Some of the most famous and collectible Sinn watches are its pilot’s chronographs like the Model 155 and 156 (plus the 156 Military), which the German brand produced between the 1980s and the early 2000s. While chronograph-equipped tool watches consistently play a central role within Sinn’s contemporary catalog, the brand’s most recent release of 2024 represents the modern successor to its celebrated 155 and 156 series watches. Making its appearance in two different variations, the Sinn 156.1 is the standard-production version of the model, while the 156.1 E is a 300-piece limited edition that features an aviation-inspired date window with vintage-tinted lume, and it comes as a set with both a strap and matching stainless steel bracelet.
Crafted from bead-blasted stainless steel for a non-reflective finish, the cases of the new Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E pilot’s chronographs measure 43mm in diameter by 15.45mm thick, with 22mm lugs and a weight of 98 grams (not including their straps or bracelets). Unlike the brand’s original Model 155 and 156 watches, which were both fitted with acrylic crystals, the new Sin 156.1 watches receive domed sapphire crystals with an anti-reflective treatment applied to their inner and outer surfaces. Additionally, while the solid stainless casebacks fitted to the new Sinn 156.1 watches feature a smooth design without indentations for a case tool, Sinn describes the casebacks as being “screw-fastened” on its website, and since there are no visible screws on the caseback itself, it can only be assumed that the caseback threads into the middle case.
The chronograph pushers on the new Sinn 156.1 watches feature a pump-style design, and since no mention is made about a threaded crown, we can likely assume that the signed crown at 3 o’clock operates with a standard push/pull-style action. However, the new 156.1 series watches still offer 100 meters of water resistance according to the requirements outlined by DIN 8310 (DIN is the German Institute for Standards), and they are also low-pressure resistant to contend with the rapid changes in altitude that can occur during aviation applications. To further their resistance to potentially disruptive external factors, the movements inside the new Sinn 156.1 pilot’s chronographs are antimagnetic according to DIN 8309, and while they aren’t the German brand’s absolute most durable models, the new 156.1 watches should still be more than capable of standing up to rigors of daily wear in a wide variety of different environments.
Surrounding the crystals on the new Sinn 156.1 watches are bi-directional rotating timing bezels, that feature the brand’s signature “captive” design, which consists of a series of screws around the perimeter to prevent the bezel from being disconnected from the case should it get caught on something or receive a direct impact. On both of the new Sinn 156.1 watches, the bezels are crafted from stainless steel that has been hardened with the brand’s signature Tegiment Technology, and to further increase their resistance to marks and scratches, the bezels are also given Sinn’s Black Hard Coating, which is a TiAlCN (titanium-aluminum-carbonitride) coating that offers a surface hardness of more than 2,000 HV.
Rather than just applying its Black Hard Coating to normal stainless steel, Sinn first treats the metal with its Tegiment Technology to harden the underlying metal that serves as the foundation for its final hardened surface coating. When an ultra-hard coating is applied to the surfaces of normal stainless steel, the coating can sometimes chip or crack when the softer stainless steel deforms and the extra-hard shell loses its foundational support from below. Sinn’s Tegiment Technology hardens the material of the component itself (rather than just forming a layer on its surface), and this creates a significantly stronger foundation for the Black Hard Coating that prevents it from suffering an “eggshell effect” when the metal deforms and the hardened outer surface cracks or chips at the point of contact.
The dials fitted to the new Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E pilot’s chronographs both follow the same fundamental design and layout, with the key differences being their colorways and the shape of their date windows. While the standard-production Sinn 156.1 features white-colored luminous material, red-finished chronograph hands, and a traditional rectangular date window, the limited-edition Sinn 156.1 E receives beige-tinted lume, white chronograph hands, and an arch-shaped date window that is inspired by the Kollsman window of a barometric aviation altimeter. Aside from these differences, the rest of the two dials remain the same, with a matte black surface, white printing, and green-glowing Arabic numeral hour markers.
With that in mind, arguably the most noteworthy aspect of the dial layout on the Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E watches is that they feature a two-register layout with both the seconds and minutes for the chronograph displayed by additional centrally-mounted hands. While elapsed hours are tracked by the sub-dial at 6 o’clock, relocating the chronograph minutes hand to the center of the dial significantly improves at-a-glance readings, and the hands are color-coordinated on both models to correspond with their time-telling or chronograph functions. On the standard-production Sinn 156.1, the white-finished hands track the time, while the trio of red-painted hands are dedicated to the chronograph. Alternatively, the limited-edition Sinn 156.1 E features beige-colored hands for its timekeeping display, while its three chronograph hands are all painted white.
Powering the new Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E watches is the brand’s Caliber SZ01 automatic chronograph movement, which runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 42 hours. Although the 28-jewel Sinn Cal. SZ01 is based on the core architecture of the familiar Valjoux 7750, it has been modified to feature a central jumping 60-minute chronograph hand that emulates the functionality of the Lemania 5100 movements used inside the brand’s original Model 156 watches. One of the most important functions of a pilot’s watch is to be able to quickly offer a reading of elapsed time, and having the chronograph minutes displayed by a centrally-mounted hand offers significantly better legibility compared to when this crucial piece of information is relegated to one of the sub-dials.
In its standard configuration, the core-collection Sinn 156.1 is paired with a black leather strap with red contrast stitching near the lugs; however, buyers can configure the model with any of the brand’s other compatible straps and bracelets. Meanwhile, the limited-edition Sinn 156.1 E comes as a set with both a bead-blasted stainless steel H-link bracelet and a black leather strap that offers the same style as the standard strap for the Sinn 156.1, although it features beige-colored contrast stitching (rather than red) to match its respective dial and hands. Since any of Sinn’s 22mm straps will be compatible with the drilled lugs of the case, the range of options is rather extensive. It includes a variety of straps in leather, fabric, and silicone, along with a few more aesthetically adventurous styles, such as the black leather bund strap that can be seen on the watches in some of the press photos.
Since the new Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E pilot’s chronographs do not use standard off-the-shelf movements, they are a bit more expensive than the brand’s entry-level chronograph models, although neither is remotely close to its most expensive offering. Prices for the standard-production Sinn 156.1 start at €3.950 EUR, while the 300-piece limited-edition Sinn 156.1 E that comes as a set with both a strap and bracelet costs €4,290 EUR (or approximately $4,350 USD and $4,750 USD, respectively, at the time of writing). Given the level of quality and attention to detail that goes into Sinn’s watches, these prices hardly seem outrageous, and the new Sinn 156.1 is very much the modern equivalent of its original Model 156 watches that continue to remain favorites among collectors. For more information on the Sinn 156.1 and 156.1 E pilot’s chronographs, please visit the brand’s website.
