In the landscape of pure, modern “tool watches” seeking approval from the overwhelmingly selective consumer, there is a deserving brand that hardly ever gets its flower — and that brand is Sinn Spezialuhren.
Founded by Helmut Sinn in 1961, the eponymous German watch manufacture would go on to design and produce some of the world’s most utilitarian chronograph and dive watches for specialized purposes. With a strong focus in aviation chronographs, Sinn has developed some of the most underrated tool watches in history such as the Reference 156 Military Chronograph and the which accompanied German astronaut Reinhard Furrer into orbit on the Spacelab D1 mission in 1985.
It’s the aforementioned, tough-as-nails chronographs that laid the groundwork for modern Sinn models such as this pilot’s chronograph, Reference 756. Between the uncluttered, supremely legible dial and the muted tone of the case and bracelet construction, this chronograph is all business. The 40mm bead blasted tegimented steel case and 'H'-link bracelet features a pair of chronograph pushers and a large screw-down crown protected by a set of crown-guards. If you’re not familiar with Sinn’s TEGIMENT technology, here's a bit of a primer. The watch undergoes a special process which hardens the actual metal surface as opposed to applying an additional coating. The result is a hardened exterior that adds a greater level of protection against scratches.
Challenge accepted.
The matte black dial features stark contrasting white indices and ‘Arabic’ cardinal indices, as well as a pair of printed subsidiary registers at 12:00 and 6:00, and a subtle date window at 4:00. In addition to the sapphire crystal, the dial is protected from any sort of potential fogging by Sinn’s Air-Dehumidifying Technology.
This particular piece is powered by the venerable Valjoux 7750 automatic winding movement and bears an “Antimagnetic” designation as per DIN 8309, which is the equivalent of ISO 764. That's right, its German!
Robust, functional, and under the radar, this is a no-nonsense tool watch that, in our experience grants anyone in the room wearing a Sinn a tip of the hat. If you know, you know.
