back.
Other features include an impressive 300m of water resistance, an oversize, 8mm screw-down crown, Old Radium-style Super-LumiNova-coated hands and indices, a double-domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal and the trusty, automatic Seiko NH35A movement with 41 hours of power reserve. A unique edition of 150 pieces, the new U2-NC is backed by a 24-month warranty and only available at select Nigel Cabourn stores.
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