Ball or Sinn?

[RickH]

I'm being pressured to make a decision over a watch for my 30th and I like the look of:

Sinn Flieger 356 Flieger Automatic Chronograph - Sapphire crystal front and back



or possibly:

Ball Fireman Ionoshpere



or possibly:

Ball Fireman Skylab



Anyone got any views on Ball watches, or whether either manufacturer would be a better bet than the other?

Also, I'm in the UK and I know I can get hold of the Sinn through Neil at Chronomaster, but what about the Ball watches?

RickH

[Pesty]

I think there are only 3 Ball dealers in the UK and none of em are in Scotland. Leeds is the closest

There are usualy a few on American ebay if you want to risk that. I am toying with teh idea of a Ball but I would like to see one in the flesh first

[Exigeowner]

like the top two alot, Sorry no experience of them but what sort of prices are the main dealers asking for these ?

[RickH]

Sinn 356 with sapphire front and back is about £935, RRP for the Ionosphere is £905 with SS and £870 with leather, RRP Skylab is £1290 with both (plus some publicity blurb and a metal model of Skylab)

RickH

[tertius]

RickH said:

Sinn 356 with sapphire front and back is about £935, RRP for the Ionosphere is £905 with SS and £870 with leather, RRP Skylab is £1290 with both (plus some publicity blurb and a metal model of Skylab)

RickH

That is with all the options for the Sinn though - ie sapphire front and back and a bracelet; if you go leather strap, acrylic glass and steel back its down to about £575, which is a pretty amazing price for what you get.

[Andy_CTR]

What's that thingy on the dial at the 9 o'clock position of the skylab?

Seriously like the look of the ionosphere with the black face and brown strap combo, the sinn looks v tasty too though! ...

PS the ball website is a bit dramatic eh!!

[RickH]

tertius said:

RickH said:

Sinn 356 with sapphire front and back is about £935, RRP for the Ionosphere is £905 with SS and £870 with leather, RRP Skylab is £1290 with both (plus some publicity blurb and a metal model of Skylab)

RickH

That is with all the options for the Sinn though - ie sapphire front and back and a bracelet; if you go leather strap, acrylic glass and steel back its down to about £575, which is a pretty amazing price for what you get.

That's £935 on a strap with sapphire front and back - it would be £1025 with the bracelet.

I know, but I figured as it was going to be my first true mechanical watch (not counting the Kinetic I currently have obviously) I would like to be able to see the workings. But I would agree, £575 is really good for what it is.

RickH

[RickH]

Andy_CTR said:

What's that thingy on the dial at the 9 o'clock position of the skylab?

Seriously like the look of the ionosphere with the black face and brown strap combo, the sinn looks v tasty too though! ...

PS the ball website is a bit dramatic eh!!

The "thingy" is a picture of Skylab. One of the wings replaces the traditional arm of the running seconds dial - so it still has the traditional 3 sub-dials. Just something a bit different. Limited to 1600 pieces apparently, no idea if there are any available.

RickH

[tertius]

RickH said:

tertius said:

RickH said:

Sinn 356 with sapphire front and back is about £935, RRP for the Ionosphere is £905 with SS and £870 with leather, RRP Skylab is £1290 with both (plus some publicity blurb and a metal model of Skylab)

RickH

That is with all the options for the Sinn though - ie sapphire front and back and a bracelet; if you go leather strap, acrylic glass and steel back its down to about £575, which is a pretty amazing price for what you get.

That's £935 on a strap with sapphire front and back - it would be £1025 with the bracelet.

I know, but I figured as it was going to be my first true mechanical watch (not counting the Kinetic I currently have obviously) I would like to be able to see the workings. But I would agree, £575 is really good for what it is.

RickH

You're probably right, I think I misread the chronomaster website, which is pretty easy to do.

Personally I'd stick with hesalite (more traditional); steel back (the 7750 isn't that pretty to look at anyway); and a strap (doesn't pull the hairs on my wrist out )

[RickH]

tertius said:

You're probably right, I think I misread the chronomaster website, which is pretty easy to do.

Personally I'd stick with hesalite (more traditional); steel back (the 7750 isn't that pretty to look at anyway); and a strap (doesn't pull the hairs on my wrist out )

But I'm not paying The olds want to get me a decent watch. I'ld like an IWC Portofino Chrono, but my job occasionally involves visits to construction sites and the wilds of Scotland so I would like more of a tool watch (than that one anyway), but something that goes with a suit. Hence the sapphire glass rather than the acryllic (I know you can polish it out, but if there's the option of sapphire I'll take it).

I'd like to get something a little different from the norm, but without the face getting, in my view, cluttered with the usual tachymeter scales and pulseometer scales. I know the Ball Skylab watch has the tachymeter scale but it's not as obvious as some I've seen. Plus it comes with two straps, is limited edition and is good value for money in my mind.

[lowdrag]

RickH said:

But I'm not paying The olds want to get me a decent watch. I'ld like an IWC Portofino Chrono, but my job occasionally involves visits to construction sites and the wilds of Scotland so I would like more of a tool watch (than that one anyway), but something that goes with a suit. Hence the sapphire glass rather than the acryllic (I know you can polish it out, but if there's the option of sapphire I'll take it).

I'd like to get something a little different from the norm, but without the face getting, in my view, cluttered with the usual tachymeter scales and pulseometer scales. I know the Ball Skylab watch has the tachymeter scale but it's not as obvious as some I've seen. Plus it comes with two straps, is limited edition and is good value for money in my mind.

Well, if you dare to, ask for the money then go and buy yourself an Ollech & Wajs. You'll have plenty left over to have a good time with! Good watches too for the money. On another tack I think you would quickly get fed up with the sapphire back since how long are you going to sit looking at the balance wheel going backwards and forwards? Similarly the sapphire glass is a good bet since it doesn't scratch easily. I have always had a bracelet for two reasons; straps are a rip off and I have acid skin which rots them quickly. No I don't have many hairs left on my wrist but a fatter wallet through not replacing straps regularly

[uktrailmonster]

Straps are only a rip-off if you buy OEM ones. There are plenty of aftermarket straps that are just as good and cheap to replace.

[FunkyGibbon]

uktrailmonster said:

Straps are only a rip-off if you buy OEM ones. There are plenty of aftermarket straps that are just as good and cheap to replace.

Hirsch straps are just fine.

[RickH]

lowdrag said:

Well, if you dare to, ask for the money then go and buy yourself an Ollech & Wajs. You'll have plenty left over to have a good time with! Good watches too for the money. On another tack I think you would quickly get fed up with the sapphire back since how long are you going to sit looking at the balance wheel going backwards and forwards? Similarly the sapphire glass is a good bet since it doesn't scratch easily. I have always had a bracelet for two reasons; straps are a rip off and I have acid skin which rots them quickly. No I don't have many hairs left on my wrist but a fatter wallet through not replacing straps regularly

Had a look at the O&W watches on Chronomaster - to be honest, they just didn't do it for me. I'd rather shell out the extra (so to speak) and get something that catches my attention.

RickH

[x200sxy]

Neil at Chronomaster told me he wasn't stocking O&W at the moment due to quality problems.

[RickH]

x200sxy said:

Neil at Chronomaster told me he wasn't stocking O&W at the moment due to quality problems.

Well that makes the options one less then!

RickH

[markomah]

The Skylab looks like it's trying just a little too hard, IMHO. As a previous poster said, I would be choosing between one of the first two watches. They're both lovely but, for my money, the Ionosphere just shades it...

M

[RickH]

Found a few more pennies down the back of the sofa .... well got the parents to agree to getting me something a bit further up the tree.

I have no pictures, and I don't have the watch but anyway ...

I'm ignoring the Sinn and Ball watches for the moment and I've got myself an IWC Pilot's Chronograph on black leather strap coming in the new year.

Really looking forward to getting my mitts on the watch as it was really nice trying it on. And the total saving will be around 30% off RRP aswell so that's not bad.

RickH

[tertius]

Nice one - have to say that is a cut above either Ball or Sinn ...

[digger_R]

For O&W you could try West Coast Time in the US. I have an O&W Defender 2 and it's fantastic, Valjoux 7750 is absurdly accurate +3/5 secs a week