Z
Zach Weiss
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Last year at Basel World, Sinn announced a handful of curious and unexpected watches, from the diving-pilot’s EZM 3F to the cleverly vintage 903 ST B E. But perhaps the most surprising was the 240 ST. Utilizing a case that dates back to at least the 80’s, this barrel shaped tool-pilot is both new and a throwback. For those familiar with Sinn’s line and history, you’ll immediately note that the case comes from the revered 140/142 chronographs. Originally powered by the Lemania 5100, these rugged chronos are collector’s pieces not just for their style, but also for their historical significance. As discussed in this article here, the 140/142s were, for a time, considered to be the first automatic chronographs worn in space. Sinn has since reissued those watches with their in-house modified Valjoux 7750 movement, the SZ01 and packed them full of their in-house tech. As expected, they command a demand a price of over $4k.
The 240 ST is the first time this distinct barrel case has been used on a 3-hand watch, which already creates an interesting proposition. Add onto that that it’s one of Sinn’s more entry level pieces, coming in as low as $1,560 on leather, and it gets even more intriguing. Along with the 556’s and 104’s, the 240 ST is part of their growing no-tech 3-hand tool watches, which offer a more affordable way to get a Sinn. What sets the 240 apart though is its distinct style, internal bezel and comfortable-to-wear larger size. This German-made watch also features a sapphire with AR and is powered by a Sellita SW 220-1.
Sinn 240 ST Review
Case: Stainless Steel
Movement: SW 220-1
Dial: Black
Lume: Yes
Lens: Flat Sapphire Crystal w/ AR
Strap: Leather or Steel Bracelet
Water Resistance: 100m
Dimensions: 43mm X 46mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Crown: 2x 6mm crowns
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $1,560 on leather $1,730 on steel
Case
The barrel shaped case of the 240 ST has a very 20th century feel, but somehow doesn’t look dated. Though a barrel, it’s a very unique shape with gorgeous curves and interesting proportions, making it both distinctly Sinn and surprisingly attractive. Measuring 43 x 46 x 11mm, it’s wide and flat, with almost square dimensions. The fact that the lug-to-lug is so short makes it very wearable on a variety of wrists, while the surprisingly thin profile just adds to the comfort and sleekness.
The design is deceptively complex. From the top, it just looks like a fat barrel with a few lines, but when you look at it from an angle, you can see how complicated the curves are. There isn’t a flat surface anywhere, and the whole case bows to accommodate the wrist. Notably, you have these classic and true barrel shaped lines connecting the lugs on one side to the other. These are flanked by large swooping bevels which connected the outside of the lugs. This area is a cut away, removing mass from the case. They are probably my favorite detail on the watch as whole, reminding almost of the kind of flat detailing you find on Grand Seikos. The whole case is also evenly bead blasted for a low-gloss finish with a gorgeous sheen.
At 2 and 4 you have the internal bezel and time crowns, respectively. As a fan of dual-crown and “super-compressor” watches, I quite like this arrangement. I was glad to see they went with this design rather than 10 and 3, which would more closely match the 140/2’s. At 2 and 4 there is a nice balance and it plays off of that sort of throw back feel. The crowns are identical, measuring 6mm in diameter with deep grooves fro texture and a domed end with a Sinn “S” logo. They look good, are easy to grasp and are sized well for the watch.
I was surprised however to find that neither screwed down. The watch is geared towards being a pilot, so it boasts only a 100m WR, which in Sinn’s catalog means it’s not for diving but can get wet. But the real issue is that the internal bezel has a tendency to shift a little bit when at rest because the crown is fairly easy to turn. The bezel has a non-ratcheting, bi-directional design, so it just easily glides around. Had it been either ratcheting or had a screw-down crown to lock the bezel in place, it would alleviated this issue.
Flipping the watch over, the case back is fairly unadorned. It’s just a slab of steel with a few details listed in German. I don’t mind that it’s solid, but considering it’s not a diver and that the less expensive 556’s have sapphire backs, showing off those sexy gold-tone Sinn rotors, I think it would have been welcome here too.
Dial
The dial of the 240 has a classic 70’s-80’s German military feeling that has been a part of Sinn’s repertoire for some time. It’s feels right at home on the 240, and as someone who personally loves that era, I’m quite fond of the stripped down and slightly dated look. In context, it’s basically the 140 dial without the chronograph functions. So, the dial consists of a primary index of pale green lumed rectangles on a matte black surface. Between each marker are individual minute/seconds lines and 1/4th second lines all in white. The sub-seconds create a border around the inner dial before the internal bezel that closes the area off nicely.
On the inside of the lumed markers is an index of numerals for the minutes/seconds as well. The numerals are small and white as well. I have two issues with this index. I like that it exists as it stays true to the design, but the numbers feel too close to the markers, especially since there is plenty of space towards the center of the dial. This is particularly noticeable around the 25 and 35 numerals.
The other issue is redundancy. Have a 0-60 index on the internal bezel as well as here feels like one too many. Perhaps this index could have been a 13-24 index. Or preferably, this one remained as is, and the internal bezel index became a countdown or 12-hr bezel. If the latter had been the case, not only would it have supplied the missing hour numerals, but by rotating it, one could have tracked a second timezone, which is a feature I personally enjoy.
The post Sinn 240 ST Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.
Last year at Basel World, Sinn announced a handful of curious and unexpected watches, from the diving-pilot’s EZM 3F to the cleverly vintage 903 ST B E. But perhaps the most surprising was the 240 ST. Utilizing a case that dates back to at least the 80’s, this barrel shaped tool-pilot is both new and a throwback. For those familiar with Sinn’s line and history, you’ll immediately note that the case comes from the revered 140/142 chronographs. Originally powered by the Lemania 5100, these rugged chronos are collector’s pieces not just for their style, but also for their historical significance. As discussed in this article here, the 140/142s were, for a time, considered to be the first automatic chronographs worn in space. Sinn has since reissued those watches with their in-house modified Valjoux 7750 movement, the SZ01 and packed them full of their in-house tech. As expected, they command a demand a price of over $4k.
The 240 ST is the first time this distinct barrel case has been used on a 3-hand watch, which already creates an interesting proposition. Add onto that that it’s one of Sinn’s more entry level pieces, coming in as low as $1,560 on leather, and it gets even more intriguing. Along with the 556’s and 104’s, the 240 ST is part of their growing no-tech 3-hand tool watches, which offer a more affordable way to get a Sinn. What sets the 240 apart though is its distinct style, internal bezel and comfortable-to-wear larger size. This German-made watch also features a sapphire with AR and is powered by a Sellita SW 220-1.
Sinn 240 ST Review
Case: Stainless SteelMovement: SW 220-1
Dial: Black
Lume: Yes
Lens: Flat Sapphire Crystal w/ AR
Strap: Leather or Steel Bracelet
Water Resistance: 100m
Dimensions: 43mm X 46mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Crown: 2x 6mm crowns
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $1,560 on leather $1,730 on steel
Case
The barrel shaped case of the 240 ST has a very 20th century feel, but somehow doesn’t look dated. Though a barrel, it’s a very unique shape with gorgeous curves and interesting proportions, making it both distinctly Sinn and surprisingly attractive. Measuring 43 x 46 x 11mm, it’s wide and flat, with almost square dimensions. The fact that the lug-to-lug is so short makes it very wearable on a variety of wrists, while the surprisingly thin profile just adds to the comfort and sleekness.
The design is deceptively complex. From the top, it just looks like a fat barrel with a few lines, but when you look at it from an angle, you can see how complicated the curves are. There isn’t a flat surface anywhere, and the whole case bows to accommodate the wrist. Notably, you have these classic and true barrel shaped lines connecting the lugs on one side to the other. These are flanked by large swooping bevels which connected the outside of the lugs. This area is a cut away, removing mass from the case. They are probably my favorite detail on the watch as whole, reminding almost of the kind of flat detailing you find on Grand Seikos. The whole case is also evenly bead blasted for a low-gloss finish with a gorgeous sheen.
At 2 and 4 you have the internal bezel and time crowns, respectively. As a fan of dual-crown and “super-compressor” watches, I quite like this arrangement. I was glad to see they went with this design rather than 10 and 3, which would more closely match the 140/2’s. At 2 and 4 there is a nice balance and it plays off of that sort of throw back feel. The crowns are identical, measuring 6mm in diameter with deep grooves fro texture and a domed end with a Sinn “S” logo. They look good, are easy to grasp and are sized well for the watch.
I was surprised however to find that neither screwed down. The watch is geared towards being a pilot, so it boasts only a 100m WR, which in Sinn’s catalog means it’s not for diving but can get wet. But the real issue is that the internal bezel has a tendency to shift a little bit when at rest because the crown is fairly easy to turn. The bezel has a non-ratcheting, bi-directional design, so it just easily glides around. Had it been either ratcheting or had a screw-down crown to lock the bezel in place, it would alleviated this issue.
Flipping the watch over, the case back is fairly unadorned. It’s just a slab of steel with a few details listed in German. I don’t mind that it’s solid, but considering it’s not a diver and that the less expensive 556’s have sapphire backs, showing off those sexy gold-tone Sinn rotors, I think it would have been welcome here too.
Dial
The dial of the 240 has a classic 70’s-80’s German military feeling that has been a part of Sinn’s repertoire for some time. It’s feels right at home on the 240, and as someone who personally loves that era, I’m quite fond of the stripped down and slightly dated look. In context, it’s basically the 140 dial without the chronograph functions. So, the dial consists of a primary index of pale green lumed rectangles on a matte black surface. Between each marker are individual minute/seconds lines and 1/4th second lines all in white. The sub-seconds create a border around the inner dial before the internal bezel that closes the area off nicely.
On the inside of the lumed markers is an index of numerals for the minutes/seconds as well. The numerals are small and white as well. I have two issues with this index. I like that it exists as it stays true to the design, but the numbers feel too close to the markers, especially since there is plenty of space towards the center of the dial. This is particularly noticeable around the 25 and 35 numerals.
The other issue is redundancy. Have a 0-60 index on the internal bezel as well as here feels like one too many. Perhaps this index could have been a 13-24 index. Or preferably, this one remained as is, and the internal bezel index became a countdown or 12-hr bezel. If the latter had been the case, not only would it have supplied the missing hour numerals, but by rotating it, one could have tracked a second timezone, which is a feature I personally enjoy.
The post Sinn 240 ST Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.