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Singaporeans are a pretty serious bunch when it comes to food. At any given time, there’s sure to be a long queue somewhere, as people sweat under the sweltering hot sun waiting in line to try the latest and greatest. Despite our relatively short history, a number of traditional foods have developed, with stalwarts swearing by their favourite establishments since (probably?) the days of our independence. For them, the age old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t change it” definitely applies and I agree that there is definitely truth to that. I for one, think that the best laksa in Singapore is at Sungei Road, and it’s that same, consistent broth painstakingly boiled over a charcoal fire, a recipe unchanged since the 50s (or so I would like to believe) that makes it so lip-smackingly good.

The Sinn 356 Pilot, while not edible, applies a similar philosophy. First created in 1996, its design has remain unchanged since, and after 30 years it still continues to deliver as a solid militaresque pilot’s chronograph, very much relevant to today’s context.

The Brand

Being a German brand, Sinn is more well known in Europe but occupies more of a niche position in Singapore. Pronounced “zin” (and not “sin” as one would think), the brand was founded in 1961 by an ex-Luftwaffe pilot, Helmut Sinn, focusing on the production of navigation cockpit clocks and pilot chronographs. Looking across their catalog, the military/aviation influence is apparent, with a keen focus on legible, clean design. The watches look tough, utilitarian and ready to do business, a departure from the bauhaus styles you may be more familiar with from the likes of Nomos and Junghans. The company was sold to its current owner, Lothar Schmidt in 1994 and since then, the company has developed several new technologies designed to push the boundaries of its tool watches while retaining its design DNA.

A fun fact that I don’t think most people know, is that Sinn actually purchased the rights to Breitling’s Navitimer design back in the 1970s quartz crisis, when Breitling was facing bankruptcy, and started producing its own version of the Navitimer: the Sinn 903. The fact that Breitling had to sell its key designs to stay afloat while Sinn could buy them is kind of mind blowing, but a good indicator that this is a watch company that clearly means business.

The Watch

The Sinn 356 Pilot just has an unmistakable Sinn look to it; as far as first impressions go, it’s a no-nonsense watch. Decked out purely in black and white, the high contrast dial ensures legibility even with the busier chronograph layout. The sub-dials are also well-positioned, with ample space in between preventing overcrowding on the dial. At 12 o’clock, you have the elapsed minutes, with elapsed hours at 6 and a running seconds at 9.

The Arabic numeral indices are slightly raised, though they don’t look applied to me, with a printed minute track running along the outer segment of the dial. The Sinn logo is printed above the date window at 3, with “FLIEGER” printed just under, giving the 356 its “Pilot” namesake.

I have found that black as a dial colour tends to reduce the amount of visual depth you get looking at a watch, and in the Sinn 356 Pilot it is most apparent when you look closely at the sub-dials, which are actually cut outs and not simply printed on the main dial. Nitpicking aside however, Sinn has managed to largely circumvent this issue through the usage of a domed acrylic crystal, which introduces some beautiful distortions and a more 3-dimensional feel. People often describe acrylic as a warmer material; I’m not sure if warm is the correct word, but I do get what they mean when they say it looks different from sapphire. There’s just something about it that’s a bit less pristine, sharp, and technical – I suppose those are indeed a bit “colder”. While it comes with the acrylic as a default, you do have the option of opting for a sapphire crystal, though in my experience the acrylic has held up so far and there’s always trusty PolyWatch if the scuffs really bother you.

Syringe hands are used for the hour and minute, while the chronograph hand employs a diamond shaped hand. I like the sharp tips, which improve readability and give off a military vibe at the same time. Hands and numerals are all lumed (green) – do note the white blocks on the minute track however, are not.

The case is made of stainless steel, and is entirely bead blasted with an overall matte finish. The matte finishing isn’t very heavy, and I do find that it still retains just a touch of metallic shine which I enjoy. The case is definitely well constructed, and feels very solid in my hand. There’s a certain heft to it, and while the bracelet does try to balance the weight out, I feel that its a bit top heavy and you certainly feel the watch, which is somewhat reassuring in the sense that you are getting your money’s worth of material. The screw down crown is signed with a “S” – for Sinn I’m sure, with accompanying crown guards. No issues operating the crown, which is made easy with its larger size.

The no-frills chronograph pusher buttons are located at 2 and 4 o’clock, operating with a satisfying click, albeit with a noticeable amount of force required to operate them. Notably, the piece I have is from 1998 (talk about neo-vintage!) which the lovely folks at Sinn were so kind to share with me over an email enquiry. So maybe it’s the age of my watch (or possibly the cam lever – I really don’t know), but it doesn’t really bother me and I doubt it’ll bother you.

Flipping the watch around, you will be greeted with a simple, plain screw down case back. It’s really all very in line with Sinn’s tool watch approach – these are professional instruments, and there’s nothing like a big chunk of metal that conveys that better.

One thing you’ll have to note which isn’t immediately apparent (on top of the weight), is the thickness of the Sinn 356 Pilot. With the acrylic crystal included, the watch sits at 16.12mm thick, which is no small amount. Don’t expect this to fit under your sleeves, but with a denim jacket or an overshirt for the weekend this is definitely going to look slay. Thickness aside, the dimensions of the Sinn 356 Pilot are definitely in a sweet spot, with watch sizes trending back towards smaller cases (yay for the small wrist club!). The case comes in at roughly 38.5mm (42.99mm with crown included) with a lug to lug of approximately 45.3mm. On my 16 inch wrist, it wears perfect but still projects lots of wrist presence through the high contrast dial and solid case construction.

Lug width comes in at 20mm, and the case features drilled lugs to help make strap changes a little more convenient. I have my piece on Sinn’s signature H-link bracelet (literally named so because the links are H-shaped), which I haven’t really seen anywhere else and wears comfortably on the wrist. As with the case, the bracelet is solidly constructed, which you really appreciate once the watch is on wrist as it just creates a more balanced wearing overall. Something I found interesting was that the clasp is longer than what I’ve seen, though it doesn’t affect comfort.

Underneath the hood is a Selita SW500 movement, known to be a workhorse movement that is reliable and essentially a clone of the Valjoux 7750 (which is considered to be a highly regarded movement for its robustness and reliability). The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, enabling the chronograph hand to sweep smoothly at 8 ticks per second.

The Looks

The Sinn website actually has a really nifty configuration tool that simulates what the Sinn 356 Pilot looks like with various strap options. It’s plenty good fun, and you should totally check it out yourself here (click configure watch). Here are some options I particularly liked:

I wear mine on the H-Link bracelet:

The Price – Is It Worth It?

Amazingly for this day and age, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to buy the 356 Pilot directly from Sinn’s website, despite registering for an account. Is it just me?

After some searching around, I found a listing on Paragon at SGD$3840 for a leather strap variant, though it does seem that The Hour Glass had released a special limited edition, 100 piece variant back in 2019 on a leather strap that cost around SGD$3850. On Chrono24, used pieces seem to hover around the SGD$2500 – 2600 range.

At used prices, I find it to be a much more compelling buy; given the quality of the watch and the choice of movement, I’d think that used pieces would still be in pretty good condition without much issues after some years. Brand new, it’s quite a lot of cash and you will have access to many different options under and slightly above the budget, such as Tissot, Longines, and Tudor.

I got mine used at a good price, and I think it’s bang for its buck. Honestly, I’m not quite sure I would get this at full retail new, not because it isn’t good but at that price I’d be more likely to pick up something that’s a bit more (for lack of a better word) mainstream. That being said, I can definitely see this appealing to a niche section of the market, looking out for a serious, professional tool watch and I think the Sinn 356 Pilot does an excellent job of carrying Sinn’s ethos.

Overall Thoughts

Looking at the Sinn 356 Pilot, one word repetitively comes to mind: Solid. It really is somewhat of a chunky one – but in a good way. There’s something about its heft, its feel in hand that just signals quality and you really sense the seriousness of its tool watch origins coming through in the design. Yet at the same time, I must say the 356 Pilot is a whole lot of fun underneath the military inspired aesthetic. 2000s fashion is making a comeback, and this design from the late 90s carries some of that nostalgia while remaining timeless and relevant. It looks great with any outfit; just slap the chunk of metal onto your wrist and go out to get the world. I think its a timeless piece, and I have a feeling its still going to be sticking around as with most good things. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right?

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