A long wait!

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I love Sinn watches (that’s “Zinn” to you). They’re so… utilitarian and functional, and they just feel like they’ll last forever. I’ve had quite a few in the past, and until yesterday had just one in my collection, but over the years I’ve had a growing desire to own a U1. I’ve actually flipped a couple of UX’s as I’m not really a quartz man, but the U1 has had me hooked since I tried one on in Jura about three years ago. (Bea was with me at the time, and she said it was probably the ugliest watch that she’d ever seen).

It really is just a a big lump of beautiful, satiny steel… tegimented so it’s very, very hard but also with those quirky red and white hands that give it a completely unique look. It’s not shy at 44mm, but for some reason it doesn’t seem to wear overly large on the wrist – probably because of the relatively small and quite tapered lugs. Anyway, I’ve posted a couple of WTBs in the past and have been nagging one or two people repeatedly over the last few months. Nobody seems to let these go once they get their hands on them and I was also looking for a real minter, but a couple of days ago I happened to log on just as a really lovely example (less than a year old) was listed for sale. Hallelujah.

I had intended to put it straight onto a Di Modell Chronissimo but to be honest it looks so good on the bracelet I’ll probably leave it as is. It certainly isn’t a disappointment, anyway, and for me it makes the perfect weekend watch.

Size matters

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I know that a lot of people don’t “get” Panerai. The company has taken some self-inflicted flak through the odd marketing faux-pas and a sometimes crazy pricing strategy, and I’ve heard a few people write the brand off on the basis that all of their models are “ugly”. Well, I’m no fanboy (hmmm… maybe I am, just a little) but I do think I’ve been very fortunate to have owned the much vaunted Luminor 233, and to still possess its equally sublime Radiomir cousin, the 268. These watches are wonderful, both in terms of the majesty of the three-barrelled, 8 day in-house movements and the very obvious build quality. What I’ve learned, though, is that for my relatively slim wrists the Radiomir range gives me a more comfortable fit.

The 268 is a 45mm watch, and whilst this is mitigated by the Radiomir lug design its still a relatively hefty beast. This, and some of the recent threads I’ve read over on TZ-UK regarding the smaller 42mm designs, prompted me to think seriously about adding a 337 or 338 to my collection, and a decision was made pretty swiftly when a member there posted a heads-up relating to some exceedingly rare discounts on new pieces that were available for a very limited time. The following day I’d paid for a brand new 337, and today it arrived in a rather hefty package that I barely had a chance to open before leaving the office and heading home. Obviously, the watch is now on my wrist, and very, very pleased I am too.

The 337 is part of Panerai’s “Historic” range. Inside is the calibre P999/1 – a hand-wound mechanical movement beating at 21,600 alternations/hour, executed entirely by Panerai and measuring 12 lignes and 3 mm thick. It has 19 jewels, a Glucydur balance, Incabloc anti-shock device, a power reserve of 60 hours and 144 individual components. It really is rather pretty…

The fantastically clear dial is has subsidiary seconds at 9, and aside from that features what I think is Panerai’s wonderful sandwich construction. The lume on both dial and hands is inordinately bright, and the impression of the whole in terms of fit and finish is one of quality and heft.

The thing I’m really pleased about is the size. My wrist is about 6.75″ and the 42mm case wears absolutely perfectly. Because it’s also relatively slim it fits under a shirt cuff without any problem at all, and will therefore serve perfectly as both a dressy and casual watch. (I know a lot of people feel that 42mm is too small for a Panerai, but to be honest that kind of judgement can only be made on the basis of wrist size; I’m sure those with 8-9″ wrists may well prefer the larger cases, but it’s horses for courses in my view.)

Anyway, that’s enough rambling, so here’s a few photos that hopefully convey what a beautiful watch this is. And those of you that haven’t yet tried a Panerai – don’t write them off without giving them a chance. The two ranges (Luminor and Radiomir) and so different that there’s really little comparison, and the quality and finish may just surprise you!

Another rare Sinn!

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I’m a bit of a fan of Sinn watches. I’m a fan of the Lemania 5100 movement too, and not long ago both came together when I managed to pick up a really lovely 142 in great aged condition. I wrote about it here so I won’t bother rambling on about the movement again, but suffice it top say a friend from TZ-UK managed to convince me that I should trade it against his Autavia GMT. Now, I’d just sold the stunning NOS GMT I’d had for some time and was feeling a little bereft, so I agreed to the deal and let the Sinn slip through my fingers after just a few weeks. I shouldn’t have done that, really.

Anyway, I considered the situation for a while, and then decided to go on the hunt for the “real” first second automatic chronograph in space. Not the Seiko Pogue (that really was the first) and not the Sinn 142… but the 140, as worn by Reinhard Furrer back in 1985 aboard the Challenger. The 140 didn’t have the same dial layout nor did it have the same movement – but it was a Lemania-powered watch and I reckon the dial with it’s two registers was actually a little cleaner.

I was quite happily biding my time, in fact, when that same friend gave me a heads up that there was something slightly different available on another forum, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one for me. A few days later and it had landed from Italy, well packed and looking rather lush. The watch in question is a Sinn 157 St 12. It’s not very common, and I don’t recall seeing any before, but it’s certainly pretty interesting. The case is 40mm x 45mm x 15mm, and consequently wears far more easily than the plethora of similar 42mm variants. Despite it’s unusually small dimensions (although it’s still fairly thick) it really does have fantastic wrist presence. It also seems that the case itself was not manufactured by Sinn, but was a component that was outsourced and then assembled for Sinn by Guinand. I think Heuer used the same case (amongst others) as well, and dating from the early 80’s it was the time when there were some Bund contracts causing a fair degree of excitement (and some fierce inter-brand competition).

I can’t say much more about it, as it’s not a model that has had much written about it. This one is pretty much mint save for a small nibble and a couple of light scratches to the crystal (undisclosed, sadly). I may at some point send it to Sinn for a replacement, and if/when I do I’ll think about having the German date wheel replaced as well. It also has the “military” 12-hour chapter ring, although others had a tachymeter scale instead. I have no idea how the 12-hour scale was used from a functional perspective, but I’ll draw the line there and keep it as it was originally supplied.

The bracelet is as mint as the case, a period NSA job that is about as comfortable as a bracelet can be. The clasp closes nice and firmly so there’s no worry in wearing it, but the watch did come with a Di Modell Pilot and a German bund strap; and the original Sinn box, which is a nice extra. All in all, I think it’s a great find, and although the photos were all a bit rushed I hope they demonstrate what a lovely watch the 157 is.