Sinn
- Founded
- 1961
- Based in
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- In our catalog
- 9 watches from $1,590 to $4,400
Sinn makes tool watches for people who use them: pilots, divers, police units and firefighters. Its watches look plain, but they're built around a set of German-engineered technologies that make them some of the toughest watches you can buy: hardened steel, cases that stay dry inside and divers made of submarine steel.
History
Helmut Sinn, a pilot and flight instructor, founded the company in Frankfurt in 1961 to make cockpit clocks and pilot's chronographs. In 1985 German astronaut Reinhard Furrer wore a Sinn 140 on a Space Shuttle mission, the first time an automatic chronograph was used in space.
In 1994 engineer Lothar Schmidt bought the company and developed the technologies that define Sinn today, including Tegiment (a surface hardening process that makes steel very scratch-resistant), Ar-Dehumidifying (a capsule and gas filling that keep moisture out), and cases made from German submarine steel. Sinn also certifies watches to German standards for diving and pilot equipment.
Signature models
- 556 I: A simple everyday watch, Sinn's entry point.
- 456 St Lady: A smaller watch with the brand's technologies.
- 104 St Sa I: A pilot's watch with a rotating bezel.
- 103 St: A pilot's chronograph with a rotating bezel, a classic design since the 1960s.
- 356 Flieger: A smaller, dressier pilot's chronograph.
- EZM 3F: An "Einsatzzeitmesser" (mission timer) made for special police units, with the crown on the left.
- U1 and U50: Dive watches in submarine steel, the U50 in a more compact size.
- T50: A titanium diver.
What it's known for
Sinn watches are extremely practical, with matte finishes, clear dials and specs that are backed up by testing rather than marketing. The EZM and U series are favorites with people who need a watch for work.
Price and positioning
Sinn watches mostly cost $1,500 to $4,500. Damasko and Mühle Glashütte are the other German tool watch makers, and Tudor is the Swiss alternative with more brand recognition.
Sinn watches in our library
- Sinn 556 I ($1,590 to $1,790)
- Sinn 456 St Lady ($1,650 to $1,850)
- Sinn 104 St Sa I ($1,940 to $2,190)
- Sinn EZM 3F ($2,660 to $2,900)
- Sinn U1 ($2,690 to $2,990)
- Sinn U50 ($2,690 to $2,990)
- Sinn 356 Flieger ($2,690 to $2,990)
- Sinn 103 St ($2,710 to $3,100)
- Sinn T50 ($4,180 to $4,400)