One aspect that makes the world of luxury watches and watch collecting so beautiful is the variety of models and watch brands – there’s truly something for every style, budget, and preference. But what if you had to choose just one watch brand for the rest of your life? We asked our authors to weigh in. The rules are simple:
- You have to choose one watch brand to wear for the rest of your life.
- Money is no object.
- Twist: You get one “wild card” watch, i.e., you can swap one watch from your chosen brand for a watch from another brand. Which one would it be?
Of course, choosing the ONE exit brand is a big challenge for a watch enthusiast like me. After all, there are so many manufacturers offering great watches that differ only in style. However, choosing one of the usual industry giants whose models are presented and discussed ad nauseam seemed too mundane to me. That’s why I’ve chosen Sinn Spezialuhren, based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany; I have two of the brand’s timepieces in my personal watch collection.
Why Sinn Spezialuhren?
There are many reasons why I chose Sinn. First, the history of the manufacturer is interesting, if relatively short. The company was founded in 1961 by Helmut Sinn, a former flight instructor and professional pilot who died in 2018 at the age of 101. Sinn watches were initially aimed at pilots who needed functional and precise, high-quality chronographs. For years, many Sinn models were identical in construction to those from a number of better-known brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre or Breguet. Helmut Sinn even entered into an exclusive cooperation with Jack Heuer. The Bundeswehr chronographs (BUND) and the Sinn Rallye Timer from the 1970s, for example, were just Heuer watches with a Sinn logo. Thanks to direct sales, however, Helmut Sinn was able to keep prices much lower, without compromising quality. Sinn is still committed to the concept of direct sales, which means that the price-performance ratio is still excellent. It’s easy to visit the showrooms attached to the company’s manufacturing facilities and check out every available model in person. The brand has largely dispensed with superfluous marketing jargon and white gloves; what you see is what you get. In short: Sinn has always been a down-to-earth brand with a modest approach. The watchmaker treads a fine line between pragmatism and luxury, on an equal footing with his customers. Quality, precision, and innovation play an important role alongside the brand’s history and fair prices. Sinn sources the cases for many of its watches from the manufacturer Sächsische Uhrentechnologie GmbH Glashütte (Saxon Watch Technology Glashütte, or SUG). SUG has been known for many years as a producer of high-quality cases. When it comes to caliber technology, Sinn relies primarily on movements from Swiss suppliers such as Sellita, Concepto, and La Joux-Perret. True, these are standard movements found in many watches. But these calibers have been tried and tested for years and are known for their precision and durability. A while back, Sinn presented the caliber SZ01, a largely in-house movement based on the well-known ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph caliber. When it comes to innovations in the watch industry, Sinn is also full of great ideas. One of the best known examples of this is the brand’s Ar-Dehumidifying Technology, which prevents oils in the watch from aging due to moisture. Sinn’s DIAPAL Technology relies on material combinations that do not require lubrication and thus guarantee long-term accuracy. Stainless steel and titanium cases are treated with Tegiment technology for extra scratch resistance. Another reason why Sinn is my brand for life is, of course, the design of the watches. Chronographs in the 101, 102, and 103 lines with a bi- or tricompax dial design are particularly attractive in terms of look. The design of these timepieces originated in the 1960s and 70s. The visual style is timeless and always an eye-catcher, even in the new editions of some vintage variants.
My Favorite Sinn Watches
Vintage chronographs that are 50 or 60 years old are fascinating, but they do have some drawbacks. They’re not really suitable for everyday use, spare parts are difficult to come by, and the price of these timepieces is often quite high – even for early Sinn models. As a fan of these designs, I’m always happy when manufacturers go back to their roots and reissue a classic. In the past, Sinn has succeeded time and again in creating attractive new editions in line with today’s standards and state-of-the-art technology. Two of these watches found their way to me and have the potential to become watches for (the rest of my) life – after all, I’m already over 50.
Sinn 103 St Ty Hd
When Sinn presented the 103 ST Ty Hd in February 2024, I immediately clicked the order button. The watch pays homage to Sinn’s 103 C model from the early 1970s. The tricompax dial design is based on a Mathey-Tissot chronograph. Since the watch was produced in a very limited edition, vintage examples are extremely rare. Timepieces in the new collection are powered by the manual Sellita caliber SW510M, which is safely housed behind a screw-down steel case back. The watch has an acrylic crystal and is vacuum and water-resistant to 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft). All in all, the watch’s features make it the perfect everyday companion. Sinn limited this edition to 1,000 pieces. I present the chronograph in detail in my article “Flight Test: A Review of the Sinn 103 St Ty Hd Pilot’s Watch.”
Sinn 103 ST C
The Sinn 103 ST C was released in 2018 in collaboration with the specialist watch magazine Chronos. The model was limited to just 100 pieces and sold out in no time. It took a while for individual pieces to appear on the market, but a few months ago I had the opportunity to get my hands on one. The bicompax design of the 103 ST C is based on that of the Sinn 101 A introduced in the 1960s. The watch has an acrylic crystal and is vacuum and water-resistant to 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft). The timepiece is powered by the automatic Sellita caliber SW510.
Wild Card Watch: The Rolex Explorer II 16570
Now we come to my joker watch. If I had to give up my Sinn chronograph and wear only one watch for the rest of my life, it would be the Rolex Explorer II 16570 I describe in detail in my article “The Love We Share: Rolex Explorer II 16570 – Love At Second Sight.” Even though it’s a model from the undisputed leader in the industry, the brand plays a secondary role for me in this case. For me, the Rolex Explorer II is as much about functionality as it is about looks. A GMT watch is simply a practical and useful tool in my day-to-day life. For example, I can tell at a glance what time of day it is in the Yukon, where my daughter lives.
