UTS-München, a Review
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By Marc Levesque



Have you ever heard of UTS-München? No? Well you should have! This is another one of those obscure brands I happen to have stumbled upon while doing my usual internet surfing. Ever since Panerai watches re-entered the scene, I have been drawn to their style, size and uniqueness. Unfortunately, at the prices they are going for, I just cannot afford one. So off I went looking for something similar that could quench my Panerai thirst. Enter the UTS-München hand wind. At first glance this giant of a watch does share some Paneraiesk characteristics, but upon closer inspection, it is as far from a Panerai as an Omega Seamaster. I will attempt to explain what I mean in the following review. Pull up a chair, sit back and enjoy the wonderful pictures my friend Kyle took, while at the same time I hope you will come to appreciate this fine timepiece as I have.

The person behind UTS-München is Nicolaus Spinner, an engineer as well as a collector; he is truly passionate about his watches. I have been lucky enough to make his acquaintance and I am proud to call him a friend. When Nicolaus set out to create a new watch brand, he did not want to live in the shadows of anyone else. He yearned to be different, while at the same time use the most modern and sophisticated equipment at his disposal. UTS-München watches are produced in minute quantities and each one is as meticulously made as the next. The subject of this review is the manual wind black dial base UTS-München on leather strap. This model is currently available with a black mat dial, or silver, with a display back or solid back. These watches are also available with the crown on the left and in aluminum. A slightly smaller chronograph version is being manufactured as I type this and will prove to be as exciting as its BIG brother.

For fun, here is the white dial, the solid case back and the aluminum version:



IS BIGGER REALLY THAT MUCH BETTER?


I have reviewed/owned big watches before. For example, the Panerai 1000m Submersible, the RGM 150 Grand Pilot, the Doxa Sub300T and the Oris TT1 Diver, but none have matched this UTS in presence and heft! It measures a whopping 46mm in diameter and is only 13.5mm thick, which makes it feel like a giant clock on your wrist. My watch arrived with a totally polished finish, which made it stand out that much more. When Kyle brushed his I prefered it. The bezel is extra thick and is that way for a reason. In order to maximize its water resistance and solidity, the same screws, or should I bolts, that hold down the case back, hold down the bezel. As seen in this illustration:


A very clever design, which resembles the tried and tested Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Though the RO has a solid 1-piece case with an attached bezel. One of the most impressive features of this watch is the fact that the lugs can be completely removed and a chain holder can be attached in order to turn this into a pocket watch. I think this is ingenious! Here is a picture of the outcome:


Not only does the watch come with the tools, adapter and chain, extra bolts are also supplied, just in case you lose one or several. Good thinking! The case shape is very similar to the Panerai cushion, but it does have its own appeal due to the immense lugs and lack of the funky crown protection system. The lug width is 22mm, which is larger than most sports watches, but not that difficult to find replacement straps.

Once you have the watch face down, you can see where the real beauty lies. My watch was adorned with a display back, which revealed the splendidly decorated Unitas movement. The crystal on the rear is mineral and 1.5mm thick and the words “UTS-MÜNCHEN, UNITAS 6497, STAHL 1.4305, 100M, SAPHIR” as well as the issue number. As you can see this watch is water-resistant to 100 meters and if fitted with the solid back, the water-resistance goes up to 300m. While speaking to Nicolaus, he mentioned that all of his watches are tested all the way to 500m of pressure, so the numbers engraved on the case are quite modest.

One of the things that stuck out for me is the 8mm wide screw-down crown. How can a watch that is manually wound have such a crown? Simple! Nicolaus took up the challenge and came up with a mechanism that releases the crown from the movement just before it hits the tube threads. Thus illuminating the problem of having to screw in the crown once the watch is fully wound, which would have been impossible. I asked him if the wear and tear of every day (or other day) unscrewing and screwing would damage he tube. He said that his system was tested over a very long period of time and he also assured me that the materials used are of extremely high quality and will resist against everyday wear and tear. Well, there you have it, a manually wound watch with a screw-down crown. COOL!


GERMAN EFFICIENCY AT ITS SIMPLEST


The dial measures a full 38mm in diameter; this is larger than some full watches! It is mat black and is void of any useless information and date. The only words on the dial are UTS-MÜNCHEN, that is it. As clean as can be. The seconds sub dial is located at 9 o’clock, which is consistent with the Unitas 6497 configuration. The hour hand, minute hand and all the chapters are coated with Luminova C3, a non-radioactive material, which glows consistently for about 5-6 hours. The strange thing is that the seconds’ chapter glows, but not the second hand, so what is the use? I am guessing this is an oversight and that it might be corrected in the near future.

The hands themselves are simple baton style, as efficient as you can get. No frills just the time sir! The 2.5mm thick sapphire crystal that covers the dial is coated on the underneath for reflections and is beveled at he edges, which gives it a nice look. Kind of like a semi-domed crystal effect, I like that. As Nicolaus told me, coating the crystals on the top is pointless since the coating is not scratch resistant. If it were coated on top, it would mar quickly and there would be no way to recoat the crystal without disassembling the watch. On that same note, the rear mineral crystal is also coated underneath for reflections.


A POCKET WATCH MOVEMENT IN A WIRST/POCKET WATCH!


The above title sums it up pretty well. The Unitas 6497 debuted in the 50’s and was developed for use in pocket watches. Ever since the BIG watch craze started more and more companies have been using it in their wristwatches. There is nothing I dislike more than seeing a tiny movement from the back of a large watch! Funny how I am wearing a 44mm Oris diver, which displays its tiny 25mm movement from the back. I consol myself with the fact that it has a nifty red-rotor. So far its doing the trick.

Anyhow, back to the Unitas. Here are the basic characteristics of this movement:
  • Diameter: 37.2mm
  • Height: 4.5mm
  • Jewels: 17
  • Frequency: 18,000 alt/hr (2.5hz)
  • Reserve: 48hrs
  • Shock protection: Incablock
    • The one featured in this UTS was decorated with the famous Geneva wave pattern, circular graining and wonderful blued screws. The really cool thing is that with the removable lugs, you can turn them around and wear the watch upside down if you like! Now I have seen even more elaborate decorating done to this movement, but this is very nice in its own right. Especially when you factor in the sale price! Again for fun, this is what the movement looks like raw:


    My UTS ran at about +5 sec/day, which is acceptable to me. Mind you at the time I was testing it, it was still in its break in period, results might change with time.


    LEATHER, RUBBER OR STEEL?


    I was lucky enough to receive both the rubber and leather UTS straps with my watch. The leather version is made of smooth calfskin and is extremely supple. It had no problem conforming to my wrist. It measured 22mm at the lugs and tapered down to 20mm. Many straps that re 22mm at the lugs taper to 18mm, but that would have been way to wimpy for this watch. The buckle is polished stainless steel and is signed with the brand name.

    The rubber strap was of equal quality and size, but I did not get to wear it very often, I much preferred the comfort of the leather.

    I would have loved the stainless bracelet for this watch, but opted for the leather instead. At any rate, the bracelet is very impressive! A full 22mm of mesh steel all the way around and 4mm thick! Here are a few pictures:



    A WATCH BOX OR A CARRYING CASE?


    I was quite surprised when I received the UTS. I was not expecting such cool case! It looks just like a mini briefcase with cut out foam for all the parts, accessories and watch. I do not usually comment too much on these things, but I feel this one warrants mention. One things for sure, when it arrives, no matter where it is going, it will be in great condition. All that foam will take good care of it.


    SO HOW ABOUT THE SIZE?


    The title for my case segment was something along the lines of “is bigger better”, well that all depends on personal taste and comfort. I will not lie and say the 46mm case fit comfortably on my 7” wrist. It did not, but some people like them that way and if your wrist is larger, then it will not be an issue. Heck, didn’t Glycine just come out with a 51mm watch? Once again, it is all about personal taste.

    However, if you are looking for a large watch, with distinctive character, great craftsmanship and exclusivity, while at the same time does not cost a fortune. Then this UTS-München is the watch for you! At just under 1500 Euro, it is relatively affordable compared to many of the other mammoths on the market. You will also have the good fortune of frequently talking about your watch (something I enjoy), because once you strap this baby on, questions and comments come from all around!

    I would like to thank Kyle for his generous time and energy he put into his pictures, Mr. Spinner for answering all of my questions very patiently and thoroughly and all of you for reading this long winded review. If you require more information or desire to contact Mr. Spinner yourself, you may do so by visiting his site here http://www.uts-muenchen.de/index.htm or you can e-mail him here postmaster@uts-muenchen.de.

    Warm regards from Canada,


    Marc



    *Most digital pics by Kyle, others are by manufacturer and the background is a design I made of a scene in Munich(München) Germany.