UNIMATIC × Rocky Mountain Watches Modello Due Toolwatch

Unimatic has released the Modello Due Toolwatch reference UT2-NST, a collaborative project executed alongside Colorado-based retailer Rocky Mountain Watches and the Natural Selection Tour. This release marks a distinct structural shift for the Modello Due platform, transitioning the architecture from an automatic field watch into a specialized quartz instrument engineered specifically for high-impact sporting environments. The production parameters were dictated by the demands of the 2026 Natural Selection calendar, which encompasses mountain biking in New Zealand, backcountry snowboarding in Revelstoke, freestyle skiing in Alaska, and competitive surfing across the Southern Hemisphere. To accommodate this spectrum of environmental variables—ranging from sub-zero alpine conditions to corrosive saltwater exposure—the traditional mechanical caliber has been excised in favor of a heavily shielded quartz module. The resulting design prioritizes shock resistance, extreme legibility, and physical resilience over traditional mechanical horology. Manufactured entirely in Italy, the UT2-NST functions as a strict utility item, stripping away non-essential decorative elements to focus entirely on the core requirements of a professional-grade timing instrument.

The strategic partnership with Rocky Mountain Watches, an independent retailer focused on the intersection of horology and outdoor exploration, heavily influenced the final specifications of this reference. Founded in 2023, the Colorado retailer operates on the premise that technical timepieces must be subjected to their intended physical extremes rather than preserved in stationary collections. By aligning with the Natural Selection Tour, founded by professional snowboarder Travis Rice, the development team established a rigorous set of baseline requirements for the watch's survivability. The watch must sustain the high-frequency vibrations of a downhill mountain bike descent, the blunt force impacts of backcountry snowboarding, and the hydrostatic pressure changes inherent in heavy-water surfing. Unimatic responded by isolating the movement within a proprietary suspension system and reinforcing the external housing to a degree uncommon in standard field watch production. This iteration of the Modello Due serves as a physical translation of the Natural Selection ethos, resulting in a strictly limited production run designed for immediate deployment in the field.

The Case and Dial

The exterior architecture of the UT2-NST is constructed from a solid block of 316L stainless steel, utilizing a uniform sandblasted finish across all visible surfaces. This specific abrasive blasting technique bombards the metal with micro-particles to completely eliminate light reflection, a critical feature for a field watch where glare can obscure the dial in direct sunlight. The case measures exactly 38mm in diameter, paired with a substantial 47.5mm lug-to-lug measurement, creating an elongated footprint that distributes the weight of the watch flatly across the radius of the wrist. A fixed monoblock bezel surrounds the dial opening, increasing the structural rigidity of the central case module and protecting the edge of the crystal from lateral impacts. The profile is thick for a time-only watch, measuring 12.7mm without the lens and extending to 15.7mm when accounting for the apex of the crystal. This total stack height is necessitated by the heavy internal shock-absorption framework and the required depth for the 300-meter water resistance rating. The oversized 8mm crown is threaded, deeply knurled for operation while wearing insulated gloves, and features Unimatic’s engraved Alchemical Sun motif on the primary cap.

Covering the dial is a massive 2.7mm-thick piece of sapphire crystal, machined into a double-domed configuration. The application of a double dome—meaning both the interior and exterior surfaces of the crystal are cut to parallel curves—eliminates the optical distortion and magnification effects typical of standard single-domed crystals when viewed at extreme oblique angles. The inner surface of this sapphire is treated with an anti-reflective coating to further maximize legibility against the matte black dial base. The dial itself dispenses with traditional applied indices, utilizing a flat surface heavily printed with a geometric pattern in cool grey. This specific arrangement of subtle triangular forms and intersecting dotted lines maps directly to the visual identity of the Natural Selection Tour, representing the organic terrain routes navigated by backcountry athletes. A closed matte white minute rail traces the outer perimeter of the dial, providing precise indexing for the seconds hand. The time is indicated by a specialized handset engineered to reduce mass: matte black ladder phantom hour and minute hands feature large cutouts, while the reverse lollipop seconds hand terminates in a high-visibility international orange tip. To ensure low-light functionality, Unimatic has applied Super-LumiNova GL C1 to the primary hour markers and the handset, yielding a bright green emission in darkness.

The Movement

To meet the strict durability requirements dictated by extreme sports, the UT2-NST abandons the mechanical automatic movements typical of the Modello Due line in favor of the Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII) caliber VH31A. This specific quartz movement is classified as a sweeping seconds caliber, bridging the visual gap between mechanical and quartz technologies. Instead of the standard single-tick-per-second advancement found in conventional quartz watches, the two-jewel VH31A features a high-torque stepper motor that advances the seconds hand four times per second. This creates a continuous, smooth sweeping motion that mimics the visual sweep of a mechanical escapement operating at a frequency of 14,400 vibrations per hour (2Hz). The integration of this movement provides the physical resilience of solid-state electronics—making it virtually immune to the magnetic fields and severe kinetic shocks that would instantly damage a mechanical balance wheel—while retaining the precise, granular time-tracking visual of a mechanical field watch. Accuracy is rated at a stable ±15 seconds per month, far exceeding the precision parameters of any mechanical caliber in this category. Power is supplied by a single Seizaiken SR920SW silver oxide battery, which delivers an approximate power reserve of two years under continuous operation.

The physical installation of the VH31A caliber within the 38mm stainless steel case utilizes Unimatic's proprietary 360° protection system. This internal architecture suspends the quartz module inside a custom-molded casing of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a highly resilient elastomer known for its exceptional shock-absorbing properties and resistance to structural fatigue. This TPU spacer acts as a continuous dampening barrier between the rigid outer steel shell and the sensitive electronic components of the caliber, effectively neutralizing the high-G impact forces generated during aggressive downhill mountain biking or hard landings in snowboard competition. The entire internal assembly is sealed behind a solid, screw-down stainless steel caseback. This caseback is heavily engraved with the co-branding of Rocky Mountain Watches and Natural Selection, alongside the individual production number out of 100. Combined with high-compression synthetic gaskets at the crown tube, caseback, and crystal seating, this internal architecture yields a certified water resistance rating of 30atm, or 300 meters (1,000 feet). This depth rating heavily over-indexes the standard requirements for a field watch, ensuring absolute water integrity during the surf stages of the Natural Selection calendar and total protection against dust, dirt, and snow intrusion.

The Strap

The watch utilizes a standard 22mm lug width, featuring fully drilled lugs that allow for rapid strap changes using a standard steel pusher tool. The primary strap fitted to the UT2-NST is a black two-piece nylon unit, engineered to dry rapidly and resist the corrosive effects of sustained saltwater exposure. Unlike traditional single-pass NATO straps that thread beneath the caseback and increase the overall height of the watch on the wrist, this two-piece configuration mounts directly to the heavy-duty spring bars, keeping the 15.7mm case profile as close to the skin as possible to prevent snagging on outerwear. The strap hardware, including the Unimatic-signed buckle and the textile keepers, is sandblasted to perfectly match the non-reflective finish of the stainless steel case.

In addition to the standard black configuration, Unimatic delivers the UT2-NST with a comprehensive secondary strap kit housed in a custom metal tin. This kit includes four additional two-piece nylon straps in distinct colorways: white, cool grey, alpine blue, and international orange. These specific hues were selected to reflect the diverse environmental terrains encountered across the Natural Selection Tour, from the stark white of Alaskan snowpacks to the deep blue of Indonesian surf breaks. The inclusion of this extensive kit allows the operator to quickly adapt the visual profile of the watch to match specific environmental conditions or high-visibility gear requirements.

Pricing and Availability

The UNIMATIC × Rocky Mountain Watches Modello Due Toolwatch ref. UT2-NST is restricted to a strictly limited production run of 100 individually numbered units. The retail price for the watch, including the comprehensive five-strap kit, is set at $849 USD. Pre-orders for this specific reference open precisely on March 11th, 2026, at 5:00 PM CET.

Distribution for this limited edition is handled exclusively through the official digital storefront of Rocky Mountain Watches, with no allocation provided to other third-party retailers or Unimatic's primary retail network. Each of the 100 units is delivered inside a specialized Unimatic protective travel pouch designed for transit. The package is accompanied by a factory warranty card that features a unique ID seal corresponding directly to the engraved limited edition number on the steel caseback.

Technical Specifications

Case: 316L stainless steel, sandblasted finish, fixed monoblock bezel, drilled lugs

Movement: Seiko SII Caliber VH31A quartz, sweeping second hand (4Hz visual), 2 jewels, ±15s/month accuracy, UNIMATIC 360° TPU anti-shock system

Dial: Matte black with cool grey Natural Selection geometric pattern, matte white closed minute rail, Super-LumiNova GL C1, matte black ladder phantom hands, orange-tipped reverse lollipop seconds

Strap: Black nylon two-piece strap with sandblasted hardware, plus 4-piece kit (cool grey, white, international orange, alpine blue)

Price: $849 USD

Reference Number: UT2-NST

Notes: Limited edition of 100 individually numbered pieces. 300m / 1000ft / 30atm water resistance. 38mm diameter, 47.5mm lug-to-lug, 15.7mm thick (including 2.7mm double-domed sapphire crystal).