We have grown to like – well, love – Sinn for their consistently high quality, very technical watches like the EZM 10 (reviewed here) or the T1 and T2 Dive watches. With the Sinn Model 1800 S Damaszener, the brand further strengthens its dressier line of watches, while also adding a twist to it all with the use of damascus steel for the case, case back, and dial.
Damascus steel (or Damaszener Stahl in German), is a material seldom encountered in wrist watches – and yet, not unsurprisingly, Sinn still couldn’t resist adding a twist to it nevertheless. For the Sinn Model 1800 S Damaszener, both the central, largest part of the case as well as the dial have been cut from the same complete block of steel, rather than from separate pieces. This was done to allow the unique light-dark-light pattern of damascus steel to seamlessly flow throughout the case and the dial. The dial also features thirteen applied indices which, along with the long, lumed hour and minute hands, should provide ample legibility despite the complex and unique backdrop.
Damascus steel has traditionally been used in the making of swords, knives, and blades and is a forge-welded combination of at least two different types of steel, one softer and one harder – to create a new material that, theoretically, combines the favorable properties of both. The manufacturing process is rather complicated, as one would imagine, but what is actually relevant when it comes to the material’s use in wristwatches is the fact that the steels are dissolved to varying extents by acid to form the typical light and dark nuances.
The problem this creates is related to corrosion, and the material has to be treated so that it is resistant to the elements – presumably the “patina” of damascus steel is not as desirable as that of bronze. Sinn uses a so-called Tegiment Technology along with additional “Black Hard Coating,” to provide protection against corrosion and also to better highlight the patterns of the steel.
The case itself is 43 millimeters wide, boasts 100-meter water resistance, and even the caseback – where the individual 100 piece limited edition number is visible – is in damascus steel as well. Behind it is the ETA 2892-A2 automatic caliber – that reliable workhorse movement running at 4 Hertz for around two days, and that hardly needs any introduction at this point.
The watch will ship with black and brown leather straps, a strap changing tool, and a Sinn loupe – so that you can take a closer look at those grooves of damascus steel. Price for the Sinn Model 1800 S Damaszener watch is $7,360. sinn.de