WatchGecko are excited to become a Sinn watches UK retailer, expanding our range of watch brands we represent.
Made in Germany and based in Frankfurt Am Main, watch brand Sinn is globally renowned for their premium quality specialist watches. The company was founded by ex-pilot Helmut Sinn in 1961, now owned by engineer and entrepreneur Lothar Schmidt who took over Sinn Spezialuhren in 1994. Helmut Sinn originally focused on manufacturing on-board navigation clocks in aircrafts as well as pilot chronographs, and his expertise in aviation is still alive in Sinn’s pilot watches today.
Back then, Sinn watches were rugged, with a focus on German engineering. Crucially, they had to withstand tough environments and were favoured watches used by the German police and fire service, though they’re best known for their use in space.
In 1985, German physicist and astronaut Reinhard Furrer wore a Sinn 140 during the Spacelab D1 mission, whose Sinn watch proved so reliable that in 1992 astronaut Klaus-Dietrich Flade wore a Sinn 142S on his mission – the same model was then taken aboard the NASA Columbia space shuttle a year later.
Nowadays, Sinn Spezialuhren (specialist watches) produce highly functional and modern mechanical watches, with new technologies in specialized fields that make their timepieces a must-have for anyone passionate about watch craftsmanship. Under Schmidt’s leadership, Sinn watches have become truly renowned as a genuine engineer brand with numerous technical refinements and characteristic features. These include titanium cases, AR Dehumidifying and TEGIMENT technology, and a lubricant-free escapement to name a few.
Four of their watches have even received prestigious awards for their outstanding design, including the Red Dot Design award for their Chronograph 936 and the EZM 12, and the Excellent Product Design 2020 and 2021 for their JAGDUHR 3006 and 104 ST Sa I A.
A closer look into their collections…
Sinn Pilot Watches
The distinct dial design that makes Sinn Pilot watches so easily legible can be traced back to Sinn’s original cockpit navigation clocks that are still used in many planes to this day.
In June 2012, Sinn partnered with the Aachen University of Applied Sciences to present the Technischer Standard Fliegeruhren (TESTAF) which was the first technical standard for pilot watches. This certification ensured that pilot watches met all time-measurement requirements for civil flights operating under visual and instrument flight rules. Sinn pilot watches therefore promise the highest standards of accuracy and legibility, with the EZM 10 and the 103 Ti Ar being the first Sinn watches to undergo and pass the strict test procedures.
The Sinn 356
The Sinn 356 was inspired by the Sinn 256 Pilot Chronograph which was originally developed for the Japanese market. The dial design of the 356 looks modern with a clean aesthetic, despite its original release in 1996. The dial also features three subdials for accurate time tracking and features a date/day window. This 356 Pilot Watch continues Sinn’s tradition of bringing to life a design reminiscent of cockpit navigation clocks with the same rapid and clear readability.
The bead-blasted stainless steel case measures at 38.5mm and houses a SW500 self-winding movement with a 42 hour power reserve. This incredibly reliable movement features 28,800bph, a seconds stop function and an antimagnetic design as per DIN 8309.
The Sinn 104 St Sa I A
The Sinn 104 is a nod to the classic pilot watch, complimented by vintage inspired touches which Sinn has structured in its design for optimum readability. The dial is particularly eye-catching thanks to its anthracite sunburst effect. The outstanding design of the 104 St Sa I A also won the German Design Award in the category ‘Excellent Product Design 2021’.
This pilot watch features a double anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal that continues onto the caseback, revealing a SW 220-1 self-winding movement. The 104 also features polished stainless-steel materials on a 41mm case and a bidirectional pilot’s bezel with minute ratcheting. The solid craftsmanship of the Sinn pilot watch makes it low-pressure and water resistant to 200 metres, with luminous hands and indices for perfect legibility in any lighting condition.
Sinn Navigation Watches
When Breitling went bankrupt in 1979 and parts of the company were liquidated, Helmut Sinn bought the rights to use the dial layout of Breitling’s 806 and 809 Navitimer watches. You can see the similarities clearly in their Sinn 903 Navigation Chronograph dial design.
The Sinn 903 St B E
The Sinn 903 is a high-quality navigational chronograph that allows you to perform multiplication, cross-multiplication, division and various conversions without sacrificing clear legibility. As mentioned above, watch fans will recognise the distinct dial design from the Breitling 806 and 809 Navitimers, yet stands out with a deep blue dial with luminous ivory coating in a 41mm stainless steel case.
This chronograph will impress those who enjoy doing their own analogue calculations. The additional crown at 10 o’clock allows for mathematical operations and to rotate the slide rule bezel with logarithmic scale. Besides mathematical conversions, the 903 also allows you to calculate fuel consumption, speed and distance. While an additional chronograph function allows for the recording and measuring periods of time.
Sinn Dive Watches
Sinn set out to solve the problems most dive watches face, such as fogging and water resistance. The brand invested heavily into their research and design to address these issues and became the first watchmaking brand to manufacture dive watches that are tested and certified in accordance with the European diving equipment standards.
Sinn’s diving watches feature large unidirectional bezels designed to measure oxygen levels. Some models also showcase Sinn’s acclaimed AR-Dehumidifying feature and HYDRO technology - where movement, dial and hands are immersed directly in a crystal-clear bath of oil to alleviate fogging due to the lack of air.
The Sinn UX
The Sinn UX has a legendary reputation as a diving watch, worn by the German Federal Police during their rescue mission of the hijacked “Landshut” aircraft in Mogadishu in 1977.
Sinn designed the UX to withstand the toughest climates and can operate in temperatures of -20°C to +60°C thanks to the temperature stabilised high-precision ETA 955.652 quartz movement.
The UX is also impressively water-resistant, the movement can withstand depths of 5,000 metres, and the submarine-steel case up to 12,000 metres (certified by DNV). It’s 44mm submarine-steel case is renowned for its extreme resistance to sea water and is fitted with the highest levels of non-magnetic properties, keeping the high precision quartz movement protected.
The dial of the Sinn UX is covered with a thick sapphire crystal, hardened to 1,8000 HV for extreme protection. The unidirectional bezel is made from the same submarine-steel and has also been hardened with Sinn’s TEGIMENT technology. For added security underwater, the indices are machined directly into the bezel without the use of bezel inserts, which could otherwise corrode or loosen at deep depths.
The Sinn UX also offers unbeatable readability, thanks to Sinn’s acclaimed HYDRO technology and a Mission Timer design, using Super-LumiNova on the hands, markers and bezel against a matte-black dial.
Sinn Sport Watches
Sinn have produced a variety of no-fuss yet classically inspired sports watches, with a focus on clearly structured design that allows for optimum readability. Taking a page out of their pilot watches, some of the Sinn sport watches feature a captive pilots bezel, with bidirectional rotation and minute ratcheting, which benefit from Sinn’s TEGIMENT steel hardening technology and Black Hard Coating for impressive durability.
The Sinn 105 St Sa UTC
Sinn has achieved to create a quintessential sports watch complimented by a diverse range of functions. The minimalist design has a reduced and contemporary form that can still be used as a versatile instrument, perfect for anyone seeking the best in design, precision and performance.
Sinn 105 has a 41mm stainless steel case and uses a bidirectional rotating bezel with 24-Hour ratcheting, which can be used to set up a secondary time-zone. The 105 features Sinn’s TEGIMENT and Black Hard Coating technology, providing impressive durability and water resistance to 200 metres.
The 105 uses a Swiss made SW 330-1 self-winding mechanism for a power reserve of 42 hours, visible through the open exhibition caseback.
The orange UTC hand can determine cardinal points when the sun’s current position is visible. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, position the dial horizontally and turn the watch so that the 12-hour hand points to the sun. The 24-hour hand then points to the north. These functions are displayed on a matte black dial with sporty orange accents, protected by sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective treatment.
WatchGecko are now authorised retailers of Sinn watches
We are proud to announce we are now official retailers of Sinn watches. We have a variety of models available, including all the Sinn watches mentioned in this article. Want to find out more about Sinn? why not visit their site here.
To see our full range of Sinn watches check out our collection at WatchGecko
