Sinn Chrono's - Anyone have one ?

[RLK500]

As the title says. Anyone have a Sinn Chrono. Very tempted by the Sinn 103A Pilot's Chronograph, as an alternative to my IWC Portofino Chrono. Interested to know what they are like as an every day watch, rough and tough or delicate ?

TIA.

[prand]

Sadly not, but I'd love to have a 103....

[cyberface]

Do you mean like this?


If so, tough, dependable, everyday watch. No problems with movement (ETA 7750 as usual). Mine has an acrylic crystal, which has been scratched and marked by a painted brick in the past, but a quick blast with a polishing mop and it was perfect again. For another £175 or so you can have it supplied with a sapphire crystal instead.

I love mine, certainly doesn't need babying - the case is tough and the caseback is thick and well screwed on. It's heavier than anticipated for a 7750 based watch so I reckon Sinn have bunged some soft iron in the caseback for anti-magnetic properties as per some of their other watches - the caseback bulges out more than one would expect for such a watch.

Standard strap is thick, padded and good quality as well. No need to immediately go out and acquire a better strap for this watch. I definitely recommend Sinn

[Balmoral Green]

I like that, go to go googling now to find one.

Blimey, that really does look good in the other pics I've found (not suggesting your pic is rubbish though).

Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 16th July 18:22

[RodentRacing]

Have a look here Warren. www.chronomaster.co.uk IIRC they're the only authorised Sinn dealers. Apparently Neil is a pleasure to deal though not bought from him myself.

[Balmoral Green]

Just looked at every model in the Sinn range, can't fault cyberface's taste in watches. Got to get me one of these to replace my Mondaine as a daily driver.

[NJH]

ISTR the dial does a lovely job of catching the light in a very pleasing way from what I have heard.

A mate has the 757 with the tegimented (much much tougher to mark then standard SS) case / bezel bits. Its a very toolish watch and in his experience seems almost indestructible. It certainly felt nice and tough to me but like the Damasko's seems somehow less expensive looking then it is, if you catch my drift. Basically you have to love very understated toolish watches to like many of the Sinn's or Damasko chrono's. I would buy a 757 out of all the Sinn models because of the technology, toughness and style being right up my street.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=5144...

[BigAlinEmbra]

Every time cyberface posts that pic, I want one of those watches.

[nightfever]

Love that 356. My next stop is either a 556 or one of those. Chances are I'll save up and go for the 356

[cyberface]

Balmoral Green said:

I like that, go to go googling now to find one.

Blimey, that really does look good in the other pics I've found (not suggesting your pic is rubbish though).

Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 16th July 18:22

Quite willing to accept my photography is ste mate!!!!

The watch is most certainly not ste though. Lovely guilloche dial, subdials are turned too, shocking value for money (if you ignore the top-end replica market) - less than a grand and a lovely, well finished and attractive watch.

I bought mine from Neil @ Chronomaster and he's a fine person to buy from. Answers questions quickly and knows the watches well, and can get replacement parts if necessary. I've bought two watches from Neil and both transactions have been faultless.

Both watches still going strong And yes, my arm is not impressive, nor is my photography, but the 'oddball' in Sinn's catalogue is a beautiful watch. Most of their offerings are classic, black-dialed military watches... no idea who came up with the 356 II but it is bloody lovely.

[RLK500]

Perfect, thanks for the info chaps. Looks like my next purchase is sorted then.

[RLK500]

Perfect, thanks for the info chaps. Looks like my next purchase is sorted then.

[prand]

I really like the Sinn Flieger 103 St Sa. Excellent value for money and matches my taste in quality German engineering!

Pics form Chronomaster here:

http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/BSR_Sinn_103a.JPG
http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/BSR_Sinn_103c.JPG
http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/BSR_Sinn_103b.JPG

[x200sxy]

Another vote for Neil at Chronomaster here.

[tobeee]

x200sxy said:

Another vote for Neil at Chronomaster here.

and here. 356 Flieger.

[nightfever]

cyberface said:

Do you mean like this? For another £175 or so you can have it supplied with a sapphire crystal instead

I didn't think it would cost that much extra! My recent purchase claims to have a sapphire crystal but the whole watch cost less than that! Is there any way of finding out if it is (without trying to scratch it!)?

[NJH]

ISTR on this type of Sinn chrono the sapphire is a high domed one that has the same shape as a high domed acrylic, hence costing much much more to produce then a flat sapphire. AFAIK the high domed sapphires are cut from a solid block of sapphire, this may be several mm's high so understandably may cost 2 or 3 times the cost of a decent flat sapphire let alone a thin sapphire crystal.

[nightfever]

Ah I see, that makes a lot of sense.

[cyberface]

NJH said:

ISTR on this type of Sinn chrono the sapphire is a high domed one that has the same shape as a high domed acrylic, hence costing much much more to produce then a flat sapphire. AFAIK the high domed sapphires are cut from a solid block of sapphire, this may be several mm's high so understandably may cost 2 or 3 times the cost of a decent flat sapphire let alone a thin sapphire crystal.

Different case too, apparently - I enquired with Neil @ Chronomaster whether I could swap out my scratched acrylic crystal for a sapphire one, and he said it wasn't possible as the cases were different between the two models. I may have been given a bogus reason, but I expect they're attached in different ways to the case.