The new Unimatic U3-AS Limited Edition
Unimatic U3-AS pays homage to the Apollo-Soyuz program in 1975.
Starting with history.
Apollo – Soyuz was the first joint mission between the United States through the Apollo Project and the Soviet Union through the Soviet space program, which carried out an Earth orbit docking of United States Apollo module docked with the Soviet Union Soyuz capsule.
The mission’s main purpose was symbolic, aimed at improving relations between the two superpowers, taking place in the middle of the Cold War and putting an end to the tensions of the called Space Race.
This was the only mission of the Apollo – Soyuz Test Program to be carried out. The Apollo astronauts were Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The cosmonauts of Soyuz 19 were Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov. In addition to different scientific experiments, the crews visited the two connected ships, exchanging gifts, streamers and seeds from each country, to be planted in the other and gave the memorable handshake in space.
Apollo 18 took off on July 15, 1975, and docked in space with Soyuz 19, which had been launched from Baikonur on the same day, on July 17, 1975.
Interestingly “Apollo 18” also designates the end of an era, with the cancellation of the Apollo lunar mission, after NASA program funds were cut by the United States Congress, preventing further exploration of the Moon and causing the Apollo 17 was the last mission to land on the satellite, in 1972.
Another curiosity is that it took 20 years for new cooperation of space missions to take place between these two countries, which took place on June 29, 1995, through the Shuttle-Mir Program.
Regarding the watch it comes in a 41.5 mm steel case, with a brushed finish, it features a unidirectional bezel with a matte black tachymeter scale, crown at 3 o’clock flanked by two pressure buttons that give life to the chronograph function. Double domed sapphire glass and an impressive 300m of water resistance.
On the matte black dial, round hour markers and central hour and minute hands filled with cream-coloured luminescence, a 24-hour counter at 3 o’clock with the background mission symbol and a 60-minute counter at 9 o’clock. The central second-hand serves the chronograph function and comes with a lollipop tail.
Internally it operates the quartz movement, Caliber Seiko VK64 and has a high accuracy of -20 / + 20 s/month.
The watch is offered with two straps, the galaxy blue Cordura two-piece strap and an extra black laser-etched buccaneer leather two-piece strap.
It is a limited edition of 200 numbered pieces, will be available in mid-April at a price of € 650.
General Specifications:
Brand: Unimatic
Model: Modelle Tre U3-AS
Dial: Black matte
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Case Material: 316 Stainless steel
Case Dimensions: 41.5 mm Diameter
Crystal: Sapphire Glass
Case Back: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 300 Meters
Strap: Galaxy blue Cordura two-piece strap and an extra black laser-etched buccaneer leather two-piece strap
Calibre: Seiko VK64
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, tachymeter bezel
Winding: Quartz
Price: € 650
Limited Edition: Yes, 200 pieces