Acrylic, seventeen millimeters, and charm
By Rafael Ortiz, Mexico City ยท
There's something about a domed acrylic crystal on a chronograph. It catches light in a soft, warm way that sapphire doesn't. The Sinn 103 St has that, plus a rotating bezel, a day-date, and a design that's barely changed since 1985.
The problem is height: 17 mm of it. On a 41 mm case that's very tall, and you'll feel it under every shirt cuff. Acrylic also scratches, though a little polish fixes it. The Sellita SW500 gives 62 hours and the open caseback shows it off. 200 meters, steel bracelet, 20 mm lugs.
At 2,710 to 3,100 dollars, it's a fun, tough, old-school chronograph. I'd wear it on weekends. On a flight, the thickness would drive me crazy.