Although primarily known in enthusiast circles for its ultra-durable tool watches, German brand Sinn also has a long history of dressier offerings with the same minimalist Teutonic spirit. For its first major release of 2022, Sinn aims to bridge the gap between the two halves of its collection, combining the clean refinement of its dress watch offerings with the innovative metallurgy and materials work that has established the brand as a leader in mechanical tool watches. As the centerpiece of this hybrid effort, the brand looks to a lesser-used material in luxury watchmaking – silver. By solving many of the material drawbacks of traditional silver and silver alloys, the new Sinn 1739 Ag B creates a uniquely handsome take on the classic minimalist dress watch that should maintain its luster for years to come.

There are a multitude of reasons why silver is an uncommon case material in the modern watch industry. Silver is soft, easily scratched, lacks the eye-catching color of gold, and most troubling of all, silver develops a sooty black layer of oxidized tarnish over time that hides the base metal’s brilliant luster. With that said, a handful of brands have aimed to bring the brilliant shine of silver to their watch cases, mostly relying on clear coatings to protect the silver surface from scratches and oxidation. The Sinn 1739 Ag B’s solution to the material weaknesses of silver is deeper than its competitors, and arguably more elegant. The fully polished 39mm case is rendered in a unique silver alloy known as 935 Argentium, which both offers improved scratch resistance over pure silver and naturally protects itself from black silver tarnish. In addition to naturally oxidizing at a far slower rate than traditional silver alloys, the 935 Argentium case itself develops a naturally protective layer of germanium oxide to shield the silver content within from the air. Rather than the dull black of silver tarnish, Sinn claims this germanium oxide layer adds a slight golden hue to the case over time. In addition, the oxide layer can be easily wiped away using one of the two Argentium care cloths included with the watch to reveal the bright luster of silver if desired. In terms of form, the case is traditional and elemental, with an extremely narrow bezel, simple vertical case sides, and classic tapering lugs. Although the focus is less on pure utility than much of the brand’s more famous fare, the 1739 Ag B still offers a solid level of durability, with a 100 meter water resistance rating.

For the dial of the 1739 Ag B, Sinn uses an intensely simple, almost Bauhaus-esque design ethos, but imbues this deceptively minimal look with a suite of unique stylistic touches. The electroplated navy blue dial surface is a solid example of this subtle complexity, with a dynamic and heavily grained sunburst texture in initial images, and a raised outer chapter ring that should give the design added depth and light play on the wrist. Sinn also adds gently flared ends to the rhodium plated stick handset and matching applied indices, giving these elements a greater sense of visual weight and gently directing the eye for easier legibility in images. With no scales and only an applied Sinn emblem at 12 o’clock, each dial element is given generous visual breathing room, leading to a light and atmospheric appearance in photos.

Inside the Sinn 1739 Ag B beats the ubiquitous Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement. Sinn takes a classical if unspectacular approach to decorating this movement, with broad striping across the rotor complemented by perlage for the bridges and blued screws. On the performance side, this movement offers the standard Sellita ratings of 42 hours of power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. Sinn pairs the 1739 Ag B with a trio of minimalist strap options, including calf leather straps in black and saddle tan, along with a finely textured strap in medium gray Alcantara.

With a handsome and innovative case alloy paired to a nuanced minimalist design, the new Sinn 1739 Ag B delivers a stylish and memorable dress watch that quietly showcases the brand’s metallurgical expertise. The Sinn 1739 Ag B is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for the Sinn 1739 Ag B stands at $2,680 as of press time. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.