Unimatic has been dropping one new release after another in 2026. While the year is only two months old, we have already seen quite a few interesting watches from the Italian brand. Its latest collaborative effort sees Unimatic partnering with fashion brand Nigel Cabourn and exclusive retailer The Armoury. This is the second collaboration between Cabourn and Unimatic, and it has resulted in another standout duo of military-inspired watches. Let’s find out more.
Anytime the name Nigel Cabourn pops up, I am all ears. I used to have a healthy obsession with the brand’s Everest Parka and Cameraman Jacket about 15 years ago. At the time, I really got into the classic stories of climbing the highest peaks on Earth. Among them, obviously, was the conquering of Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Among the many stories, I also read a lot about the clothing and gear that expeditions took with them in the 1950s. That got me researching classic mountaineering clothing, which then led me to Nigel Cabourn. And if you start reading about Cabourn’s passion for vintage clothing and the brand that he built, you are in one of the best rabbit holes you can find yourself in.
Nigel Cabourn
What makes Nigel Cabourn so interesting to me is that his brand and clothing are built on heritage rather than trends. The man has a studio with 4,000 pieces of vintage clothing, including 20th-century workwear, US and European military wear, and expedition gear. All of those pieces connect to historical stories of cultures, people, and their professions.
The Nigel Cabourn brand was built on that rich heritage, and it is what makes the clothing so much more than just the next thing. As a result of this healthy obsession with the man and his brand, I also bought several pieces of clothing that I still have. The style and quality of them is impeccable; unfortunately, I have grown a little bigger, so I can’t wear them comfortably anymore.
The story of the Unimatic collaboration with Nigel Cabourn and The Armoury
But my love for the brand has always remained strong, so when Nigel Cabourn collaborates with Unimatic, I definitely pay attention. The first time happened in 2019 with the release of the Modello Due U2-NC. For today’s new collaborative effort, the third collaborative partner is The Armoury, a menswear brand and retailer founded by Mark Cho and Alan See in Hong Kong in 2010. The Armoury is well known, with stores in Hong Kong and New York that carry clothing, shoes, and accessories, including watches from a string of reputable names. Additionally, The Armoury often collaborates with brands, including Nigel Cabourn, on special pieces of clothing.
You might also know Cho as a former co-owner of Drake’s and a well-known watch collector. On top of that, he recently introduced a new line of watches under the Temporal Works moniker with Elliot Hammer. Cho and Hammer work on the limited editions that The Armoury releases with several watch brands.
The Unimatic Modello Cinque UT5-TANC watches
The result of the three-way collaboration this time is a duo of military-inspired Modello Cinque watches. Not too long ago, I reviewed Unimatic’s most recent Modello Cinque U5S-BL. The watch proved to be a great modern military-style field watch that took a step away from the first style-oriented Modello Cinque variants. With these new collaborative pieces, we now get two vintage-military-inspired Modello Cinque watches. Let’s go over the details to find out more.
Both watches have the same 36mm stainless steel case, with a 13.5mm thickness and a 43.7mm lug-to-lug. The first of the two has a forest-green stonewashed Cerakote treatment (UT5-TANC-A), while the second has the same finish but comes in navy blue (UT5-TANC-B). Both models come with the same dark blue dial with a printed open minute track and Arabic numerals treated with Old Radium Super-LumiNova. Additionally, the dial features some nice orange details, including the Nigel Cabourn logo on the upper half. The hour and minute hands, also in navy blue for a phantom effect, come equipped with Old Radium lume as well. Lastly, the lumed reverse-lollipop seconds hand features an orange tip to match the dial details.
The straps and movement
These watches’ combination of colors, materials, and finishes gives both of the UT5-TANC variants a nice vintage feel. To some, they might look strange, but I love this aesthetic. Especially if you know Cabourn’s clothing, it makes total sense. Both watches come with reverse-color straps. This means the blue-dial version dons a forest-green two-piece nylon strap with branded, stonewashed Cerakote navy-blue hardware. Additionally, the green-dial variant model comes with a navy-blue two-piece strap and branded, stonewashed dark green hardware.
Both watches house the Seiko VH31A quartz caliber in a proprietary 360° protection system that Unimatic also uses for its Toolwatch series. In conjunction with the robust case construction, it allows the watches to meet MIL-STD-810H testing standards, making them proper tool watches that can take a beating. The movement delivers an accuracy of ±15 seconds per month and a power reserve of approximately two years, thanks to a premium Seizaiken battery.
Final thoughts on the new collaborative Unimatic Modello Cinque UT5-TANC watches
All in all, these two new Modello Cinque variants once again show how versatile Unimatic’s smallest watches are. Additionally, they perfectly capture the vibe of Nigel Cabourn’s clothing. Knowing how popular Nigel Cabourn, The Armoury, and Unimatic are, there is no doubt that all 150 individually numbered pieces of each reference will sell out in no time. The watches are available now for €660 (excluding taxes) from Unimatic, Nigel Cabourn, and The Armoury.
If you want one of these, I think you’ll have to be fast because these two new versions of the Modello Cinque will be popular with fans of all three brands. They also show that there is always room for Unimatic to create new and exciting collabs. It’s remarkable to see how many great limited editions the Italian brand has already created over the years. And judging by these two new watches, there are plenty to look forward to in the future.
Jorg Weppelink
2026-03-07 06:00:00