While the past few years have seen an explosion of small independent brands it is important to remember that not all indie brands are new to the market, in fact, some have created a market for themselves. German watch manufacturer UTS has been in the luxury watch game for over a decade and has earned a loyal following amongst dive watch enthusiasts for their bespoke cases, extreme attention to detail and dedication toย makingย simple looking butย technologicallyย advanced sport watches.
UTS watches are made exclusively in-house with theย exceptionย of the movement which is sourced from ETA in 3-hand, GMT andย chronographย varieties. Their cases are milled from solid blocks of stainless steel and the finished watch is then hand assembled and tested before ever making it to a client’s wrist. UTS seems pretty serious about quality control and operating under the finest of tolerances. Our favourite thing about these German watches is their unified styling which is seen woven into allย of their models. The bar style hands, large markers and octagonal cases are modern and minimalist with no energy waisted on anything that could detract from theย practicalityย or simplicity of the watch and its job of displaying the time. Here is a rundown of two of our favorite models.
- 43 x 14.5 mm case
- ETA 2824-2
- Sapphire crystal with AR
- 1000m WR
- 22mm lugs
- Hex screwed case back
- Optional rubber or bracelet
- List Price: 2000 EUR
This is the entry level model from UTS and features a 60 point uni-directional dive bezel and is powered by an ETA 2824-2 that has beenย regulatedย by UTS’s staff to be as accurate as possible (this is done by the same employee that makes the case for the watch). At 2000 EUR (~2900 USD) the 1000m v2 is playing well above the average indie brand but they have earned a reputation for strict quality control that renders excellent time pieces. This is the second version of the 1000m diver and is limited to 200 units with a solid case back.
- 44 x 16.5 mm
- ETA 7750 Automatic chronograph movement
- Locking chrono pushers
- Sapphire crystal with AR
- 22mm lugs
- 600m WR
- List Price: 3000 EUR
This is UTS’s dive chronograph and is arguably their most appealing design. Generally, we are not fans of dive chronographs as the additional visual complexity of the chronograph registers tends to clutter the dial and dive watches need to have clean and veryย legibleย dials. The UTS 600m Chrono has be designed in such a way that the overall legibility of the watch is not compromised by the inclusion of the 3 chronograph registers. Again, the bespoke case and handmade care that creates the 600m does not come cheap, this model retails for 3000 EUR (~ 4400 USD).
UTS watches have a loyal fan base and given their limited production theย likelihoodย of seeing another one on your block is very slim. Be sure to check out their website and let us know in the comments if there is a specific model we should get in for review.
5 comments
Fantastic watches, I own 5 of them!
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Fantastic watches, I own 5 of them!
I’d love to see a review on the Adventure Manual Wind.
Thanks for the primer on UTS. They make some beautiful pieces there – very solid construction it seems.ย