Sinn Watches

Deep Thought

Hey..

What are peoples opinions on Sinn...

Not the mainstream like Omega, but are they seen as equivalent?

DT

Wibbs

I like them. Real aviation history behind them.

iceage

Flippin gorgeous! Bit out of my price range, but one day....

893bet

High quality pieces but ones that only WIS type people will appreciate.

sparrowcar

Favourite brand to be honest. Think almost 80-90% of their range are lovely.

I like how they are under the radar for most of the general mass. I will get my hands on an 857 or 857 UTC at some stage in the near future. I've been saying that in posts here for a few years now though :-(

I owned a 657s which I sold here on boards. Loved the watch so will defo dip back into Sinn's catalogue at some stage.

What do you have in mind DT?

Deep Thought

sparrowcar wrote: »

What do you have in mind DT?

This... 358 Anniversary Jubliaum, only 500 made

sparrowcar

Deep Thought wrote: »

This... 358 Anniversary Jubliaum, only 500 made

Nice watch. Only 499 left in the world. I read somewhere ages ago about a guy who dropped his in some mountainous area while paragliding.
I'll try and find the link.

893bet

Very nice! Looks great on the nato.

I assume there is little change from 2k? Good residual value tbough.

sparrowcar

In the meantime, here is some sinnography

http://www.sinn.de/Download/SINN_the_catalogue.pdf

Deep Thought

893bet wrote: »

Very nice! Looks great on the nato.

I assume there is little change from 2k? Good residual value tbough.

Bang on...

Lex Luthor

The 358 is one of my favorites....one day I'll be in Frankfurt and end up going to the showroom and getting sucked in for the Diapal 358

Mycroft H

Deep Thought wrote: »

Hey..

What are peoples opinions on Sinn...

Not the mainstream like Omega, but are they seen as equivalent?

DT

If I had 800 to blow on something I'd buy a Sinn

Zagato

I've never tried one on and I think the 358 looks great in the photos. The Jubilaum above is probably my favourite Sinn watch. I'm guessing you saw the one pop up on TZ.

The finacial district watches look great too.

Deep Thought

Zagato wrote: »

I've never tried one on and I think the 358 looks great in the photos. The Jubilaum above is probably my favourite Sinn watch. I'm guessing you saw the one pop up on TZ.

The finacial district watches look great too.

yea..

Its just so aesthetic, the date at the bottom, the subdials on each side and there is only 2 and not 3..

Gavin1

These are great watches.

I have had 2, a 256TY and an EZM2. Both sold now and I really regret selling the EZM2.

The quality is top notch in its price range and also somewhat above. The 256 was a chrono and compared to my mates Speedmaster it held its own.

Also visited the factory in Frankfurt to get the EZM2 serviced due it being oiled filled. Great place and nice people.

These are not up themselves and what you get is a good honest watch from solid brand.

Also you will not see a Sinn on an other wrist.

Wossack

would love a 356 - some day

Northern Monkey

This is mine.



The only thing I don't like about the 358 is the border on the date window.

fret_wimp2

Wossack wrote: »

would love a 356 - some day

thats a bit of a grail for me also, flieger, chrono, right side of 40mm in size. Only thing im on the fence about is the acrylic but it doesnt bother me enough not to buy it.

But 2 stowa's this year and a rekindled interest in good bottles of whiskey have ensured that a new watch wont happen any time soon!

Lex Luthor

Zagato wrote: »

The finacial district watches look great too.

A friend of mine has a 6000 on a bracelet, given to her as a present. Let me try it on once...very solid feel to it, really liked how it oozed quality.

Lex Luthor

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Only thing im on the fence about is the acrylic but it doesnt bother me enough not to buy it.

you can specify sapphire when ordering for 350 eur

Just wondering what peoples thoughts would be on the English Calendar ? Would they or leave it in German?

fret_wimp2

Lex Luthor wrote: »

you can specify sapphire when ordering for 350 eur

Just wondering what peoples thoughts would be on the English Calendar ? Would they or leave it in German?

yea, but the price goes up by 350 then. Sapphire really should be a standard at this price point.

But as im not getting it, and this is all hypothetical then why not! Sapphires for all!

Mredsnapper

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

yea, but the price goes up by 350 then. Sapphire really should be a standard at this price point.

But as im not getting it, and this is all hypothetical then why not! Sapphires for all!

Some people prefer plexiglass. Myself included. No glare, shatterproof, more 'domeable' which is a word that I've just made up, more scratch resistant than most people realise and easily repareable if it does get scratched and cheap to replace. And lighter.

Umbongo uk

Just to add my opinion to the original question...

... Sinn aren't going to be as well-regarded by the majority as Omega. Omega has resources, heritage and, very importantly, marketing that will leave Sinn for dead.

Sinn are, however, bloody good watches, well-made, crisply-machined and definitely on the radar of those people "in the know".
What really sells them to me is that they are instruments, tools - very without pretence and the angle of "bragging rights".

banie01

1st off sorry for the Necro bump! But it's the 1st search result for Sinn.

So in the course of my slowly but surely getting dragged into the world of watches.

I was looking at Sinn thanks to bloody Wibbs and his Bund :P In the hopes they had a re-release of their version of the bund flyback.

When I came across the U2 GMT and I'm really, really taken with it.
One of those is the stainless steel and "tegemented" bezel U2 GMT.If I'm honest with myself, the watch is for me! Not as an investment, but as a wearable part of a rotation with my Citizen and Superocean (when the wife finally gives it to me)

As some will know from other posts of mine on this forum, a GMT has been on my mind for a while and whilst the Explorer 2 was where I was leaning, the Sinn is far less common (and less saleable if I get rid, I know) and far more interesting IMO.

Is there anywhere in Ireland that carries Sinn?
If I want to try one on?
2nd hand dealer preferable of course.

Gavin1

No Irish dealers unfortunately.

Can you sneak a trip over to Frankfurt?

banie01

Gavin1 wrote: »

No Irish dealers unfortunately.

Can you sneak a trip over to Frankfurt?

For the price I really should I suppose.
I will be in the UK next month so will take a look and see what I can find over there.

gerfmurphy

I had a sinn u1 and a u2 over the years. both great watches, incredibly well built and very scratch resilient therefor a great tool watch.
a guy on TZuk is or was really into them Bazza. i knew him pretty well and he was always amazed by the quality. he had been to the facotry etc.
for me the lasting impression was the design was very minimal so i got bored pretty quick, saying that i did buy at least 3 of them so i like them alot.
they sell well second hand or use to anyway so no loss trying one out if you pick it up for the right money

banie01

gerfmurphy wrote: »

I had a sinn u1 and a u2 over the years. both great watches, incredibly well built and very scratch resilient therefor a great tool watch.
a guy on TZuk is or was really into them Bazza. i knew him pretty well and he was always amazed by the quality. he had been to the facotry etc.
for me the lasting impression was the design was very minimal so i got bored pretty quick, saying that i did buy at least 3 of them so i like them alot.
they sell well second hand or use to anyway so no loss trying one out if you pick it up for the right money

Thanks for that info
I'll take a swing over to TZUK and see what the consensus is on them.
Most people I've spoken to so far, really do sing the praises of their quality and utility.
Only knock I've heard is that the H-Link bracelet can be a bit uncomfortable and tricky to size.

Gavin1

H bracelet's are good and very comfortable. Have two currently with no issues.
Sizing is interesting with proper hex bolts. But there is the standard micro adjustments in the deployant clasp.

banie01

Gavin1 wrote: »

H bracelet's are good and very comfortable. Have two currently with no issues.
Sizing is interesting with proper hex bolts. But there is the standard micro adjustments in the deployant clasp.

Thanks for the Info Gav.
My only other niggling concern is the height the watch sits at but to be quite honest given the height of the stuff I usually wear I honestly think that it's only from too much forum reading.

I'm fairly decided on a U2 SDR, plenty of what appear to be good value 2nd hand options available and it hits my want of an "uncommon" GMT out of the park too IMO.

ronnie3585

I've a U1 SDR for the last 8 years and I love it. It's one of few watches I own that I wouldn't consider selling. It is very much a marmite watch as it's completely different to most styles out there.

The build quality is superb. Mine is worn in rotation and doesn't get babied, yet it looks like new. I've no issues with the H bracelet, I find it very comfortable. Mine has an ETA movement (think they've moved to Sellita now) which keeps excellent time. It's due a service so I'll send it to Sinn later in the year when I'm due to be in the Fatherland.

Sinn's pricing has increased significantly over the past decade, so they're not as good value as they used to be, but you still get a lot of bang for your buck. Something like a second hand 104 (with an ETA movement) can be picked up for well under a grand, that is stonkingly good value.

My next purchase will be an 857UTC. I've been after one for years but they never sold in big numbers so second hand ones are rare, so I may have to buy new.

Wibbs

If I were in the market for a brand new watch I have to say Sinn would be about top of my list.

hitemfrank

There's a 5 week wait on the black mother of pearl version I want.

It'll probably be ordered on payday at the end of this month.

Cienciano

They have a great range of watches. I really like the 104

Wibbs

What I like about them is they are very nice quality, have actual history with issued military stuff, but are well under the radar and not "fashionable".

banie01

Wibbs wrote: »

What I like about them is they are very nice quality, have actual history with issued military stuff, but are well under the radar and not "fashionable".

I'd be of the same opinion really.
I'd seen a few people post about them on here, but to be quite honest until I'd started looking for an alternative to the Bund, I actually had not paid much attention to the brand.

There is a Sinn JDM reissue of their version of the flyback chrono that in my limited experience is overpriced for what it is.

There does appear to be some very good value however for their tool watches 2nd hand so that's where I'm looking and the U2 SDR really is catching my eye.

Oafley Jones

ronnie3585 wrote: »

I've a U1 SDR for the last 8 years and I love it. It's one of few watches I own that I wouldn't consider selling. It is very much a marmite watch as it's completely different to most styles out there.

The build quality is superb. Mine is worn in rotation and doesn't get babied, yet it looks like new. I've no issues with the H bracelet, I find it very comfortable. Mine has an ETA movement (think they've moved to Sellita now) which keeps excellent time. It's due a service so I'll send it to Sinn later in the year when I'm due to be in the Fatherland.

Sinn's pricing has increased significantly over the past decade, so they're not as good value as they used to be, but you still get a lot of bang for your buck. Something like a second hand 104 (with an ETA movement) can be picked up for well under a grand, that is stonkingly good value.

My next purchase will be an 857UTC. I've been after one for years but they never sold in big numbers so second hand ones are rare, so I may have to buy new.

There’s an 856 UTC on TZ-UK at the moment, if it’s any interest. I think it needs that bezel though.

Zagato

https://monochrome-watches.com/relaunching-the-bundeswehr-chronograph-meet-the-sinn-x-the-rake-revolution-155-bundeswehr-dark-star/

This looks nice.
A bit like Zenith Chronometro Tipo CP-2 which is currently my grail.

Wibbs

That new Sinn BUND is very nice. Pretty reasonable price too considering how mad the vintage Heuer/Leonidas ones have gone(that Sinnis the price of a Heuer service for one of their bunds. Rip off merchants). Mad that Heuer never did a reissue, you'd think it would sell like hot cakes?

I particularly like that Sinn have reproduced the four screws holding in the movement feature. It would have been much simpler to do a screwback.

Maybe I'm missing it but is it still a flyback chrono? Having had a few chronos down the years for me the flyback function is the "killer app" on these. First invented in the 30's by Longines the flyback or "faux rattrapante" was the feature on pilots and navigators and artillery watches.

Though on that page this bit is inaccurate:

It was during this period that the luminous materials used were changed from the earlier radioactive substance to something safer, hence the dials with “3H” (Hydrogen-3) to denote the conversion. Some versions of the dial also included a small “t” on top of the 6 o’clock index that also referred to the presence of tritium.

None of the Heuer(or Leonidas AFAIR) came with radium. They were always tritium. Sinn produced some dials in the late 80's with luminova or similar, as well as keeping the older tritium dials too, but the 3H and small T denotes tritium. The 3H seems to be a later mid 70's onward military service dial. I seem to recall a German military standard was brought out in the 70's that required better labelling of radioactive service items. You see the same 3H on German issued IWC watches. All early original condition examples have the small T.

Of course these days with so many "new old stock" in the vintage market, the German market in particular preferring "as new" condition, dodgy dealers and many with dubious dials and the utter lack of Heuer records of any use it's buyer beware.

banie01

Zagato wrote: »

https://monochrome-watches.com/relaunching-the-bundeswehr-chronograph-meet-the-sinn-x-the-rake-revolution-155-bundeswehr-dark-star/

This looks nice.
A bit like Zenith Chronometro Tipo CP-2 which is currently my grail.

I suppose joining the waitlist won't cost me anything?


Have a U2 SDR deal on the go at the moment, but the Bund has been since I've seen Wibbs' been a bit of a grail.
Can't afford a genuine vintage, but I'd happily flip the Breitling my wife has set aside for my 40th for one.
TBH even finding a good homage is hard, so I'll take a Sinn repop if I can get one

thelizardking1

Wibbs wrote: »

First invented in the 20's by Breitling the flyback or "faux rattrapante" was the feature on pilots and navigators and artillery watches.

Fixed that for you

Wibbs

Well... yes and no T. Breitling's setup was different to the Longines version and the Longines setup was different enough to earlier types like the Breitling to be granted the patent for the layout fitted to watches from the 30's down to today.

thelizardking1

Wibbs wrote: »

Well... yes and no T. Breitling's setup was different to the Longines version and the Longines setup was different enough to earlier types like the Breitling to be granted the patent for the layout fitted to watches from the 30's down to today.

Well yes in fact. The Flyback function was "invented" by Breitling in the 20's. It was later patented by Longines in the 30's.

Sorry to be pedantic but facts matter!

I know from reading here that you have a fantastic knowledge of watches so do understand that I'm not trying to insult you!

Wibbs

Oh jaysus T, no insult at all felt, nor expected.

I 100% agree with you T that Breitling were major innovators in wrist chronographs. During the first world war they were the first to add a button separate to the winding crown to start/stop the chronograph*. Previously the action was all in the crown to start, stop and reset which is what Longines, Zenith and others used. They were also the first to remove the winding crown from the proceedings entirely by adding the second button.

Well... again yes and no. Yes on the second claim, but on the first maybe not. While Breitling did bring out a watch with the start/stop button they weren't the only ones out at the time. Gallet was another.

Now we get to the flyback function. That is while the chronograph is running it can be stopped and reset to zero and continue running and measuring a new time period from zero by hitting one button. The Breitling chronos didn't have to be stopped and then reset to be started again, but it seems they didn't return to zero. From their own history which I had knocking about;

In 1915, Breitling heralded the emergence of the wrist chronograph by inventing the first independent chronograph pushpiece. In 1923, the firm perfected this system by separating the stop/start functions from that of resetting. This patented innovation thereby made it possible to add several successive times without returning the hands to zero – which proved extremely useful both for timing sports competitions and for calculating flight times."

Now Breitling held a load of patents for chronographs(and other innovations), but that specific function they clearly didn't as Longines nor anybody else could have patented over an existing patent.

The problem these days with a lot of this who innovated what is the century of Swiss marketing BS that has been left to us and ramped up over the last couple of decades and there's a helluva lot of dodgy info out there. Wikipedia and forums and outlets like Hodinkee often support the dodgy info. At one time Rolex's wiki was a joke where it seemed they invented everything of note in the wristwatch(and many forums and youtubers seem still convinced of this). Girard Perregaux claim the first male wristwatch and a military one no less in the 1880's and there's zero evidence for it and I suspect it goes back to a forum post in the late 90's by a well respected "expert" and dealer. Cartier jump into the first wristwatch arena too with their story of the Santos, yet not a single example of one exists before circa 1920. Never mind that Omega had advertised wristwatches in 1908(or 6?) and wristlets are mentioned as far back as the Boer war. Unless new evidence comes to light Omega were the first to specifically release them under their own name and specifically men's watches.

So over the years I've learned to take any marques claims with a pinch of salt unless they can be independently verified. If I see a video of a Breitling from the 20's where the the hand resets to zero and continues running I'll be convinced. I have seen videos of the Longines examples from the 30's doing precisely that(I've even held one in my trembling hands ). That and their patent would seem to seal the deal for them and the flyback. As things currently stand.





*in a wristwatch. That had been in pocket watches since the mid 1800's

Always Tired

Just popped in to say, in case anyone isn't aware, you can go to the Sinn website and request a catalog and they'll post it for free. Nowadays many brands don't do physical catalogs I find, and some won't ship to Ireland.

And it isn't just a pamphlet, it's a gorgeous hardbound book, with the entire line illustrated. Doesn't include prices but has a LOT of writing about the history of their different pieces from how the ideas were gestated to their design and manufacture. I've been reading it before I sleep at night like a bedtime story

While I'd be over the moon with a simple 104 they have some really extraordinary pieces, like the ones where the case and dial is made from one piece of damascus steel (about 8k retail). The swirly look on a dial probably wouldn't be to everyones taste but I think they're class, would certainly be durable to. And despite having a very tool based identity they also have amazing looking dress watches and one of the best looking ladies' lines I've ever seen.

funkyouup

I reckon come monday morning some lad working at Sinn will be wondering about the sudden interest in their catalog from Ireland:)

Always Tired

funkyouup wrote: »

I reckon come monday morning some lad working at Sinn will be wondering about the sudden interest in their catalog from Ireland:)

I'm sure they will happily fill any requests with the typical German efficiency! meanwhile not a single Swiss swatch group brand has the option on their website.

have to say I know where I'm more likely to spend my money if I ever get some!

banie01

Always Tired wrote: »

Just popped in to say, in case anyone isn't aware, you can go to the Sinn website and request a catalog and they'll post it for free.

Thanks for that!
I've just ordered one of those
It's really so I can get a good look at the bracelet options and actually give them some money tho :P

Northern Monkey

I was thinking about going to Frankfurt for the motor show. Might try and visit Sinn if I do. My 856utc needs a service so it would be a good opportunity to hand deliver it!

hitemfrank

banie01 wrote: »

Thanks for that!
I've just ordered one of those
It's really so I can get a good look at the bracelet options and actually give them some money tho :P

I did the same. It'll be nice to look through the physical catalog.

In other news I decided to wait until the end of next work before ordering a Sinn. I've a holiday in the middle of this month so decided to keep some extra money for that.

banie01

The Sinn catalogue was delivered this morning.
It's beautiful!
A hardbacked piece of marketing beauty that has made me want to give those lovely Germans a piece of my pension!

It really is a substantial and quite lovely little thing.