The Unofficial Sinn U series ownership experience thread [Archive] - Watchuseek, world's largest & highest trafficked Watch Forum site

Tim got his boots back

March 9th, 2006, 12:33

I'd like to start things off by telling you of my U2 ownership experience.

I was turned on to Sinn by a fellow Seiko Citizen watch forummer from Singapore who, while chatting on the SCWF chat line, told me to check out a few links on the new Sinn U1. He sent a couple of links to me and I was just floored, really God-smacked!! I came to the Sinn forum here and asked a ton of questions and probably drove a few guys mad. They were all very helpful and informative. I quickly fell hard for the U2. I himmed and hawwed for a while and when the pics of the first U2s started to come out, I was sold. I put my name down with watchbuys (the N.American authorized distributor) around the first week of October 2005. My watch arrived, just as I was about to go insane with anticipation, on Dec 30th.

I have been wearing my U2, for almost all of the last two months. I have taken it off every once in a while to wear my rare Casio g-shock frogmen and my old seiko 6105 diver but for the vast majority of the time, I have worn my U2. The honeymoon phase has long since worn off and I can really look at the ownership experience from an objective point of view...so here goes...

It should be said first and foremost that the reasons I went for the U2 over the U1 was the fact that the U2 has the stay-dry tech. This was really important to me as where I live (north eastern Ontario Canada) the winters are very harsh with temperatures dipping into the -40 celsius range at times. I like to go out for walks in the cold on the old trapping trails and I like to wear my watch on the outside of my cold weather gloves. I also like to snowmobile and would like to get back into ice-fishing, again with the intent to wear my watch on the outside. I need a watch that won't seize up and won't fog up on me. The Sinn U series with the special oils and stay-dry tech was just the ticket.

Ok, now after two months....what do I think??? I think the U2 is the most well designed and engineered watch I have ever seen. Everything screams German engineering and especially Sinn engineering. This watch is somewhat heavy at 170g and is somewhat large at 44mm diameter and 15.5mm thick but it wears very well. It doesn't seem like it is that heavy or big when it's on my 7.5 inch wrist. The rubber band is just the ticket for me and the clasp has really grown on me. Here is an explanation of how the watch wears on me from a posting of mine on a thread here.

"The clasp is very wide. The clasp looks to be hanging below the wrist and it is..it's suspended below the wrist by 1 mm. The front part of the clasp is suspended by about 3 mm. If I drop my wrist straight down, the back of the clasp touches my wrist and the front is about 1mm away. The watch doesn't move because the rubber straps acutally "grabs" if that's the right word, the side of the wrist. It doesn't leave marks on my wrist but then again, I have what the nurses at the hospital call, "rubber skin" a rare condition where the skin has a rubbery, tough feel to it. If you have regular or sensitive skin, the experience might be different for you. If you move your wrist to extremes during your daily activities, you should like the way the clasp sits on your wrist. When you have your arm down, the back of the clasp sits on your wrist while the front part is suspended a little bit."

"I find the feel of the rubber strap and clasp very comfortable and secure even though my wrist is 7.5 inch. This watch feels better on the wrist than any watch I have ever worn. Then again, I really like the rubber bands with the deploy clasps. I have purchased several for my seiko 6105 and 6309 divers. That's just the way I like it. I also like my watch kind of snug, but not tight!! and it's just perfect for me. I like the clasp to be suspended as the underside of my wrist is the more sensitive part of my wrist and I don't like it when the clasp is sitting on it. When I move my wrist while active, a clasp on that part of my wrist, if sitting on it, will dig in. Part of the reason it's so comfortable for me is that I twist my wrist to the extremes, many times a day and the clasp is almost not there...completely out of the way. The rubber band keeps it secure. PERFECT!!"

Really, I find the large clasp an advantage with the thick rubber band. Because the clasp extends to the end of your wrist, the band doesn't have an extreme bend, digging into the soft underbelly of the wrist, to reach the clasp. It's a slight slender bend making the feel comfortable, even if worn all day and night.

So it feels wonderful on my wrist and the band and clasp are perfect for me. What about the watch itself. Well, I love the dial. There is hardly any glare with the double AR coatings. The time is easily read as the minute hand is almost twice as long as the hour hand. The second hand all but dissappears because of the red colouring. The gmt dial sort of dissappears also. The black and white contrast is really what my eye sees first. A quick glance from any angle gives you the time.

The bezel is a wonderful work of art and absolutely screams exacting German engineering. The bezel rotating action is very industrial like!! Very nice clicking action and it just stays put. I only use the bezel for timing my parking meter and my walks in the bush and the occasional boiled egg. It doesn't bother me that there is only 60 clicks, it's not necessary to have 120 for me. It actually makes the rotating movement more sturdier, to me anyway!!

The crown is large, super strong and sturdy. Very robust. 4 complete turns to screw it in. The crown is easy for me to grip and if you have a really big finger and thumb, trust me, you should not have a problem with winding.

The ETA 2893.2 movement runs steady at +3.5sec/day.

I would also like to say that I don't baby my watch at all. It just goes along for the ride and no special consideration was or is made to protect the watch. Well, if I absolutely know that reaching in to grab something WILL scratch it up, I will take it off. Anyway, over the two months that I have owned it, I have not put a scratch on it. The crystal is mint!!, the case and bezel, mint. It really looks brand new!! The clasp, well, that's stainless steel and is all scratched up!!, not dented or gouged, but scratched!! I love it, it adds a lot of character. Really, it's starting to look antique.
____________

But this is really why I love this watch. It just feels right. It just feels like it's a part of my body. The clasp is now nicely scratched up and has a bit of character. Here's another one of my post replies...just updated for this post. I think it says it best.

"When I worked underground, we wore a thick nylon mine belt with a thick steel D loop on the back for safety lines. On the right hip was the big red battery, on the left, two 12" adjustable mine wrenches, a speed wrench for victaulic clamps, a couple of pouches, one for my knife, line tester, electrical tape, stuff like that, and another with some wrenches for the loading gun, an oiling tube for the gun, assorted small wrenches for fixing scoops etc. I became so accustomed to wearing it and the wrenches being there that I just became a part of my life. It weighed several pounds but I never noticed it after a while. When I was at home and needed a wrench, subconsciously, I reached for my mine wrench, when I walked into a dark room, I automatically reached up to twist he light switch on my helmet lamp. I just naturally assumed it was there!! It was hard getting used to it not being there after the accident and just didn't feel right without all that weight!! It's wierd but true.

Like my old mine belt, my U2 has become a part of my wardrobe. Like my carhartt bib overalls and my ole 45 year old hunting cap and my leatherman wave which has worn itself into the sidepocket of my overalls, it's just standard issue now. When I wear another watch, it feels different. The weight's not there. It doesn't wear the same so it feels wierd. When I look at the time and it's a different face, it sort of doesn't feel right. I'm not saying it's because it's better, it's because it's MY watch. I really love the Casio frogman and have a couple of them and really love to wear them from time to time, also I have the same feeling towards my Seiko 6105 diver, I just think they are wonderful but It's always a re-assuring feeling to re-strap on the U2. I've only had it for 2 months and it just moved in and took over the wrist. I guess there's no need to buy another watch, save up my money and put it towards my dream garage!!"

Really there's nothing like walking down a nice bush trail on a cold -30 celsius day with my U2 on my glove. The snow just has that special crunch to it and the feel to the frozen deep woods is pristine, clean and fresh, it cleanses the spirit and re-energizes you. It reminds me of my younger days with my uncle and his clydesdale horses going out for wood in the bush. The heavy breathing of the horses with the clinking of the bridals. When I look down at my U2, it just feel good. the dial just looks antique, sort of like an old boiler guage. It somehow takes me back to a simpler time when I was young and there was magic in the air. Graceful. Chances are, if you run into me 15 years down the road, I will still have my long ponytail,grey for sure, my carhartt brown overalls and my old hunting cap.....and if you look on my left wrist, there will be a really well worn U2.

That is my ownership experience. Thanks for reading.

For you new guys...If you want to see some of my U2 pics, here's a link to my gallery posting

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=308

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/CopyofCopyofIMG_0631.jpg

Lars

March 9th, 2006, 14:42

Terrific posting! Thanks a lot Tim! :-!

You really love your U2 - and so do I. Mine is definitely a keeper as well. I'm just a desk diver and all the extremely overengineered gadgets are just nice to have for me - but it's very satisfying to know that there are there ...

I also like the comibination of thick rubber and high-tech steel. If ever the corresponding bracelet comes out I don't think that I'll get one. I'm more interested in getting one of those new butterfly deployant claps.

Wearing a U2 is a very pleasant understatement. There are very few guys out there who know what this thing is capable of - or even know the brand. The U2 - like most Sinns - separates the real aficionados from the crowd.

bfgreen

March 9th, 2006, 17:44

Tim got his boots back

March 9th, 2006, 18:02

Tim, fantastically informative as usual. I do have a question about the U2 though if you don't mind?

Does unscrewing the crown of the U2 in any way ruin the integrity of the Argon (AR) gas that the case is filled with - it seems like it could but I'm hoping Sinn thought of that and have a fail safe?

Also I've seen several pictures of the watch with its caseback off - wouldn't that let all of the AR gas out, I'm guessing it was for publicity purposes only, you wouldn't want to do that yourself right?

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your kind words!! Unscrewing the crown will not let any of the argon gas out as there are gaskets inside the stem assembly. The only way to let it out would be to unscrew the caseback. The crown can be unscrewed at any time and this will expose the gaskets to the outside. Just unscrew your crown, wind it up or correct the time and screw it back in. Always make sure to screw it back in. This maintains the w/r integrity.

Never attempt to unscrew the caseback!!. This will definitely let the argon out. The pics you seen were for photographic purposes. Any and all servicing must be done in Germany. If you bought it from an AD, make arrangements with them to have your watch shipped to them and they will make arrangements with Sinn and send them the watch. If you bought it from a non AD you will probably have to make your own arrangements with Sinn.

In Frankfurt, Sinn will service the watch and replace the copper/sulphate capsules and refill with argon gas.

Drop us a few lines with your impressions on your new U2 when it comes in Brian. I am so sure you will be very impressed!!

Lars

March 9th, 2006, 18:09

pugridiron

March 9th, 2006, 18:32

I wouldn't recommend to open the U2 by yourself. Most likely you will ruin the 2000m water resistance - and of course you will lose the Argon filling. Pulling the crown is not an issue. My first Ar filled watch was a 203 St. I bought right after it came out. I used the pushers and crown quite oftenly but never had problems with the Ar (besides the normal diffusion effect of course which leads to the blueing of the copper sulphate capsule).

How do you know you "never had problems with the Ar"? The Ar gas could have leaked out of the watch and you would be none the wiser. :roll:

Crusader

March 9th, 2006, 18:49

How do you know you "never had problems with the Ar"? The Ar gas could have leaked out of the watch and you would be none the wiser. :roll:

;-) Between the copper-sulphate capsule and the Argon gas, I think the former is much more important than the second. :-!

Kool Cat

March 9th, 2006, 19:00

Before I participate, 2 Questions...

1) Tim, are you now being commissioned by Sinn to do this :-D ??

2) More importantly Tim, are you getting paid or earning commission from the sale of Sinn U series watches ?? :-D :-D

And now to get my share of money in case Tim is getting any money :-D , my experience, hee hee...:-)

A. Experience

My Sinn U2 has been with me for about 2 months now and though I wear it on occasion, it is an extremely robust, well built and engineered sports utility watch in my opinion. The copper sulphate capsules, argon gas filling, submarine steel, Anti-reflective coating on sapphire crystal, tegimented bezel, design, size and weight for me is just perfect.

B. Likes

Like I mention above, the submarine steel, argon gas filling etc. is great. Now what I really like the U2 is that it meets my very specific need of having robust dive watch with a two time zone function at a reasonable price. There are few watches out in the market with such functions, but they are either not robust enough for me, or too expensive. This factor, Sinn wins hands down.

C. Dislikes

Now there is little to dislike about the U2, but I have some niggling points which I hope that Sinn would consider improving.

1) The deployant clasp. Personally, I prefer the butterfly deployant clasp that was featured for those with smaller wrist and more importantly, it should be made of submarine steel and be tegimented. Simple reason, less suceptible to scratching as this is usually the part of the watch that scratches easily. Moreover, having the clasp made of tegimented submarine steel makes sense as the weak part of the watch is usually the strap and the clasp.

2) The rubber strap. While I personally do not use the rubber strap that comes with the watch, I feel that it is well made. However, I personally feel that Sinn should offer the option to have the watch fitted with either, the rubber, leather (preferably sharkskin) or metal bracelet, or at least incorporate 2 type of straps in the package. The reason is simple, the strap change thing is not only interesting for watch owners because it offers them a choice to match the watch for different occasions. More importantly, restricting the choice to rubber strap alone makes wearing the watch in hot and humid conditions (like Singapore) very uncomfortable. Likewise, wearing only metal bracelets in cold conditions may not be so pleasant and wearing leather strap alone in hot and humid climate is also troublesome-think smell :-D

3) Paying attention to customer feedback. This is one major gripe that I have having read Crusader's post the other day. It appears that up to now, from what we know, Sinn pays little attention to forum like this. I think it is very disappointing that Sinn does not actively monitor this forum. Honestly, how else would you be able to improve your product, and bottom line if you do not use vehicles like this forum to gather feedback and opinions? That is why if Sinn is still not paying attention to a leading Sinn forum like this, then it is a great pity, as they will miss out on the chance to improve their product, service, image and bottom-line. Personally, I think Lothar Schmidt, the CEO of Sinn should appoint someone senior in the company to monitor and gather users feedback and opinion. While not all opinion and feedback will make sense or are useful, fair and even just, i still think it is an important business tool. I think it also makes sense that once in a blue moon, Lothar Schmidt himself joins the forum discussions like asking "what is the wish for Sinn forumers in the 2007 regarding new Sinn watches?" Not specifically looking for complains or compliments but the type of product to be rolled out in the coming year- in meeting the desires and needs of Sinn customers after balancing other considerations. I remember Angelo Bonati of Panerai doing such an act in the Paneristi Forum some time back. Just look where Panerai is today in the horological world ;-)

Thanks for hearing me ramble, but I certainly hope that Lothar Schmidt or Sinn is "listening in" on this post. If not, could I ask Crusader or any of Sinn forum moderators to alert Sinn on this particular feedback, pse. Thanks :-!

Jeff

Crusader

March 9th, 2006, 19:28

3) Paying attention to customer feedback. This is one major gripe that I have having read Crusader's post the other day. It appears that up to now, from what we know, Sinn pays little attention to forum like this. I think it is very disappointing that Sinn does not actively monitor this forum.

Jeff,

I didn't say that Sinn aren't monitoring the forum - I have no idea. I would assume they do, but one never knows.

But my last attempt to get in touch with them as a forum moderator fell on deaf ears. I'll launch another attempt tonight or tomorrow.

But I fully agree that Sinn could probably benefit from closer involvement in the forum. No need become the official forum sponsor (I like our "independent" forum), but being available to answer the occasional technical question would increase their popularity even more. B-)

Lars

March 9th, 2006, 19:56

How do you know you "never had problems with the Ar"? The Ar gas could have leaked out of the watch and you would be none the wiser. :roll:

Being naive as I am I lived in the humble belief that a white capsule signals a proper presence of Ar ...

Kool Cat

March 9th, 2006, 20:02

Thanks for the clarification Crusader. I must have mis-read your comments and because of the late hour (as it is past midnight in Singapore time, now) my brains are a little fuzzy :oops:

I really appreciate you trying so hard to get in touch with Sinn and Sinn ought to be appreciative of your efforts. Keep up the good work :-!

I also totally agree that we should keep this Forum independent, but with occasional "intervention" by the Sinn technical department or spokesperson to answer the more technical questions that members have.

Other than that, no major issues. Once again, Crusader :thanks !

Dansomes

March 9th, 2006, 20:25

I am new to SINN but really in love with the products and the whole engineering philosophy behind this brand. I simply had to have a U1 as soon as I saw the first pic from Basel last year. By the way, I am a watchaholic with sub-dependencies on Seiko and Doxa divers.

Ok so I get the U1 about 8 weeks ago and JEEZus I am blown away by everything about the watch. It is the perfect size, I have never seen AR like this before, my crown screws in like 7 turns, the legibility is amazing, and I could go on an on. I thought it was a honeymoon scenario at first like with my Marinemaster or my Benthos etcc... but I am starting to think that I found my perfect match with the SINN. One of the coolest things about my watch is that there is not a mark on it after almost 2 months of constant wear. I own a building maintenance company and work in the trenches with my guy's so I have put the watch in harms way many times. It just doesnt pick up any marks. Anyway.. I just love this watch. Now I am on the prowl for a SS 142. I like most of the Sinn lineup but they are all a tad too small for me.

Did I mentiion that my U1 runs like 3 sec fast per 24hr. It's a keeper.

rajenmaniar

March 9th, 2006, 22:20

I love both my U1 and U2.Both keepers.I JUST WISH THERE WERE A BRACELET!!!!

Gavin S.

March 10th, 2006, 01:57

I love both my U1 and U2.Both keepers.I JUST WISH THERE WERE A BRACELET!!!!

Tim at Watchbuys says the bracelet will be out late May early June. There is no wait list as yet.

Peter Atwood

March 11th, 2006, 02:36

When I first saw pics of the U1 I thought it was butt ugly. I much preferred the U2. But after awhile I suddenly had a change of heart and decided that the U1 was the preferable design, at least to my eyes. I had a chance recently to pick one up and I took it. Very glad I did!

The U1 fits my small wrist better than any 44mm watch I've had in the past. It is extremely comfortable on the rubber strap, and I have cut it to the last holes. I also traded for the leather Sinn strap but haven't tried it on yet. Looks a bit thin compared to the rubber and I actually may find a really nice thick leather strap for it instead.

I love the legible dial and hands. A very modern design and strong graphic representation which is a given with Sinn.

One thing I dislike is that the coating on the outside of the crystal makes it hard to clean without using a cleaner of some sort like Windex or even soap. I find it gets streaky if I just try to wipe it off with my shirt sleeve. I don't have that problem with any other watches so I assume it is something particular about this watch crystal. But if that's all I can find to say bad about it then this is a keeper for sure!! :)

Tragic

March 11th, 2006, 12:51

We must have the exact same shrimpy wrist Peter.
Our experience is so identical it's uncanny.
I also came around to the look to the point I prefer it.
I also got a Sinn strap and stuck with the rubber.
I may still look into a super thick leather strap.
The coating on the crystal is odd, but once it is perfectly clean, it just "disappears" completely, better than any of my other watches.

Tim got his boots back

March 11th, 2006, 13:41

My crystal gets smudgy sometimes and I clean it by sticking it under the water tap for a couple of seconds and then wiping it with a clean napkin. Neat and clean, Perfect!! I used kleenex on other crystals but that doesn't nearly do as good a job on my U2 as the napkin.

I already had diesel fuel on it and also 10w-30. Hey, it's a tool watch!! http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/23_11_601.gif

Crusader

March 11th, 2006, 21:59

One thing I dislike is that the coating on the outside of the crystal makes it hard to clean without using a cleaner of some sort like Windex or even soap. I find it gets streaky if I just try to wipe it off with my shirt sleeve. I don't have that problem with any other watches so I assume it is something particular about this watch crystal. But if that's all I can find to say bad about it then this is a keeper for sure!! :)

On the other hand, the hardness of the U-series AR-coating is 1800 HV, close to the sapphire itself (~2000 HV) ... perhaps that can be a consolation. :-)

Tragic

March 11th, 2006, 22:24

The AR coating is a definite plus Martin!
:-! I certainly wasn't complaining

monster

March 13th, 2006, 23:42

pugridiron

March 14th, 2006, 00:10

[QUOTE=monster]i'm not an owner yet, but i'm contemplating on getting one, but getting more and more doubts by the minute. sorry if this thread is reading like a rant-post to some, but in many ways, it IS somewhat of a rant-post.

Since you are admittedly not a U1/U2/UX owner, you have no experience. Your comments should be taken in that context. Also, why post this here on an "ownership experience" thread?

Crusader

March 14th, 2006, 00:46

- the copper-sulfate/Argon gas-thing on the U2. the whole thing might seem very technical and advanced, but to me it's just another techy gimmick to lure customers. not even to mention that the Argon-gas and copper-sulphate need replacement every once in awhile. any why does only Sinn have this? are their cases perhaps not waterproof enough, so they compensate with a gimmick? i've never heard about an Omega, Breitling, Rolex, or what have you, with fogged up cases with moist inside..... (?)

Hello Monster,

frankly, with that many negatives/questions I am wondering why you are interested in the U1 in the first place. :-S

As for the "Argon thing", however, there are quite a number of posts on this forum - accessible by the search engine - which would inform you that the purpose of the capsule is to avoid fogging of the crystal inside in extreme temperature changes. A German watch magazine ran a series of extreme tests in this respect which ONLY a dry-capsule-equipped Sinn passed! :-)

Suggesting that the purpose of the dry capsule is because Sinn's 1000-meter or 2000-meter divers are "not waterpoof enough" is ... disingenious, to say the least. :roll:

Having said that, most watches today are "overengineered". be it a Sea Dweller, an AT, a U-series Sinn ... if you don't go in for a degree of overengineering in the first place, any of those brands will fail to satisfy you. If you think 1200 meters is beyond reason, discount the Rolex. If you think a co-axial escapement is, forget Omega. If you think you don't need the capsule (but someone on the forum needed it - have you read the comments how the U2 was the first watch NOT to fog up in his particular climate at all?) - fine. Again, if you abhor "overengineering" - anything beyond a basic Seiko or Citizen diver is money wasted. :think:

bart

March 14th, 2006, 01:18

I like Sinn watches.

Mike Rivera

March 14th, 2006, 04:08

i'm not an owner yet, but ... i guess the U1 is just not for me. no offense to any owners intended here, i really like the looks of the watch and all the great pictures posted here etc...., i just felt like introducing a more down-to-earth perspective on Sinn watches. if it helped any......

greetings,
mostro

Nope, I still want one - bad. :-D

- Mike

Tragic

March 14th, 2006, 05:09

I keep intending to take my U1 off and put it in "rotation"....truly I do....lol

sijoc

March 14th, 2006, 05:41

Mr Monster is also posting this "I hate Sinn" on other forums also - must be looking for attention, not a watch. :-(

davewe

March 14th, 2006, 09:08

I just got my U1 on Saturday and am in love! Here in no order of importance are my observations.
An extremely readable dial. Great for my aging eyes.
Fantastic AR coating. Crystal seems to disappear at most angles. I haven't found it difficult to clean the crystal - a drop of water and a quick rub.
I know some people hate them, but I love the hands. Again, very readable.
Lume triangle on the bezel is very cool.
The bezel itself has a very tool-like feel when rotated. It snaps into place and feels like a ratcheting tool. I like the difference compared to a couple of other watches i have that turn very smoothly. And here comes my only complaint so far. The bezel has a bit of play to it. More than I'm used to on my other watches. I'm not a diver, so it's not a big issue. Anybody noticed this?
The rubber strap. I assumed all along that I would buy the bracelet when it came out. I still may, but I really like the rubber. It's thick and extremely comfortable. Shaped perfectly for my wrist. Other rubber straps I've owned weren't nearly this comfortable. Cutting it and snapping it into the clasp was very easy.
The clasp. Yes, it's huge and I can see that bothering some people. But you know what, it is very comfortable. Shaped perfectly for my wrist. I only notice it when I look at it and then go wow that is big.
Sub steel. Between the sand blasted finish and the sub steel, the case feels like it's indestructible. Definitely don't have to baby it. The fit and finish on everything is excellent.
Movement accuracy: Out of the box it's +3 seconds/day. Just a fantastic value.

Dave

Kool Cat

March 14th, 2006, 16:15

Gents, lets try our best to educate the rest who are less knowledgable about Sinn watches and the technology behind the watches.

Monster, if you like to find our more about the U1/U2 and also Sinn technologies employed in their watches, pse feel free to PM me with you email address and I will be glad to provide you some info. Just make sure the email account accepts file size up to 5MB pse, thanks.

Having said this, the ball is now in your court to learn more and correct misperception. If you do not wish to take up this opportunity to learn more about Sinn and their technology, then we have all wasted our effort here as this is a Forum for mutual learning.

bfgreen

March 14th, 2006, 18:32

I agree with Tim that Monster should not have posted on this thread in the first place. Maybe our moderator can move (not delete) some of these threads to a new one on the root Sinn directory and maintain this one as an Owners experience only thread? Seems a shame to muddy all the hard work of the folks that have spent a lot of time to write up their thoughts and comments. Just a thought ;-) Obviously if this thread is cleaned up, you can delete this one.

Crusader

March 14th, 2006, 18:45

david Anthony

March 14th, 2006, 19:22

Sorry, I cannot clean up and split threads ... as it is, I think that monster's contribution has produced quite a number of arguments in the reply posts which add to the value of the thread and also underscore the essence of the Sinn watch experience (talk about the "law of unintended consequences" here ... ;-) ), so I am inclined to let the thread stand as it is.

Hopefully presnet and future Sinn U-series owners will add their experiences so that these pages will soon be buried in the depths of this thread. :-!

Wow....great job crusader:-!

Although I agree that monster should not have posted on this thread I've found that many moderators are too quick to hit the delete button, instead users should "delete" comments themselves through doing exactly what you said and sharing their positive experiences.

This is in line with the Sinn philosophy of letting customers do their advertising for them instead of phony billboards, magazine ads and paying celebrities to wear their watches.

The U ownership has overwhelmingly been positive as proven by the waiting lists. IMHO monster's post hasn't harmed this thread and certainly not harmed Sinn or the U series! A success like the U series is bound to affect the watch industry by showing stagnate companies who yearly impose price increases on the same old watches that melding new innovation with value is a winning combination!

bfgreen

March 14th, 2006, 20:11

Although I agree that monster should not have posted on this thread I've found that many moderators are too quick to hit the delete button, instead users should "delete" comments themselves through doing exactly what you said and sharing their positive experiences.For the record I didn't want anything deleted, just moved. But after reading Crusader's comments about how the positives cancel out the negatives I entirely agree with him. It was just an idea, but clearly keeping it intact is a better way to go. We're lucky to have such a cool and level-headed moderator - nice one!

L.O. Little

March 17th, 2006, 03:13

Well, I'm EXTREMELY happy to be able to post in this thread, my U1 arived TODAY!

Man, I love this watch! :-!

L.O. Little

March 17th, 2006, 03:16

Timothy, now that I can 'honestly' post in this thread, I'd like to say this is a great idea!

IMO, it would be great to 'sticky' it... B-)

Tim got his boots back

March 17th, 2006, 05:38

Congratulations Lynn!! :-! :-!

Awesome stuff!! I'm glad you like your U1 and many of us would appreciate it if you could drop a few lines with your impressions when you get some miles on it and find some time to do so.

Yup, I agree. It's a neat thread for people looking at possibly strapping on some U-boat steel. Good place to come to ask questions and get a better feel for the watches. If people keep posting up with their experiences and prospective owners with their questions, the thread will most likely stay on the first page and will be easy to find.

Once again, Congrats Lynn and welcome to the U club.

By the Way....you don't have to be a U owner to post here...If you got some questions, your more than welcome to ask them and the owners or those in the know will attempt to answer. More questions, more answers...more information....and this becomes the one-stop shopping area for U information.|>

Crusader

March 17th, 2006, 10:37

Timothy, now that I can 'honestly' post in this thread, I'd like to say this is a great idea!

IMO, it would be great to 'sticky' it... B-)

It was a great idea indeed, Tim, and I like your suggestion of making it sticky. I just did, and let's keep this thread alive! :-!

L.O. Little

March 19th, 2006, 03:12

Accuracy = It's gained 5.5 seconds a day in the 48+ hours I've had it (on wrist 99% of the time). Not bad for a new non-COSC watch. BTW, Sinn reccommends waiting 2 months break in before 'worrying' about accuracy/regulation.

Comfort= It's extremely comfortable on my 7.5" wrist, even more so than my Marinemaster (that's saying a LOT). One thing, the deployant clasp is HUGE. It's very comfortable, it works like a dream, but it is HUGE...

Lume = The lume is not as bright as a Black/Orange/Yellow/Blue Monster or my Marinemaster, but it decays much slower and seems to last a very long time. I think it was designed this way on purpose.

Readability of the dial &/or hands = Freakin' superb, the best I've ever experienced!

Bezel = This a big one for me, a very important part of the 'user interface'. It centers perfectly and 'feels' wonderful! It's a 60 click bezel, my preference. This is my new favorite bezel.

Crown = Another very important part of the 'user interface', I can't imagine how it could be better.

Cool factor = Off the scale!

sleepingjohn

March 23rd, 2006, 13:08

This is my first hand experience as a Sinn U1 owner after a full day of wear.

The build of this watch is very solid feeling, so I don't worry as much with it on as I do with my other watches. I have not taken it off since I received it Tuesday (3/21) afternoon. The size of this watch is perfect! I have a small wrist (slightly smaller than 6.75") and it looks and feels good on my wrist. Those of you that are afraid of its size, not to worry! The thickness of the case is also perfect for the diameter, overall a very balanced physical design.

I know some people were worried about the bezel being a bit too busy, but Sinn balanced the watch very well. The marking on the bezel is very small so it is less noticeable to the larger markings on the dial as well as the large and unique hands of this watch (one of the first things that drew me to the watch). The red and white color combo on the watch is a perfect match, something most people should appreciate if they are lucky enough to see one in real life! I am also a big fan of the flat crystal (vs. the domed on U2).

I am wearing the watch on a soft black waterproof leather band I got at a local watch store (until the one I ordered comes in). The weight of the watch is perfect and is very comfortable to wear to sleep.

The Sinn U1 is a keeper! The U1 is a very solid watch and at just over $1000USD, it is one of the best bang for your buck (from a WIS perspective at least!:-D) If anyone is given the opportunity to own one, do jump on it! This watch is in high demand right now and there is a very good reason for it. This watch is no hype!

http://nera2.com/u1/u1.jpg

gladders

March 23rd, 2006, 15:46

Yay! I got my U1 delivered yesterday from Chronomaster (I'm in London). It is an amazing piece of design, simply stunning to look at. While I was on the exercise bike this morning I was hypnotized by the minute hand creeping around the face and falling into place on the minute (am I sad?).

I'm a scrawny wristed so-and-so - probably around 6.75", but this fits perfectly. It doesn't feel like any other 44mm watches. I don't mind the weight of it, that adds to the feeling of indestructibility!

Overall, if I really was Jack Bauer, this is the watch I'd wear.

The only downside? My Oris TT1 chronograph now feels like a plastic Swatch!

CHADSTER

March 23rd, 2006, 23:23

I don't own a U series yet but a question was raised about potential weak links--the spring bar issue - which I deemed a non issue given the use of a Zulu or the need of the watch to be breakaway in an emergency etc . .

so my question relates to the make-up of the four microscrews to secure the bezel to the body . . Are these screws special in any way? Nickle free? Ice Hardened? U Boat steel? Do they have a PRE 38 corrosion value?

Will these be the weak link over time if they rust out and the bezel breaks loose?

L.O. Little

March 24th, 2006, 09:43

Overall, if I really was Jack Bauer, this is the watch I'd wear.

I can second that! :-!

boofhead

March 26th, 2006, 05:14

Hi guys from sunny Melbourne . Just taking a break after watching our girls take gold and silver in the road race. I've had my U1 for 5 days now ( first one in oz??) and it's stunning. Sinns arent sold in Aus , so I had never seen one in the flesh before a trip to Hong Kong this week. I had planned to buy a watch on the trip , tried all sorts of wierd and wonderfull things ( graham , hanhart , chronoswiss, fortis) but I kept coming back to the sinn. You cant try one on properly before you buy of course , but anyone worried about it being too big can rest easy, the way the rubber strap angles down from the lugs makes for an amazingly comfortable fit....it really wears smaller than it is. The most amazing thing though is the AR coating! You really dont appreciate it till you hold it side by side with another black dial watch without AR....your jaw will drop.:-!

Tim got his boots back

March 26th, 2006, 05:49

Welcome to the forum Boofhead and Congratulations on your purchase. It seems that the smaller your wrist is the better the fit on the rubber strap. From what the other guys are saying, the U1 is a real keeper!! Initially, I wasn't too keen on the lego hands but they are starting to grow on me.

Tim got his boots back

March 26th, 2006, 13:30

Here's the skinny on the Argon Gas - copper / sulphate capsules found on the U2.

For those of you who have found yourselves looking at the U2 but are a bit confused on all this argon gas - copper/sulphate tech talk, "Is it a gimmick?, does it work? Here's my attempt at an explanation.

The U2 employs Argon Gas and three (3) copper / sulphate capsules with a site glass located at the six position on the dial....not exposed to the elements on the lug like on all other Sinn watches with this system.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/siteglass01.jpg

Argon gas helps prevent the ingress of moisture. This is how it works. The argon molecules are larger than the oxygen and vapour molecules. As long as the viton gasket seals are good, no argon gas will leak out. All gaskets leak though, they can't completely hermetically seal the case. If the smaller oxygen and vapour molecules are able to sneak past the gaskets, they are met with a wall of argon molecules and have no place to go. They end up being "suspended" within the argon molecules. This effectively keeps the oxygen and vapour off the movement and it's oils. Oxygen and moisture will degrade and breakdown the oils and corrode the movement over time. The copper/sulphate capsules will absorb any moisture which is suspended by the argon before it has a chance to act and react with the oils and movement. The oil will be unharmed by the small amount of oxygen and moisture seeping in until the viton gaskets have degraded to the point where the argon can leak past it. At this point, you will notice the site glass on your c/s capsule(s) start to turn a darker shade of blue as oxygen and vapour are entering unchecked. This is an early warning system that your water/resistancy has now been compromised. When your site glass turns dark blue you should make arrangements to have your watch serviced and your argon gas - c/s capsules renewed.

If you choose not to do this, your watch will not stop working. It will continue to run but your water resistancy cannot be trusted and moisture and oxygen are now in contact with your oil. No biggie though, the old Seiko 6105 and 6309 movements have continued to run for decades without a service..although this isn't advisable. Your service time has been greatly extended due to the argon - c/s capsules system and the viton gaskets which take longer to degrade than the nitril ones I am told. The stay-dry anti-humidifying tech is great for keeping condensation out of your watch. Think about it, no oxygen, no moisture....no condensation and fogging. It will be important to you if you will be wearing your watch through drastic temperature changes or are living in a very high humidity environment.

Note: The argon fill can only be done in Germany so you must make arrangement to send your watch to Sinn for this. The c/s capsules too I am told. If you bought from an AD, make arrangement with them and send them the watch and they will take care of the arrangements for Germany. As customer service procedures are always changing, you should contact your auth. dist. before buying to clarify the steps of having your U2 serviced.

Should you choose not to change your c/s capsule(s) and refill your argon, when you service your watch and replace your gaskets, your watch will simply become a regular watch without the stay-dry tech. Your service intervals may shorten though.

Does it work though??? Yes, it works, I have tested the U2 in -33 celsius temperatures (exposed for 12 hours) and have given it a viscous extreme temperature change test: going from -33 celsius to well above room temp in a couple of minutes (from outside to a sink full of hot water) ----- perfect operation, no condensation, no fogging and no noticable accuracy changes!! This is the first watch I have owned that can do this!! The pure climate technology is functional and practical and proven!! This is not hype or a clever marketing thing, it's the real deal!!

So, is this Argon, c/s capsule thing really for you???

Reasons why you might be looking at the pure micro-case climate system employed by the U2....

1. You live in very cold climates and will be wearing your watch on the outside of your gloves and coat exposing it to the elements for extended periods of time
2. You will be diving in icy conditions and are worrying about fogging up.
3. You will be exposing your watch to extreme temperature changes over a short period of time and wish to eliminate any chances of condensation and fogging
4. You live in very warm tropical climates and are very worried that your movement will start to corrode and your oil prematurely breaking down with super hot temps and high humidity
5. You would like to have a visual indication of the state of your water resistancy so you can decide if you should use your watch for diving (the site glass)

6. You really are into over-engineering and are facinated by this tech....simply put, you might not need it but you want it...and don't need to justify it to anybody as it's your money.

7. You want possibly and arguably the most over-engineered, highly advanced automatic watch designed to operate normally in extreme climates and under extended periods of use in extremely adverse conditions.

Some reasons for maybe wanting to pass on this technology.

1. You have to send it to Germany to get serviced and this servicing will probably be pretty expensive. Also...you may have reservations about sending your watch overseas for servicing or repairs.

2. You are the type who never really hangs onto a watch for more than a year or two and tend to flip them over regularly. If your this type, this tech will show no immediate benefits for you and will be a waste of money.

Hope this is helpful.

oyster

April 5th, 2006, 23:33

mine looks totally different !!!
:-D :-D :-D

Tim got his boots back

April 10th, 2006, 09:29

Today, I was out in the backyard messing around under my spruce trees. It really was the first time I could go out there and enjoy myself this spring. Although there was still a lot of snow in the yard, the corner of the patio was clear as well as under the tree area.

I was wearing my U2, as usual, and stopped to take it off and wipe the sweat from the caseback and air out my wrist as I was doing some light chores. And then....ooopps...it slipped out of my hand...butterfingers...and fell down and struck the corner of a raised concrete patio block. It caught the edge and bounced a couple of times coming to a stop on the patio...crystal down!!!

I stood there for a second in a sort of shock state. Then I picked it up to examine for damage. There was a slight scuff on the edge of the bezel at the 33min section. Other than that...nothing. I washed it off and, el perfecto. No blemish at all on the crystal or anywhere. The bezel took the brunt. No damage to the movement. Still keeping perfect time. Everything works.

If that were one of my seikos, and knowing how it hit, the bezel probably would have popped off and if not, the insert definitely would have popped out. There would have been more considerable damage. I have done this before with my old seiko 6309 and definitely gave it a noticable dent.

I guess, the metallurgical tech did it's job. I was really impressed. Yeah there's a slight scuff but this is a work watch and not a precious piece of jewellery. What's more important is that the watch survived the fall. This is what I paid all that money for. I now definitely feel that I have a tough, durable watch.

3 month update: nothing to report. Everything's fine. It's running at 3 seconds fast per day. Some days, it runs 10 seconds fast and others 1 or 2 seconds slow but on average for the month, 3 seconds fast. The more I wear it, the more it endears itself to me. I feel that there is no reason to replace it with anything. I really want to see what this watch looks like 25 years from now when I'm old and grey.

benbean

April 15th, 2006, 11:50

Finally after a long 4 months wait, the U1 is finally here.
Its a long an painful wait because I wanted a brand new ones, though there are few available for sale outside of AD, I choose to wait for the one fresh from factory...

I had a comparison between the U1 & 2 side by side, and they are both winners but the price and simplicity design of the U1 won me over. The word I would describe the U1 would be " Simply Striking". The design of the square hands is so unique. Mine is currently running at +2 a day.
Maybe someday I'll get the big brother.

I for one, didn't cut the rubber because I prefer leather band. I bought a few so I can change the look of it. Today I have it on the shark band from Don.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/benbean22/IMGP2348.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/benbean22/IMGP2350.jpg

I think much has been said about all the good(s) about the U and I can vouch that it is all true, no hype here. It is simply the stuff as claimed by SINN.
At first, I thought 44mm would be too big for my 6.5" wrist, but behold when I tried it on, it is so comfy and wear nicely... I love the large crown, it is so easy to grip and the AR is out of this world.

Improvement? Sinn should at least has option for strap/bracelet/buckle because I find the original buckle is just too big for me. The original buckle should be tegimented as this is the area where it will get most scratches.
The spring bars could have been better too. If you look at Seiko professional divers, they use big fat spring bars, a much re-assurance for me compared to the puny one used, well again thats a $5 problem as I'm using mine on Seiko thick spring bars.

Well again, thanks for this thread, and wonderful forum. I'm a SINN convert now!!!

Tim, we chatted on the SCWF and you beat me to the U!!!
...Andy

Tim got his boots back

April 15th, 2006, 12:14

Hello Andy, very nice to talk to you again. I don't spend too much time on the SCWF these days. Thanks for coming over and congratulations!! :-! The U1 is certainly a very impressive watch by all accounts. And thanks for posting your initial impressions with the U1. The more information we can get up here, good or bad, the better it will be for perspective buyers.

Andy was it you who turned me on to Sinn? I remember, back in October, on the chat line of SCWF, a Singaporean was online and was going on and on about this new watch, the U1 and posted a link to Harry Tan's excellent review. I forgot the fellow's name but I am very much indebted to him as I was godsmacked into the Sinn world from that moment. The rest they say is history.

As the U1 gets some wrist time, and if you find yourself with a little free time, please drop us a few lines in this thread on your ownership experience. I'm looking forward to some posts from you as I have always enjoyed your posts on the SCWF and I will attempt to pop into the SCWF some more to see what's happening.

Take care for now and Happy Easter,
Tim

benbean

April 15th, 2006, 21:10

Hello Tim,
Yes we chatted on the forum and I remember forwarded that wonderful review from Harry. It is also the same review that got me started to look into this wonderful timepiece. A much under-rated ones in my opinion compared to major Swiss brand. For the rest who's still not convinced, here is the link to the excellent review:
http://harrytan.sg/watches/SINN-U1/

What got me into looking into the U series are the following:
1. Material used (can't beat the sub steel)
2. Design (very simple yet simple)
3. Price (its at entry level pricing for a swiss)
4. AR coated sapphire xtal
5. Temperature the watch can withstand (the closest one I can remember is Ball Hydrocarbon also tested into -40 degree celcius)

Sorry to hear your U2 mishap, the experience speaks volume of the toughness of the design. I'm not sure if there are many other that could have survived the fall...

Happy Easter to all Sinn Lovers.

Tim got his boots back

April 16th, 2006, 12:48

Hello Andy. Wow, I finally found the man who had a major part in introducing me to Sinn. It has been bothering me for some time now as I felt I owed the gentleman in question a huge thank you. I really enjoyed talking to you on the chat line on SCWF and am eternally grateful for the links. It's too bad there isn't a chat line on this forum.

You had mentioned the cold weather rating on the U1 and U2. You should browse this thread concerning my winter testing of my U2.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=913

It can now be confirmed that the U2 can withstand a full 12 hours of direct exposure to -33 celsius weather and can withstand a drastic temperature change as well.

Thanks for your concern in regards to my mishap but it had a happy ending. There is only a light scratch on the bezel at the 33 minute mark, right on the edge. If some of you reading this are now of the conclusion that the u boat tegimented bezel is soft and easily scarred, think again. That blow was a punishing blow. It caught the sharp edge of a masonary stone dead on the edge. There is no steel or hardening technique used in the watch industry today that would be unharmed by this blow. The fact that there was only very limited damage that is really hard to find, unless you know about it and are looking specifically for it, is amazing. I can only imagine the damage this would cause to my other watches. The only watches that would be completely unharmed by this would be my Casio g-shock frogmen.

It's funny, I am more assured of the toughness of the U series now. It now has been winter tested to -33 below, been rapid temperature change tested, and now tested via direct blow to the edge of the bezel. The movement survived perfectly with no change in accuracy.

Take care Andy and thanks again for registering and posting up. Looking forward to hearing your ownership experience in a month or so when you get some serious wrist time with it behind you.

all the best,
Tim

benbean

April 16th, 2006, 15:31

forpath

April 26th, 2006, 00:33

Hello,

As some of you here know, I just received my Sinn U2 5 days ago. I love this watch! I am impressed with its size and its functional/working (as opposed to a costume or jewelry-type watch) appearance, but yet it is still comfortable, especially on a Zulu one piece strap.

I have noticed that during the day, when I am active, it tends to lose only a second. However, at night, while I'm sleeping but with the watch still on my wrist, it seems to consistently lose four seconds, for a total of 5 seconds/day. Has anyone else had this happen? I realize that 5 seconds/day is not a huge deal and is within accuracy standards, but it seems as though there is quite a discrepancy between the 16 hours or so I am awake and the 8 hours or so I am asleep. How long has it taken for other's watches to settle in and be consistently accuracte, and exactly how accurate are your watches?

Thank you all for your time.

forpath

Tim got his boots back

April 26th, 2006, 15:24

It's a bit different for me. My U2 if worn on my wrist for a complete 24hrs will gain an average of 5 sec/day. If I take it off at night and place it on it's side, crown up, over a 24hr period it will gain 2.5 to 3sec./day. On extremely active days, it will run anywhere from 3 to 7 seconds fast a day. I had it run +10 once.

It varies. I tend to look at it from a week or a month point of view. After 4 months, I guess my U2 runs around +3 to +5 sec.day on average, depending on my wear hours or my activity. That's fine with me. When I check the forums every day, or night, I click my atomic timer and unscrew and pull out my crown for 3 to 5 sec.

I'm lucky that my life doesn't necessitate the fact that I have to have a watch which is accurate to 4 or 5 seconds a month. I have several which are this accurate and better but it's not necessary for me.

What's always been more important to me was the fact that I can look down on my wrist and see a faithful companion and get that warm and fuzzy feeling. Always there when I need it.

For what it's worth, after 4 months, I am not contemplating a purchase of another expensive watch. I might want to take a look at that forthcoming (year from now) u boat chrono though.

Malyel

April 26th, 2006, 19:58

Well, I am officially new to the U club. I just received my U1 yesterday. The watch has really exceeded all my expectations. I had spent weeks and weeks trying to figure which U would be the best option. In the end the U1 won out. When the watches were first released I was not drawn to the U1 but actually the U2. Strangely the more and more I saw the U1 I got drawn in to it's uniquely geometric design. The watch has a simplicity and elegance that I just haven't seen in a long time. The red on the hands is a great tool in drawing your eyes to the center of watch. I also find it funny how small the watch feels when wearing it. To me it looks like it was inspired by some of the classic Porsche Design watches. The mixture of quality materials really impresses me. The watch has the nicest rubber strap I have ever worn. The case has a true look of titanium. The crown is so well made and so secure I am glad it was not messed up with an ugly crown guard. IMO, This is the ultimate S.U.W. (sport utility watch)

I have to say Tim your exploits with your U2 also helped sell me on a Sinn. :-! BTW, you are a crazy, scary looking dude. I mean that as a compliment! The pictures with you out in the extreme cold look like they should be on America's Most Wanted. Oh wait back to the watch, if you have faith to do the insane stuff you do with the U then I have faith in mine. Thanks for all of info you provide about the entire U line and your hard work as a co-moderator! |>
Cannon

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/Malyel/P1010022.jpg

Tim got his boots back

April 26th, 2006, 21:43

Thanks for your kind words Cannon, being up here in the James Bay Frontier means that you can let your hair down and be yourself. As for my "hard work" in being a mod, there's no hard work involved. Everyone here seems to be filled to the brim with level-headedness and common sense. There's none of the ridiculous behavior I have seen elsewhere. You are all kind and respectful and civil to your fellow members. It's an honour to be a mod on this fine forum. I can see why Sinn would like to have a closer relationship with this forum.

I'm glad I could be of help with my tests. I decided to go with the U2 because it seemed built for the JB frontier and I will definitely make use of all the tech in this watch in the coming years. Wait till next year. Every year, since I could remember we had a few nights where the temp would dip to -45ish celsius and a couple I could remember dipped to -50c, every year except this year which was the warmest on record. Only a couple of measly -33's. I'll get a good cold weather test next year for sure. Stay tuned. BTW, the drop test onto the edge of the masonry block was not planned, but sure was a great test of the sub steel eh.

Congrats on your new U1. I have to agree with you on all points, especially the rubber strap. I usually put rubber on my divers and Sinn just did me a huge favour by designing one for the U2. I might not even go with a ss bracelet.

Wear it in good health Cannon and how 'bout an update when you get some serious miles on it and the honeymoon wears off. It'll be great info for the perspective newcomers as well as Sinn. I'm sure they will be wondering how well all their hard work has paid off.

All the best.

Dave E

April 27th, 2006, 18:12

Useful thread this, although Iit's making me contemplate the purchase of a U2, which my wallet may not find useful...

Thanks for sharing, all! :-!

rockmountain

April 27th, 2006, 23:31

Dear all Sinners,

I got my U1 today from watch Watchbuys and what a fantastic watch. When the UPS truck stopped at my house and then I knew what he was bringing. After taking receipt and my heart was beating so fast I went to the kitchen and just stared at the box for a minute. The I yelled out loud, scared both dogs and said it's here.

Carefully opening the package, I took the black box out of the shipping carton and paused again and then opened the box. I was truely amazed. After looking at the pictures for the past several months I thought the bezel numbers would be larger. The bezel work fine and the watch was set to the correct date and time.

After holding it for a minute, I was suprized how light it felt on the wrist. I guess I have been wearing my omega seamaster to long. I was going to take the watch to a local jeweler to be sized but after reading the instructions several times and remembering that you could use a paper clip to get the pins out I decided to do it myself to enjoy the experience.

The process of sizing the watch was not difficult right up to the point when I was taking out the spring pin and it went sailing ( thank god we dont have shag carpeting) I was cussing up a storm. Found the spring pin and continued on my mission All ended well and I am astounded by the quality of this watch.
I hope to send more details as I become more familiar with the watch:gold

icomm

April 28th, 2006, 19:32

Hi there !!! My very best wishes from Barcelona-Spain !!

I collect watches since longer and Sinn is may favourite brand. I use to visit Frankfurt twice a year and now for me it's very difficult to go there without visiting the Sinn factory every time... ;-)

I recently got my U1 from the Sinn showroom in Frankfurt am Main and did place some questions to the responsible for the product, because I just had some dudes about some information I got from this site.

The crown of U1 is made of submarine steel, and the sapphire glass is just 3.5mm thick (not 4mm). Further the U1 is NOT oiled with the special Sinn oil. She confirmed to me that they put the standard Moebius 8000 plus Moebius 9000 on the palets...

I did request whether they can supply the bracelet in same kind of steel (submarine steel) but the answer was "no". The available bracelet is pearl-polished sandblasted in the same colour as the watch with 316L steel.

I just wanted you to know this important details.

moby711

April 29th, 2006, 01:24

Hello,

I own my new Sinn UX for 7 weeks and I am still totaly overwhelmed by its
outstanding desgin and comfort.
It is a real keeper and eye catcher and its worth all the money! :-!
I love the very deep black look of the dial and the readability from nearly every
angle due to its special oil filling. Its my first and my last quarz watch but
certainly one of my best timepieces ever (see my watch list down below).

It doesn´t matter which U model one is going to get... as long as it is one out of
the U series ;-)

Besides... still waiting time in Germany...:-( and fortunately I´ve got #6 B-)

BTW... TIM you´re doing such a great job!
I love your reports from the outback and especially the hard work you´re
performing with your U2. May god bless you out there and keep other people
watch the world with really opened eyes... B-)
Stay tuned and take care!!!

Best Regards from Germany
Andreas

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a225/moby_SD_F/DSC03214_klein.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a225/moby_SD_F/DSC03115_klein.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a225/moby_SD_F/DSC03117_klein.jpg

oyster

April 29th, 2006, 10:53

Doogyholl

May 4th, 2006, 22:16

hey Sinn lovers!

I'm checking into getting the U2, as I find the technology and engineering of it quite fascinating. I do however have a couple of questions if someone could help me out.

1) I understand Watchbuys is taking orders for the bracelets, and they are starting to trickle in. Does someone have a picture of the U2 on this new bracelet? I found a nice post that shows the UX, and although it looks really similar, just wondering if any U2 owners could share their impression. Also, is the bracelet a solid end link(s)?

2) I read where the Sub steel is approx. 300 vickers, and regular 316L is somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 vickers. Does this hardness difference mean that the sub steel is approx. 33% harder than 316L, or is this some kind of funky math like the earthquake strength and tornado fujita scale (i.e. a 9.0 earthquake isn't just 23% stronger than a 7.0, but enormously stronger)?

3) I also seem to remember reading where the bezel is not only tegmented sub steel, but it also clicks on ball bearings instead of the more commonly used spring and groove ring. is this also true?

thanks guys, I find this watch fascinating and look forward to learning more about it, as well as hanging out on the forum.

Regards,

Doug

Tim got his boots back

May 5th, 2006, 00:57

Hello Doug, welcome to the forum. I haven't seen any pics yet of the U2 on the steel bracelet. They will be hitting the streets soon so your wait probably won't be long. I believe the bracelet has solid end links.

The secretive nature of the sub steel production will inevitably bring forth many skeptics in regards to it's strength. If you are the skeptical type, then you will probably see this thing as a mass marketing ploy. If you are a self professed Sinn fanatic then you will probably believe what Sinn has stated in regards to this matter. If your like me, a wait and see guy, then you will be waiting for stories to show up in this thread concerning un-scheduled mishaps and the watches ability to handle the blows and the subsequent shape of the watch. There may be a few guys out there too who will be performing "tests" on the toughness of the sub steel, although I doubt anybody will intentionally be smacking their $1000+ watches around. You can read about my un-scheduled mishap with my U2 in this thread. As time marches on, there will be more real life ownership info out there on this.

You must remember, that all steels are dentable. This means that the sub steel, stronger and more malable than others will withstand a harder blow but will dent with a strong enough blow. With my incident, I was very impressed that the edge of the bezel didn't chip. I had suffered chipping damage on other diver watches which received a lesser blow in comparison.

The bezel apparently is making use of a big click ball. It is tegimented to 1500Hv. This improves the scratchproofness of the steel but then again, all steels can be scratched. It's just much harder to do with tegimented sub steel. A note of interest maybe, I have a Citizen eco-drive promaster tough which is duratect hardened to 800HV and I haven't scratched the brushed surface at all. I checked with a loupe and, no blemishes. This should put the 1500Hv. teg bezel in a favourable light in regards to scratching.

Hope this helps. Maybe the few lucky owners of the new steel bracelet can post up on their impressions.

Stick around Doug, it's a great forum and the people here are just awesome and very knowledgeable about Sinn technology.

If your interested, you can check out my many U2 pics in the image gallery on the main forum.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=308

Doogyholl

May 6th, 2006, 06:37

Tim,

Thanks so much for getting back to me regarding your questions. I admire the fact that you've done serious testing with this watch, and you recommend it after what it has been through. I received my U2 today, and it is very impressive in person! The rubber strap and deployant combo is quite comfy and very well made. I have owned many watches that were much more expensive than this one, but the build quality of the U2 rivals many of them. I hope to post pics in the near future, as well as my thoughts once i've had a chance to wear it a few weeks. Thanks again to Tim, and to the other U-series owners that have given their comments these last few weeks. have a great weekend!

Doug

Tragic

May 7th, 2006, 19:00

If I had any gripes about my U1 it was that it wasn't quite as accurate as I had hoped it would be.
Initially it was +6 to +8 a day. Not bad but nothing to brag about.
I guess I've had it a couple months now and it's running +2 now. :-!
Now my only kick is it seems the fabulous ar coating just freezes in any water spots somehow....lol.
I can't get it properly pristine without using a glass cleaner.
Drives my wife mad when she catches me trying to rub it against my shirt or something while driving.
That would be hard to explain if it ever caused a wreck....:roll:

Radergast

May 8th, 2006, 16:39

Hello fellow-SINNers,
this is my first post on this terrific forum! I would like to share with you my thoughts abot a Sinn 103 St Ty compared to my new U1.
First of all: size. Compared to 40mm of the 103 the U1 is 4mm bigger but it wears smaller than this. I've include wrist-shots of both watches on my 17.5cm wrist so you can judge yourself (I don't think it's to big for my wrist... ;-) )
Accuracy: The U1 gains about 3 - 4s a day which is o.k. for me.
Readability: Super! Better than I expected - and I thought the 103 was top-notch... The 103 outperforms the U1 in terms of lume, though.
Overall experience: Great watch for the price!
Cheers from Germany,
Hannes

Crusader

May 8th, 2006, 17:01

Hallo Hannes, welcome to the Forum, and many thanks for the comparison of the two Sinns! :-)

CharlieM

May 8th, 2006, 22:24

I see.You are right. There are ways to get them before Watchbuys and others if you really want them

The bracelets are now at Watchbuys. Last night I ordered a U2 and a matching U series bracelet. Both should be arriving Wednesday.|>

U2inSpe

May 10th, 2006, 22:18

Hello, friends of U-watches.

I love Divers and I must have the U2 in the near future. I love the extrem technical touch and the materials of this watch. And the engineering, too.

Here for you some further informations to the U2:

- Vickers hardness of normal 316 L steel = 220, U2 have 40-50% more. The Bezel has 1500, with 3 screws and 3 ball bearings

- The PRE-Ranking (resistant again salt water) is for normal 316 L SS max. 26, the border index for definitivly resistant is 32 minimum. And now the highlight: The U2 has 38 PRE.:-)

The sapphire glass is domed and 4,6 mm thick

And all seals are not only the normal black things, no, Sinn use one of the best: Viton. (color: green).

For some months Sinn was planning to make the steel bracelet from original U-boot material. But now the sales man say, it was too expansive and complicated therefore Sinn release a "normal" 316 L SS bracelet but with a similar surface to the body of the U series.

cheers from germany
U2inSpe

Tim got his boots back

May 11th, 2006, 02:09

Hello, friends of U-watches.

I love Divers and I must have the U2 in the near future. I love the extrem technical touch and the materials of this watch. And the engineering, too.

cheers from germany
U2inSpe

Welcome to the forum U2inSpe. I concur with your feeling on the U2. I have over 1500 hours of wear time on mine and I can say that it's lived up to all the hype surrounding it. I really can't find fault with it other than the fact that the springbars are a bit on the small side.

Since your really gearing up towards a U2 purchase, you might find my U2 gallery pics interesting.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=308

Malyel

May 11th, 2006, 02:23

Tim got his boots back

May 11th, 2006, 02:40

Tim, with all your extreme testing on your watch, have you seen any change in the color in your copper sulphate capsules? Also when I look at the dial I only see the one white circle at 6 o'clock but the specs say there are two capsules. Is one capsule visible and the other is inside the movement hidden? Any idea how that works?
Cannon

Hi Cannon. My capsule is as white as the day I got it. No change at all.

Yes, there are two capsules but they work in tandum. Both are exposed to any suspended vapour and will absorb what is present. They will absorb at the same rate. It's like a double filtered dust mask. We wore them underground. As you breathe, the dust gets trapped in the filters and when you change them, they are both covered equally in dust. The site glass will let you know the saturation level of both capsules. It will take twice as long to go dark blue as the absorbtion capacity is doubled over other Sinn watches with one capsule.

Malyel

May 11th, 2006, 02:59

It will take twice as long to go dark blue as the absorbtion capacity is doubled over other Sinn watches with one capsule.

Thanks for the quick answer! You are the first person who has explained the added benefit of having two capsules instead of just the one. I just wrote it off as needing two capsules for the size of the case. You would think that online retailers would do a better job explaining some of the technology found in this watch in plain english. I don't think they do a good job of explaining the added benefits of the U2 over the U1. Funny this is coming from a U1 owner.
Cannon

Tim got his boots back

May 11th, 2006, 03:26

No problem Cannon. Here's something else that I read somewhere, I think it was in a thread posted up on the Sinn forum or the diver's forum before the great meltdown.

The viton gaskets, apparently, do a better job of sealing than the nitril gaskets found elsewhere. As you know, all gaskets will allow moisture ingress. You cannot hermetically seal the case with any of these gaskets. Apparently the viton gaskets cut down on the ingress of moisture into the case by 60%. Somebody....please chime in here if you have more information on this or if this info is infact correct. I am not presenting this as an absolute fact but this is something I have read, or remember reading. So, if this information is true, this means that the length of time it takes to saturate the capsules will be lengthened greatly.

Time will tell. The first U2's hit the streets last September if I recall correctly.

By the way, with over 1500 hours of wrist time, and a few scrapes here and there and an unplanned mishap (read my previous postings in this thread) the anti-reflective coating is unblemished. Just like new. I believe that there may be something to the circulating train of thought that the U2 AR may be more resilient than the U1 AR. Some people have reported scratchings of their U1 AR coating with limited use and abuse. Maybe I got the good one, I don't know. I certainly didn't make any consideration for trying to protect it. The safety belt on my 1968 firebird is pretty far down between the door and the seat and I scrape my crystal everytime I reach for it. It's held up well.

Anyway, just an update.

Steven Dorfman

May 13th, 2006, 00:42

I' ve had my U2 for about a month now.
No problems with accuracy.
I've received compliments on the watch when I've worn it.

I live in the desert in southern California and find that rubber straps are just too hot and sweaty to wear on a regular basis.
I ordered a steel bracelet at the same time I purchased the U2. Got an email yesterday tha the bracelets should be in the US next within a week, and will then be shipped to customers.

rl168

May 15th, 2006, 04:02

I just came back from a vacation in Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Surprisingly, with the mid to high 90s temperature, I still feel comfortable wearing my U1 with the rubber strap.

I agree with Tragic's post above, the watch gets water spot easily on the ar coating, and I have to keep wiping it off with my shirt...my wife would laugh at me when I do that :-D

boonsue

May 18th, 2006, 07:46

Hello all Sinners,
Actually I do not own any U series (yet!) but in a process of seriously thinking about getting one (The U1) very soon. I do own an EZM1 though but this bitter experience is the factor that delay me from jumping on the U series band wagon. Besides, I live in Japan and the price of U1 from the AD is unbelievable ! Roughly $2,000 ! Yes, you could get it cheaper from the grey market but you are on your own if something happens. ( The local AD won't honor Sinn international warranty neither !) Do you think a local watch shop could do the maintenance easily ? :-S

icomm

May 18th, 2006, 10:36

boonsue

May 18th, 2006, 17:35

Greetings to everybody from Spain-Barcelona ! It's a pleasure to share here my opinions & meanings !

I own the U1 since one month wearing it non-stop with perfect accuracy :-!
My opinion is any experienced watchmaker is able to open the case and service the movement (2824-2). In case any gasket is damaged and need to be replaced (there is three gaskets inside the crown system plus another thick gasket outside) the best & safe choice is to send the U1 to Sinn in Frankfurt in order to make it by their own.

Thanks ICOMM for your information.
I did send my EZM1 to Germany when it stopped functioning only a few months after I bought it in Singapore. Took it forever for the round trip.
Besides, the Japanese customs charged me another $70 when the watch was returned from Germany! I still don't know why??? Sinn did clearly stated on the invoice that it has no commercial value.:-(

icomm

May 18th, 2006, 18:13

OOOh, I'm sorry for the extra expense you had to face... with no sense and no need... It was your OWN watch returned !!

For you to console here in Europe happens the same when we import...

Rgds

Tim got his boots back

May 21st, 2006, 08:37

Attention all you U series stainless steel bracelet owners!!

Some of you guys have had your bracelets for a month or so now. So....how are they holding up in regards to scratch resistancy? Have you been able to scratch the bracelet and clasp easily? How is the coating (to make the bracelet match the sub steel case color) holding up? Is it easily scratched off like my ss clasp on my rubber strap set-up?

Do you have any issues with the allen screws loosening up or are you using loctite?

Thanks in advance! :-)

regards,
Tim

Sinnbad

May 25th, 2006, 09:07

Purchased a U2 today ! got it from the north american AD and found this site this evening .

Been reading most of the posts here and lookin at all the perty pics, most informative, I appreciate all the info and hope to contribute soon ,as I expect to recieve my U2 tommorow ! :-!

Tim got his boots back

May 25th, 2006, 14:57

Welcome to the forum Sinnbad!! ... and ... Congratulations on your new purchase!

Thanks for coming by. By all means, spend some time and read up on all the threads, lots of neat and informative stuff here. The members are very friendly and helpful.

The U2 is a fantastic watch!! I have over 1600 hours of wear now on mine now and have winter tested it in the harsh winters of NE Ontario Canada. This watch far exceeds anything that I have owned or run across. I have just received the new ss bracelet and it's absolutely testostoronial. You should be very happy with yours.

You can add to the community chest of U ownership experiences by giving us a couple of lines here on your ownership experience when you get a chance after you have spent some nice quality time with your new U2. It will help the people out there who are interested in the U series and wish to hear the skinny from the real owners.

I look forward to reading your future posts.

U2inSpe

May 27th, 2006, 16:50

Hi,

you all wrote allways from two copper sulfate capsules inside the U2.... thats incorrect.

The U2 has three of it... the visible is in the middle....

cheers
U2inSpe

xtr184078

May 30th, 2006, 03:16

mr2blue

May 30th, 2006, 03:20

My Sinn U1 experience has just been enhanced by the addition of DeLaurian Black Widow strap. It fits perfect and I didn't like the feel of the rubber strap, though I thought it was nicely made.

Tim got his boots back

May 30th, 2006, 08:28

I'll quickly state I don't own a U2 yet ! but have been following all things U2 as I'm going to be buying one it seems :-! i can just feel it !

In the ARTICLES section there is a discussion about the antimagentic properties of the sub-steel and whether this gives it a higher anti-mag rating similar to an 856 etc.

My understanding of Sinns reply to Martin and Tim's magazine interiew with Lother Schmidt is that std steel when put in a magnetic environment "holds a magnetc charge". therefore even when leaving the magentic field the watch case retains magnetism that continues to affect the running of the mechanical movement.

Sub steel however does NOT hold a magnetic charge and therefore when leaving the source of the magnetic field the sub-steel case does not continue to affect the movement. Sure some of the individual components may hold residual charge BUT the bulk of the steel in a watch ie: the case has not been affected.

So I would think that the U series is less likely to have its accuracy affected by magnetism than a std Sinn but admittedly the 756/856 series would offer the ultimate protection.

Any other comments ??

Cheers
Andrew "the Kiwi"

Hi Andrew, great to have a Kiwi aboard!! Thanks so much for contributing. I have read your reply and have had time to look at and ponder Sinn's explanation and I think you have it right. Basically, I think we are looking at it the same way. For those of you who were confused like I was, please consider this analogy.

Your watch movement is like an island which is surrounded by a moat. The moat is the sub steel. Nothing can attack the island because they can't get through the moat to the island. There is no need for a military force (faraday cage) to repel attackers as there is nothing to defend against...or in watch terms... no need for a faraday cage as there is no magnetic charge to deflect away. Should the watch encounter a magnetic charge, the magnetic charge needs to be transferred through the steel to reach the inside and since the steel is amagnetic, it cannot carry the magnetic charge to the inside of the watch. In fact, I believe, this is better than an anti-magnetic faraday cage as with the cage, even though the movement is protected, the case may be carrying a charge which can affect external electronic equipment. The sub steel is amagnetic and cannot transfer any charge it has picked up to any external electronic equipment because there is no charge to transfer. So, any magnetic charge present can only enter through the dial. I wonder if Sinn has addressed this issue or if this is an issue. Maybe Sinn can answer this. The sub steel is the cage but the dial is a hole in the cage for which any magnetic charge may enter.

Thanks for posting up Andrew. This if proven right by Sinn will be extremely helpful to anyone trying to sift through all this technology.

If you haven't by chance run across it, I have many pics of my U2 in the gallery section on the main forum.

Crusader

May 30th, 2006, 14:37

Hi,

you all wrote allways from two copper sulfate capsules inside the U2.... thats incorrect.

The U2 has three of it... the visible is in the middle....

That is correct. The U2 has three of the dry capsules. :-)

oyster

May 31st, 2006, 19:17

Hi U all U owners,

what are your experience with the rubber strip. It´s comfortable to wear, a dirt magnet ....
But what annoys me is the oily feel. When the silicon strap was new the surface was dull but after a while it turned oily glossy. Even washing it with soap and not wearing it it brings this oily touch back soon.
I´ve now got my second strip, the first has been send back to the strip producer by Sinn to find out more. :-S

So do you have this oil thing on your U strips?
regards from a 99,89% satsfied U owner B-)

Tim got his boots back

June 1st, 2006, 01:04

Hi Marcus, I noticed that my black india rubber strap that came with my U2 appeared to become glossier in appearance but I didn't notice any oily feel to it. Interesting information. I would love to hear the results of the investigation into this.

I have been wearing the ss bracelet and I just love it. It really gives a testostoronial look to it and seems to catch the eyes of strangers easier. I have had more inquiries into my watch now than before with the rubber strap.

Update on scratch resistancy of my new ss bracelet

I originally posted that I felt that the new ss bracelet seems more resistant to scratching than the clasp on the rubber strap arrangement. I feel that I must retract that some as I have a couple of minor blemishes on the clasp as a result of messing around with my 1968 Firebird. Nothing major, it just looks like the colouring finish is prone to being scratched off. That being said, it still seems like it's a bit harder to scratch than the other clasp but not scratchproof. I'll keep you guys updated.

Crusader

June 1st, 2006, 08:40

[I][SIZE=4][FONT=Georgia][COLOR=Red]Hi Marcus, I noticed that my black india rubber strap that came with my U2 appeared to become glossier in appearance but I didn't notice any oily feel to it. Interesting information. I would love to hear the results of the investigation into this.

Tim, thats probably because at the temperatures that you are used to exposing your watch to, any oil would long have ceased to be even remotely fluid! :-D ;-)

Glock2710

June 4th, 2006, 04:15

Just wanted to say Hi. I have been looking around for a wile now. I have had my U1 for a couple of months now. I have some cool underwater pictures of my U1 from diving this week in the Keys. I will post as soon as I figure out how.:-S I want to say this is by far one of the most interesting and cool watches I have ever owned. Thanks for the chance to post. Jimmy

Crusader

June 5th, 2006, 12:50

Welcome to the forum, Glock! :-)

Malyel

June 9th, 2006, 05:48

Here's a picture of my U1 with the AR crystal dirty. This picture illustrates the one criticism of the watch that seems to come up. The double sided anti-reflective coating makes the U1 look awesome when clean but look awful when dirty. These smudges were from my 10 month old son touching the watch for a few seconds.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/Malyel/P1010011_1.jpg

U2inSpe

June 9th, 2006, 21:14

Hi.... and thx for the photo.

I think, that finger prints (from 0 - 100 years old) are bad for every glass - not only watches... tables, screens and so on.

The coating will force every dirty contact, may be.

cheers
U2inSpe

Tim got his boots back

June 15th, 2006, 15:45

Hi Glock!! Welcome to the forum. Love to see your pics. I find that Photobucket is a very nice free picture hosting site. Easy to register and easy to upload. Just follow the instructions. Copy and paste the code with the [IMG] tags around the url into the message box.

take care,
Tim

Tim got his boots back

June 15th, 2006, 15:48

Malyel

June 15th, 2006, 20:30

Thanks for the pic Cannon. I must admit that I have had mine like that a couple of times but I rarely touch the crystal so it always seems to have very little smudge.

How's that bracelet holding up Cannon? Any scratches yet? My bracelet is holding up much, much better than the clasp on the rubber set-up.

I have been really impressed with the quality of the bracelet. :-! I am the second owner of the bracelet and I can't find any real marks on it. I honestly don't know if I will put the watch back on the rubber strap. The rubber strap is very nice but it's lack of micro adjusting makes it not as comfortable as the bracelet. Here is a picture of the bracelet on the U1 vs. the 103ti. Notice the size of the links and also how close the color of the steel vs. the titanium. I think the U1 weighs twice as much as the 103ti. I was very disappointed originally when Sinn decided to introduce a non tegimented , non sub steel bracelet but I have to say after owning the plain steel band I am not all that upset. The lower price probably makes more sense for an initial release. I would hope with time Sinn would release a tegimented sub steel version of the bracelet when they introduce the all tegimented case model. :think:
Cannon

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/Malyel/P1010020.jpg

Robert Hansen

June 16th, 2006, 22:42

Thanks to the comments of moderator Tim and the rest of you, I just took my Sinn U1 out of the box. :-! :-! It blows me away! I would rank it as one of the top five watches in my collection of over 60 watches. Fit and finish are outstanding. The case is built like a tank (submarine?). The dial is crisp and clean. I did pick up a black shark skin band with red highlights in case I sweat with the rubber Sinn band.

This is the second Sinn I have purchased this year. The other one being the Sinn Arktis with the blue dial. I am most impressed with the quality for the $$s.

I personally would rank the U1 equal to my Breitling SuperOcean.

Tim got his boots back

June 17th, 2006, 00:40

Glad to hear that your happy with your new U1 Robert!! Looking forward to any comments you would have once you get some serious wrist time with it.

If at all possible, could you post up some pics of the blue dialed Arktis. I seriously like that model but haven't seen too much in the way of member pics. If you can get some out when you have the time, I'm sure the members here will be all over them in a serious way!! :-) :-D

Take care Robert and :thanks for posting up!!

TheGank

June 17th, 2006, 12:06

Hi everyone, have been lurking in this forum and made up my mind to get a U2. I bought my U2 from the AD in Singapore. I've been trying to purchase it for quite sometime, seems to be sold out most of the time. Today must be my lucky day, I just happen to be at Raffles Hotel this afternoon and just stroll into the showroom and was lucky to get the last U2 that they have!

Andy where did you buy the Shark band, it looks cool!

TheGank

Crusader

June 18th, 2006, 00:21

Welcome to the forum, Gank, and congratulations on snapping a U2 directly! :-)

TheGank

June 18th, 2006, 04:21

I've been calling the AD for a few month and have added my name to the growing list of people in line for the U1 and U2. I just happen to be in the right time and place. They didn't display the U2 in the showroom I just casually ask if they have a U2, I didn't expect them to have it in stock, since I'm on the reserved list and noone called to say they have some in stock! Anyway, I'm absolutely happy with the purchase, the watch is awesome, the build is very good and feels like it can take a lot of abuse before you can get a scratch on it. I'm looking at getting a few straps for it, carbon fibre or kevlar, shark skin and canvas. Anyone got any recommendations for buying straps in Singapore?

TheGank

June 18th, 2006, 11:15

My U2 freezes on me today (: As stated I just purchase my U2 yesterday afternoon from the AD in Singapore. After changing to a new strap for the U2 this morning, I went to Wisma Atria (a Mall in Orchard Road) in the afternoon. While checking the time on the U2 I notice that it stop moving since I last look at it, that was at 2:05PM. I tried winding the watch the second hand didn't move, tried shaking hard it still didn't move at all.

I'm so disappointed, I didn't expect the watch to fail within one day after all the positive experience that you guys had with it. I'm going to see if I can exchange it with a new U2 since I just bought it yesterday. Problem is I don't think they have any stock of the U2 in Singapore. I would rather exchange for a new one rather than sending it to Germany for repairs. If I can exchange it i would rather wait for new stocks to come in rather than sending it to Germany for repairs as I don't they can service the U2 in Singapore. I don't know how long it will take to repair it if the AD is to send it to Germany.

Tragic

June 18th, 2006, 23:08

Boy that's a bummer!
How disappointing.
Let us know how things work out?
Best of luck and sorry for your misfortune.

Tim got his boots back

June 19th, 2006, 01:21

Hi Gank!! Welcome to the forum!!

Very sorry to hear of your troubles with your U2. From what I understand, every movement is checked before leaving ETA and then checked again by Sinn. Alot of what happens to a movement regarding accuracy and functionality are attributed to shipping and handling. Many problems arise due to rough handling by shipping companies and customs.

For this reason, I don't put too much stock in COSC certificates unless the accuracy is verified by the retailer, distributor or dealer. What leaves the factory functioning and with COSC certification may not end up at the final destination that way.

It's really a crap shoot when your dealing with imported watches, especially when the distance the watch travels necessitates more handling by more people. The vast majority are fine but sometimes.... ;-)

Best of luck with the U2. :-)

TheGank

June 19th, 2006, 09:47

I went to the AD this afternoon, they are very concern about the whole thing. They tried to replace the U2 but as I guess, they have run out of stock. They ask me to leave the watch with them to see if their service engineer can do something about it. If he/she can't do anything they will give me a replacement with the next shipment which could be in 1 or 2 months time! I doubt if they can do anything to the U2, they can't open it up unlike the U1 since the U2 is filled with Argon. The moment they open it the Argon will escape, they would need to refill it. *Sigh* looks like I have to wait another month or 2 for my U2. O| Do you think I should ask for some kind of compensation for all my trouble? Like a big discount for the U1 since I do like the U1 too ;-)

Tim got his boots back

June 19th, 2006, 10:19

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Smileys/23_11_521.gif

It depends on what you want more. If you really want the U2, then 2 months isn't that long of a wait. If your don't care if it's the U1 or the U2 you want on your wrist, then you can attempt to ask for a discount but you probably won't get it. They will recommend that you get your U2 repaired at Sinn and sell the U1 for full price to someone else. It doesn't hurt to ask I guess.

It all depends on what you want most and how impatient you are! :-)

TheGank

June 19th, 2006, 10:42

Hi Tim,

You got it wrong, I'm thinking of waiting for the U2 AND getting a U1 I want both! ;-) The waiting list for the U1 is longer for the U1 than the U2 here in Singapore and you need to put in a deposit for it.

Gank

Tim got his boots back

June 19th, 2006, 10:50

Ooops Sorry Gank!!

I know the short supply for the U1 is a global thing. Looks like it will be a waiting game for both.

best of luck on both fronts!! :-)

TheGank

June 20th, 2006, 05:28

The AD call me this morning and as expected the service centre can't open up the watch as it contains Argon gas. They assured me that they will be giving me a new watch once the new stocks comes in most probably next month. I will be first in the line since they owe me one brand new U2.O|

mtbrnr

June 23rd, 2006, 17:48

Sleepingjohn,

Thanks for your impressions on the Sinn U1 and the good wrist photo. I just put my name on the waiting list with Watchbuys. I too have a small wrist, about 6.5". As our wrists are pretty close in size, I was wondering if you would mind measuring the width of the top of your wrist. Mine measures 59mm (2 5/16") across.

I was also wondering what watch band/strap you have on order? Do you not like the rubber strap that came with the watch?

Thanks, Ned

This is my first hand experience as a Sinn U1 owner after a full day of wear.

The build of this watch is very solid feeling, so I don't worry as much with it on as I do with my other watches. I have not taken it off since I received it Tuesday (3/21) afternoon. The size of this watch is perfect! I have a small wrist (slightly smaller than 6.75") and it looks and feels good on my wrist. Those of you that are afraid of its size, not to worry! The thickness of the case is also perfect for the diameter, overall a very balanced physical design.

I know some people were worried about the bezel being a bit too busy, but Sinn balanced the watch very well. The marking on the bezel is very small so it is less noticeable to the larger markings on the dial as well as the large and unique hands of this watch (one of the first things that drew me to the watch). The red and white color combo on the watch is a perfect match, something most people should appreciate if they are lucky enough to see one in real life! I am also a big fan of the flat crystal (vs. the domed on U2).

I am wearing the watch on a soft black waterproof leather band I got at a local watch store (until the one I ordered comes in). The weight of the watch is perfect and is very comfortable to wear to sleep.

The Sinn U1 is a keeper! The U1 is a very solid watch and at just over $1000USD, it is one of the best bang for your buck (from a WIS perspective at least!:-D) If anyone is given the opportunity to own one, do jump on it! This watch is in high demand right now and there is a very good reason for it. This watch is no hype!

http://nera2.com/u1/u1.jpg

bricktop

June 25th, 2006, 15:07

Hi!

I've got mine for about a week now:

I'm very happy with that watch, it's exactly what a daily wearer should be for me. Simplistic design and extremely sturdy.
So far it seems to be quite well regulated (it runs with +3 secs/day) and the workmanship is perfect. The date jumps at about 30 seconds from midnight.
Conclusion: Every single penny well spent!

Btw, I've posted pics there: http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=94424

Cheers,
Oliver

U2inSpe

July 8th, 2006, 16:09

Tim got his boots back

July 10th, 2006, 00:55

Hi,

I do my U2 weight in and here are the results (sorry, only in "Gramm", please convert to your own measurement > 1000 Gramm are 1 Kilogramm.

watch "naked" = 114 Gramm
ss bracelet with all parts = 106 Gramm
ss bracelet without 3 parts (for my thin wrist) = 89 Gramm
original rubber strap witout 3 parts = 60 Gramm

Now you can add your individuell strap/bracelet to summ the complete watch weight.

A further information: I found somewhere the tecnical details, that the steel bottom from the back has a hight of 4 mm. I think, this not bad like other watches with "paper thin" sheet metal.

Conclusion for me: The U-series is one of (or the best?) watches within the SINN family. And SINN is one of the best watchmakers within its price range. Or?

cheers
U2inSpe

Awesome information. Thanks a bunch for putting it up. This will be very helpful for all who are contemplating a U purchase in the future...and for those who are looking at the ss bracelet. The 4mm height for the caseback is something I have read somewhere before also.

So....how do you like it? Is it everything you were led to believe it was from all the stuff written about it by nutheads like me? :-D :-D

How's it wearing and what's your favourite strap or bracelet option? Love those pics you took in Frankfurt.

cheers,
Tim

Tim got his boots back

July 10th, 2006, 00:58

U2inSpe

July 10th, 2006, 02:38

HI,

I've changed again to the rubber strap, cause in germany it is very hot with a high humide. And for this conditions I think, is the rubber strap a little bit more comfortable than the ss bracelet. But to change again is not a problem, only few minutes.

cheers
U2inSpe

... and a nice week @ all

clogz

August 9th, 2006, 14:54

Not yet UX owner, so few questions.

- is there a waiting list in place or are those delivered within reasonable time?
- haven't found local AD, where to buy? online?
- is it available with original ss bracelet? web shows only rubber.
- how's the accuracy of this thermo-comp-quarz? I mean real accuracy, not promices.
- how much does it weight in different versions?

Thanks in advance :)

Crusader

August 9th, 2006, 15:02

Here are a few answers:

- ADs and online shopping: go to http://www.sinn-uhren.de/sinn-uhren-2000/depots.htm

- available with bracelet: yes, and at least on this site there should be more than enough pictures of the UX on steel

- weight of watchhead without strap: ca 105 grams

Tim got his boots back

August 12th, 2006, 02:49

For all those out there who are very much interested in the U series watches from Sinn...

I have here for you, a video (of not great quality due to losses uploading to the hosting service) of my U2 on the stainless steel bracelet. This is a 2 minute 44 second video showing the wrist presence of this watch. My wrist size is 7.5 inches. Please watch for the bluish tinge of the anti-reflective coatings as the angles change.

Update on the ss bracelet. I've had my bracelet for a couple of months and have had it on the U2 since I received it. I have some very, very minor, hard to see mini-scratches on the clasp but you really have to look at it hard to see it. That's pretty much all. It has held up much better, much, much better than the clasp on the rubber set-up.

Update on the case and bezel. Only the knick on the bezel when the watch struck the side of the concrete block. Read earlier reports. The case is absolutely perfect. Just like new.

Update on the crystal. Still no scratches or blemishes of any type.

Update on accuracy. Still running +4 sec./day on average.

I now have close to 2300 hours of wrist time with it, I reckon.

I hope this is of help to you guys who are interested in the U2 or the other watches in the U series. The case is the same and the bracelet is the same. The UX has a slightly thinner diameter bezel.

Enjoy!!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/th_P8110004.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/?action=view&current=P8110004.flv)

Tim, your friendly neighborhood Sinn forum moderator

ral67

August 19th, 2006, 19:33

you guys are killing me :-)

I just got my first Sinn (356 Flieger) a day ago and Tim's very nice U2 pictures got me strongly considering to get a U1 or UX.

Fortunately in Germany its easy to find an AD - I might even just go the Rödelsheim showroom.

great forum

cricketer

August 19th, 2006, 22:52

Hi everybody. I've had my U2 for around 3 weeks now during which time it has hardly left my wrist. In the past I've owned a 142, 103 and a 656 but this is something special :-) I'm now on the waiting list for a U1....

http://static.flickr.com/86/206294191_1b2c5243f1.jpg

:-)
Alan
http://http://static.flickr.com/86/206294191_1b2c5243f1.jpg
(http://static.flickr.com/86/206294191_1b2c5243f1.jpg)

Tim got his boots back

August 20th, 2006, 00:30

Hello Alan! Welcome to the International Sinn forum! :-)

Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate your input in the U series ownership exp. thread. This is all great stuff for those looking at a U series watch. I agree with your assessment of the U2. Mine never leaves my wrist anymore either. A very substantial timepiece.

Nice pic too. :-!

cheers,
Tim

Crusader

August 20th, 2006, 23:34

Hello Alan, nice to see you and your watch here! :-)

ral67

August 21st, 2006, 13:33

Hi Guys,

count me (almost) in as a new UX owner

After calling half a dozen german Sinn Depots to no avail, I've ended up ordering one at pointoftime.

I couldnt believe how scarce they are right now. I guess Sinn was suprised by the commercial success of a Quartz watch. I've heard rumors that they have over 800 in backorder and the "official" delivery time if you order one now from Sinn directly is January next year :oops:

I just hope I'll get mine earlier. At least they are honouring the old price if ordered before Sept. 1st.

I just cant wait to get it....

Rainer

David R. Cossiboom

September 2nd, 2006, 11:07

:-) Hi all i am a u nubie i have many swish watches like DOXA SUB 750 C.O.S.A. ,ball allagator,oris, and others. This is my first German watch and i picked the U2 after having read a lot of posts on this sight esp the one on the Sinn Factory Tour Thread.And others like this thread have helped a lot. i got luckie i gess and must have gotton one of the last watchbuys had on hand as i just recieved it on 9-1-06 and i am not disapointed at all it has a great presentce about it great feal fit and finish are great i havent even sized it yet. and i went ahead and got the medial bracelet because of all the coments on it cannot wait to size it . any suggustions a lot of the info i read from timothy has helped a lot. and the people at watchbuys have been great so far when the watch came it was running and the date was set only had to change the time to central as it was set to eastern. i also called watchbuys to be added to the waiting......list for the UX from coments on this site because for some reason their site would not take my reservation. I only have one question i can move the bazel a small amount up and down is that normal as my doxa doesent have that kind of play. not that i am conplaining it is not much and feels very solid. I realy like it very much and after holding it i know its going to be a keeper. still love my DOXA but this is right up their will know more after wearing it for awhile. I have read the artical on sinn verses sinn in watches Mag but this forum has made the difference . Thank for all your help and info .:thanks PS I just got off the DOXA forum and found out from a ad that Doxa watches will be for sale in selected stores in the U.S. in June of 07 whats up. LOVE the SINNS tech not even a finger print on my U2 am becoming a Sinner!!!

Crusader

September 2nd, 2006, 23:46

Welcome to the forum, David! :-)

Enjoy yourself in our Sinn family, and we look forward to pictures.

David R. Cossiboom

September 4th, 2006, 08:41

Thanks Martin have had it on now sence the 1 st and do not even notice its on love the fact that you cannot put finger prints smuges on the metal. and thanks for a very great and informative forum the u2 can keep me company until the ux arrives.:gold

Tim got his boots back

September 9th, 2006, 02:57

UX Accuracy: 15 days of ownership. ----> Absolutely dead on! Perfect accuracy!! Thermo-compensation rocks!!

I will try to get something up this weekend on my UX ownership experience after the first two weeks. I have a pretty good read on this baby now ... so stay tuned!! A quick word or two though, outstanding, absolutely outstanding!!

psikat

September 9th, 2006, 12:52

This is one informative thread! I wonder how many U watches have been sold because of it?
I first read this about a month back and reading it again has made me decide to place my name on the local waiting list for a U2.
A 44mm bullet-proof travel dive watch is rather hard to resist:-p

Tim got his boots back

September 10th, 2006, 10:56

Hi Guys.

Well, it’s time for my first Sinn UX ownership experience post. I received this new in box UX on the 23rd of August of this year.

All of you have heard of this one and Marcus (oyster) has posted some absolutely awesome pics that have driven us all crazy this year. His pics were the straw that broke my bank account’s back.

For those of you who are new to the Sinn U series experience and are not up to spec on the UX, I shall update you on what a UX is. The rest of you, please ignore the blue text and read on.

The Case and bezel

The UX is basically the same sub steel case, described to death on this thread, as the U1 and U2 except that the case back is flat instead of convex. The bezel is thinner because the UX makes use of a thinner flat sapphire crystal. The overall thickness, depending on where you read it is 12 or 13mm instead of the 14mm thickness of the U1 and the 15.45mm thickness of the U2.

Silicon Oil

The UX is filled with clear silicon oil which is basically incompressible. This makes the UX waterproof to pretty much any reachable depth. The crystal can be thinner because it is not protecting a void from crushable pressure. Please read this excellent silicon oil article pulled from the articles section on this forum. It pretty much says it all.

The Movement

The movement is not an automatic movement like the U1 and U2 but is an ETA Thermo-compensated quartz movement which is claimed to be accurate to about 10 seconds a year. Actual reports are coming in at between +5 and 10 sec/year for watches with similar T/C quartz movements. These movements are the most accurate movements available anywhere. Because its quartz, it’s far more resistant to shock. (less moving parts) The quartz movement is the weak link in the depth rating of the UX as components inside will crush at a depth of between 5000 and 6000 meters I am told. Others, please correct this if I have the figures wrong.

Now, on to my ownership experience….>

This watch is incredible. The silicon oil really improves the readability of the dial and makes it, to me, the most clearly readable dial I have ever seen. The layout of the dial is perfection personified!! Add to this the darkening of the matte black dial to a super rich featureless black that makes the cut-out for the date and the black portions of the hands totally indiscernible from the dial. It all blends in together. The oil also performs an optical illusion which negates the depth perception of the particulars. The hands and the dial seem to be on the same plane. The only depth noticeable is the edge of the bezel when view from a 90 degreeish angle.

The clarity of vision and readability of the whole dial at pretty much all angles is amazing. Again, the oil performs an optical illusion which, when dragging the angles closer to a flat zero degrees seems to pull the dial and hands up so that it’s almost a part of the crystal and at the most extreme readable angles possible, it almost looks like the dial and hands are litho-painted to the top of the crystal. Please see this video to see this effect in action.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEO%20Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence/th_P8240082.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEO%20Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence/?action=view&current=P8240082.flv)

I find this extreme clarity and readability very handy when I’m in appointments which are running long and when a glance for the time is needed, I can just give a quick indiscreet glance and can get the time without drawing attention to the act which may be taken as a rude gesture by the other person. When driving, I can just give a quick glance to get the time. Handy in the Firebird as it has no clock.

Lume.

Here is an excerpt from a post I had recently which pretty much explains it all. “I have this little wire thingy I made up that hangs on my lamp shade. It allows me to hang my UX an inch or so away from the side of my 100w lightbulb. I usually leave it hanging while I get ready for bed.

Once ready, I slip it on my wrist. I like to wear my watch all night as I have a really bad back as a result of a motorcycle accident 5 years ago and moving around in bed can be painful at times. With a watch on, I can just glance at the time on my wrist without having to move to see my nightclock.

The lume on the UX after the 1 to 2 minute exposure as above is very good and will maintain a perfect legibility for a long time. I find that I can clearly read the time 6 or 7 hours after lights out. The fact that the UX has a short hour hand and a long minute hand makes for no chance for a mix-up. With dreary, sleepy eyes in the dark, I can make out the time quickly and easily so it works well for me. There are some who absolutely insist on brilliant luminescence all night but I don't find this very necessary for me. If I can read the time without straining, that's good enough.

The lume is a greenish lume and isn't as bright right off the bat as my U2. The U2 can be clearly seen to be more bright for an hour or two and then the difference is less discernable.

It is my opinion that the silicon oil difuses the light and dulls the lume a bit like it darkens the black dial and the hands a bit in daylight. I don't see this as hampering the lume for the whole night to a point where it makes the oil filling a detriment to the user experience. Others will disagree depending on how important the brightness of the luminoscity is the grand scheme of things for them.

I would therefore recommend to any UX owner an exposure to bright incandescent light for a period of about 2 minutes and then you should be fine for the night. If you are inclined to look in the direction of the best luminescence in the watchworld, well, there's tritium and then there's the Stowa prodiver and Seiko black monster and others to consider. In the end, with a two minute exposure, all of the above mentioned watches will be easily readable in the morning. The difference is that this watch is oil filled and thermo-compensated with submarine steel protecting it."

How does it wear??

Very nicely thank you! It sits much lower on my wrist than my U2 as the case back is flat as opposed to convex and it has a thinner bezel and a flat crystal as opposed to the domed U2 crystal. The thinner UX is nicer for those who wear their watch under their sleeves. Not really applicable to me as I wear sweaters and the U2 was no problem to wear under them. Of note, I took my stainless steel bracelet from my U2 and installed it on my UX and found that my UX wore looser on my wrist than the U2. Not much but noticeable.

The outside Anti-reflective coating.

The anti-reflective coating is prone to smudging but it’s not a problem for me as I just tend to glance at the watch for the time during the day and the time is quickly discernable from any angle and the smudges are not seen. The a/r works well for this. When you really look at your dial from straight on, you can see the smudges and it might bother some. For me, it’s no biggie as this is a work watch and absolute pristine perfection is not important. Cleaning is easy. Just take a napkin and wet the end and clean and rub good. Presto!! Clean.

The crown

It doesn’t screw down four complete turns like the U2 but about 2 ½. The seal seems very solid though. Same nice crown as the U2 and very user friendly.

Crystal…Domed vs Flat.

Here’s a link to a thread I posted comparing the U2 and UX crystals and the dial clarity and readability at angles. Pics included.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showpost.php?p=144277&postcount=1

Accuracy.

This UX is running dead on. Set to the atomic clock the day I received it, after 18 days, it's dead on. You can't get any better.
__________________________________

This watch is very highly recommended!!

If one can get over the automatic bias you may just realize that this watch might just be the end of the world if your in search of perfection. It's got it all, Superb construction and simple clean design, super strong and scratch resistant case, perfect size (at least for me), very slim considering the w/r rating, super clarity and readability from all angles, unsurpassed accuracy and it's very shock resistant and completely waterproof!! Can't ask for much more.

Unfortunately, the production cannot meet the already high demand. Put your name on the list or hope for a pre-owned one to come up for sale. You won’t be sorry....It's well worth waiting for!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

ral67

September 11th, 2006, 00:05

Tim, nice post as usual :-)

looks like people are getting desperate cause of the wait.

I've just seen a one-year old UX on the german bay that sold for EUR 1100.- .....

It included both leather and metal strap - but still that price is almost the new list price of EUR 1185.- from Sinn for this.

GlySinn

September 21st, 2006, 17:21

Today I SINNED.
This afternooon, I had a hunch that the dealer had stock of a U1. And so I called the dealer, and guess what?! It just came in this morning. Told the dealer to hold the watch for me as I rushed through heavy traffic to reach there.
Saw the watch. D*mn! I must have it! Paid for it and got the dealer to size it fo me. I have very small wrist - about 6 inches. Fortunately after removing the ..err...whatchacall-it...the extendable part of the clasps (to accomodate the diving suit) ... and still leaving an extra hole on the rubber strap, the watch can now wear on the wrist nicely.:-!
I'm a happy man today. And I now have the U1. Still excited about the watch...so not much to say for now...:-D

icomm

September 22nd, 2006, 11:00

Welcome to the U1 family...
Sure you will enjoy your watch...
Rgds

lricks

October 6th, 2006, 06:47

I just received my SINN U1 this afternoon. AMAZING.....:-!I sized the strap and LOVE the look of the entire package. I think the deployant with the rubber strap is awesome looking. The dial is the deepest black I've ever seen - it's absolutely gorgeous. The color of the sub steel is different and unique. The AR coating on the outside renders the crystal almost invisible, which I think is terrific. (I know the smudging is a source of frustration for many - I hope I can avoid the same issues) I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces and putting some pics up on this forum.

Crusader

October 6th, 2006, 09:15

Sounds great, Iricks ... we look forward to hearing of your expoeriences (and photos). ;-)

Kool Cat

October 7th, 2006, 17:35

I just want to say that as of today, my AD, HG, has sent my U2 in for servicing for some AR coating that came off as a result of abrasive action against my watch winder's inside glass panel.

Nothing to be alarmed at, though I wishes I do not have to fork any money for this project. I am already quite broke having bought the D1 142Ti and now this happens! :think:

I am certainly looking forward to having my U2 finely tuned, hopefully the copper sulphate capsule changed, argon gas refilled, all marks removed, and not to mention, the AR coating recoated!

Hope it would not be too long before I get reunited with my beloved U2. Oh no, what am I gonna do and how can I sleep w/o my U2 :oops:

lricks

October 8th, 2006, 00:38

3rd day with my U1 - and it hasn't left my wrist except for sleep. I LOVE the AR, which causes the crystal to just disappear. It really is a striking look. The color of the steel is amazing - and I love the finish. One of my favorite things about the watch is the look of the rubber strap with the large buckle. Together they create one of the most unique combinations in the watch world. Very nice. Here are a few pics:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/lricks/IMG_0296.jpg
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/lricks/IMG_0282.jpg
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/lricks/IMG_0278.jpg

NSG1Tausend

October 15th, 2006, 00:17

Hi All ,
I received my U1 in Feb of 2006 and it is 8 months later,
I have added the bracelet and just wanted to share how
much I too love this watch!The rubber straps is the most
comfortable, using the original large clasp I can not say
enough about this strap- SINN hit a home run with this.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/3hospitals/Sinn%20U1/SinnBostonlibrarydarkwood.jpg

The bracelet took a while for me to get used to, as I had a
micro sizing issue, but I did not give up and now it is a regular
switch , when the " MOOD hits me" awesome, and I found
that if there any scratches that happen the little squares of
repair paper that I bought from Watch and renew are just the
right ticket for bringing back that new look..........
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/3hospitals/Sinn%20U1/U1wristbraceletoct12006.jpg

The bracelet is huge and heavy, as we all know
and SINN did it all up right with the solid links,
and allen screws and solid end pcs.
The seller I bought my bracelet from also included
the allen wrenches and loctite and it works great.
- PS reminds me of a tank tread........
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/3hospitals/Sinn%20U1/ladyandu1010.jpg

My son will eventually get this watch , or I will
end up buying him one. Out of all my watches
( he has a Sekio BM and Binnacle) he loves
the U1 and just thinks it rocks.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/3hospitals/Sinn%20U1/utsstowarasmusU1allfourfrontoct1200.jpg

Pure beauty, and at the price I bought it for brand new
since they are going up you cant beat everything you get for
it, out of it and with it.
Now we all know that some people's thoughts I have seen
in print think it looks like a childs lego display,
but we all have different tastes, but whenever I put
the U1 on my wrist I think back to wanting it so bad from
all the pics I saw prerelease and
seeing Harry Tans web review ----
I "count my lucky blessings" I could find one
and buy it and enjoy this piece of watch history.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/3hospitals/Sinn%20U1/U1BostonGarden.jpg

Thanks Sinn , thanks so much!!!!!!!:gold
Regards
Robert

k-k-k-kenny

October 23rd, 2006, 11:56

The view from Oz -
Hadn't seen the U series in the flesh (since they don't come here) but I took a punt on a grey market U2 which, strangely enough, came with papers from an authorised dealer who shall remain nameless ...
This is one ugly lump of a watch. And heavy.
And it does just about everything I've ever wanted - goes in water, tells me the hour in places I'd rather be as well as where I am. I can read it even without my coke-bottle glasses on.
Plus, it works just fine as a hammer: crunched it against a range hood the other day and not a mark on it. Wish I could say the same for the appliance ...
My tip is that these babies are destined to occupy the place of early submariners in the eyes of our children's children's children.
Cheers
Ken

L.O. Little

October 24th, 2006, 02:28

My tip is that these babies are destined to occupy the place of early submariners in the eyes of our children's children's children.

Ken, I've been thinking the same thing myself. More reason to keep my U1!

Tim got his boots back

October 24th, 2006, 10:30

I would have to agree with the recent assessments of the U1 and more specifically, as I actually have and abused, a U2.

My UX is a fantastic watch for everyday wear and I specifically like to wear it sleeveless as it really tends to smudge easy but it really is very easy to read and the clarity of dial and hand design is the schlitz for the man on the go.

Now, my U2. It is massive and robust and heavy and very, very testostoronial. This thing has a presence that the UX doesn't have. The crystal is domed and very, very thick. The bezel is thick. It sits higher on the wrist and just has that massive indestructable feel to it which fully justifies one to wear it without regard for its well being.

I do wear my UX quite a bit but I really tend to go for my U2 on the weekends and when away from the business related running around of the week. In the weekends when I can just relax a bit and cruise at ease without worry, my U2 is always on my wrist. You see, I have history with this baby. It's really a part of me and has not let me down. This thing has been on my wrist in the hot, sweltering, humid 38 celsius days of July and has been worn over my gloves in -33 celsius weather and actually winter tested overnight at -33/35ish celsius temps. It has been frozen over by ice while worn in absolute blizzards while blowing the driveway. It's been on my wrist in summer while chopping and piling wood and blasting through the maple jungles and swamps of the rough lands where my brother lives in southern Ontario.

I have dropped it on its edge onto the edge of a masonry block which left a little dent in the bezel edge. I've banged it several times putting my seat belt on and reaching into the engine compartment of my ole '68 firebird and other stuff.

In short, it's been everywhere I've been and it's just a comfortable part of life. It's daily wear like my old patched up carhartt bib overalls and my ole leatherman wave and my ole Elmer Fudd hunting cap.

Obviously, there are more pretty watches and more accurate watches and more esthetically beautiful watches but this watch is beautiful in the same way as I look at an old Chevy Suburban of the late 60s / early 70s. When I look at my U2, it's just that ole comfortable feeling again.

My only regret is that with over 2500 hours of wear and probably close to 2600, it's only got a dent in the bezel. I'm almost ashamed that I haven't been able to gather more battle scars. In time I guess, in time.

Anyway, with all this talk going around about guys who have been waiting for their UXs and then selling them as they haven't lived up to their expectations, I look down at my beloved U2 and can see many, many more years of enjoyment with my U2 as it follows me on my travels. We have many, many more adventures to experience.

Sell this watch? Never. It's truly a part of me and has ingrained itself into my life. How could I live without it. I don't think there's anything out there that I would trade this watch for. It's mine and I defy anyone to tell me that its a piece of junk. It's been through one Northeaster Ontario winter and a hot and hazy summer. Another winter is coming and we're just getting started man.

Many winter tests to follow and a few walks in the frozen forests, movies of both of course.

Anyway, just an update on my U2 ownership experience.

best regards everyone,
Tim

Malyel

October 24th, 2006, 16:04

Anyway, with all this talk going around about guys who have been waiting for their UXs and then selling them as they haven't lived up to their expectations, I look down at my beloved U2 and can see many, many more years of enjoyment with my U2 as it follows me on my travels.

Tim,
The UX lived up to my expectations. ;-) I can't get over how cool the watch is. :-! I have no regrets selling my U1 for it. I am not sure how it is possible but the UX just wears more comfortably. I don't know if it's the different case back or the ever so slight thinner profile for some reason it seems right. :-S
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/Malyel/P1010007-1.jpg

SNAFU

October 25th, 2006, 02:26

Forgive me..... Actually, no I am a Sinner (or at least will be officially when my UX gets here) and proud of it. B-)

This will be my first Sinn and absolutely can't wait. If what I have read on the forum is true, I'm sure it won't be my last. Guess I'll be switching from knives to watches now..... And I was hoping to get into something that does less damage to my bank account, oh well. :-D

I'll try to get some pics and post more on my UX experience when I get a chance to wear it around for a while.

Next time my wife asks why do you need another watch, know that I will blame all of you. I'm pretty sure that this will also pass, just as it did for the knives. ;-)

mtbrnr

October 25th, 2006, 06:33

I figure it is about time to post my ownership experience as I have had my U1 for about 5 weeks. I think as highly of the watch as when it first arrived. I especially like the Sinn rubber strap. It is comfortable and the contrast with the Uboat steel is striking. The watch hands are the ultimate in personal taste. I think they are so interesting and unique. For me, the hands from the U2 or UX would ruin the U1 - but that is just where personal taste comes in. I wear my U1 all the time, well almost all the time. I really can't wear it when I am running. It is just too heavy and bangs hard against my wrist as I pump my arms. For the time being, probably for a long time, I can't imagine wearing any other watch. My wife and I are really into flatwater kayaking on rivers in the Florida panhandle. Here are some photos, mostly from kayaking.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/IMG2128B.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/IMG2129B.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/IMG2130B.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/IMG2143B.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/onkayakpaddle03.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/torch01.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/U1bckclsd.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/nluczyns/U1frntbndopen.jpg

Tim got his boots back

October 26th, 2006, 02:02

Those are the first really good pics of the smaller butterfly clasp that I've seen. Thanks so much for putting them up. Very good for those with smaller wrists who are contemplating a U purchase and are worried about sizing issues with the larger clasp.

A question for those who have received the newest incarnation of the silicon rubber strap with their U series watches:

I noticed that my original clasp was very easy to scratch. It seemed that the coating on the stainless steel to match the colour of the sub steel case was easy to scratch. Did you notice anything in regards to the scratchability of the clasp you have received if you are one of those who got the new silicon rubber set-up? I was wondering if Sinn had addressed this issue while tending to the matter regarding the silicon rubber. It would be nice to get a clasp that doesn't scratch up with just a fingernail.

cheers,
Tim

mtbrnr

October 26th, 2006, 02:38

Tim got his boots back

November 17th, 2006, 00:42

Well, I guess I should give you guys an update on my U series ownership experience.

A year ago today, I was about a week or so into my wait for my U2. My agony was almost catastrophic to my ability to function properly in society. I have never, ever been so freaked out in anticipation of a watch as I was for my U2. I received it on Dec 31st.

Since then, it has been almost a constant companion following me everywhere in pretty much every weather condition I have encountered. It's seen an entire winter with extreme testing of -33 and extreme temperature shock change testing (do a search in this forum) it has been on the outside of my gloves for walks in the -20 to -33 celsius weather in the bush and was strapped on the gloves while I blew out the drifted snow in the driveway after many of our viscious Colorado low winter storms than blow in. It's seen the hot summer days of 38 celsius and the downpours and storms of summer. Its been underwater while I swam and in the hot shower.

It has been bumped and banged around and accidentally dropped onto the edge of a masonry block which resulted in its only blemish, a dent on the edge of the bezel where it hit. (much, much less than would have resulted with ordinary 316L steel). No consideration was given for it's well being while I went about doing the daily things in my life except for known danger flags like working on cars and stuff.

Throughout all of this, it runs at about 4.5 to 8 sec./day depending on how long I wear it and how much it goes through on a given day. It fluctuates but I can live with this accuracy. My life is not a make or break for a few seconds a day.

The case and tegimented bezel are flawless. No scratches and blemishes or dents or anything else (except the above mentioned bezel dent). This watch is amazing. I am truly ashamed that I have not been able to put some battle scars on it. It's too clean, no scratches on the AR crystal at all, no blemishes. Absolutely shamefull. My old 6309 Seiko which went through more than any watch in the history of the world working underground was so beaten and scarred, I not help but love it. I was hoping to get my U2 beaten up a bit but to my shagrin, it's too tough for what I put it through.

I can truthfully say that I have found ZERO faults with the U2 and it's ss bracelet. It's as close to perfect as I could hope to have....especially for an under 3,000 USD watch.

For those of you who are like me and like to get out there in all sorts of weather and get a bit dirty, I highly recommend this watch if your looking for a super tough well built automatic.

Now for the UX. I have owned this one since late August. Well, you all know by now how I feel about the clean design and unreal clarity of the UX. I will not go any further on this subject as my opinions have not changed. Nor will I address the case and bezel as it's the same as the above. No blemishes or scratches...it's pristine!! I do have some issues, although minor, with the AR on the crystal. It smudges easily. This can be annoying as it's much easier to smudge than the U2 and it's harder to clean than the U2. I am so familiar now with my U's that I just seem to give it a glance for the time so my annoyance with the smudging is fading and is now a minor and insubstantial thing. You might find this issue a more significant one. It's a personal thing. On angles, the smudging is not easily seen, only as you approach a more 90 degree straight on look. The clarity is the thing here!! Visible from all angles...even extreme..read my previous posts here.

Both of these watches are now my favourite and are just a part of my life now, especially my U2 as it is now part of my daily wear. I switch it out for the UX on occasion but seem to wear my U2 much more. As mentioned in previous updates, it's now necessary, completely necessary to have a U watch on when I leave the house. It's as essential to me as my ole' beaten battered carhartt bib overalls and my leatherman wave. Essential wear.

Without a U on my wrist, I feel naked. My other watches, although much loved by me do not feel comfortable anymore on my wrist. That familiar weight and look aren't there. It's not the same. Just not right. I will never get rid of them as they have sentimental value but they get significantly less wear time now.

Currently, I have over 2700 hours on my U2 and probably close to 2800 hours. and about 800 hours on my UX. This, in my opinion is enough to qualify me to write these words. The honeymoon is still on and I can still be seen glancing lovingly at my U's on my wrist. I look forward to winter testing once the bitter arctic highs bringing the -35s to -45 nights and the Colorado lows which bring big snowstorms start to push their way in.

On an average night where I sit and type while listening to Portishead or some nice ole Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, I sometimes just take a sec and glance at my U's on my wrist..this is what it's like and what I see. Natural lighting....>

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010011.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010010.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010009.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010008.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010007.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010005.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010004.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/U2%20vs%20UX/P1010003.jpg

The problem I am having now is that I do admire many other watches and would love to purchase them but I know that I would have a hard time taking off my U's to strap them on. Of course the honeymoon experience with the new watches will be cool but after a while, I will just come back to the U's and will have to sell those beautiful new watches as I don't wear them. Those ole U's tend to tarnish me on new watch ownership now

What's nice about this is that I have reached a nirvana state. A complete contentment with my U series watches which gives me pretty much all I would need for my automatic and quartz needs. I may feel different if I have some serious problems come up with the U's but I would send them in and continue my ownerhship experience with them. They are family and constant companions and besides, they are machines and need service and it's not unheard of that machines can break down. .. but.... how could I get rid of them. I would love to see the new U watches that come out in the future...a new chrono...oooh!! Spank me but I want one!!

Anyway, I hope this 11 month (U2)and 2 1/2 month (UX) ownership experience post is helpful to some and I apologize for yet rambling on again for waaay toooo looong.

best regards,
Tim

Malyel

November 17th, 2006, 02:24

Tim,
As a previous U1 owner and a current UX owner I have to say that the U1 smudges much, much easier than my UX. Any other dual U1 & UX owners want to chime in.:think:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/Malyel/P1010011_1.jpg

Tim got his boots back

November 17th, 2006, 02:40

Tim,
As a previous U1 owner and a current UX owner I have to say that the U1 smudges much, much easier than my UX. Any other dual U1 & UX owners want to chime in.:think:

Wow!! Interesting for sure. I wonder if Sinn has been experimenting with the ar coating or if there are inconsistencies between the three different u's or between watches within the U1, U2, UX family.

Yes, any multiple U series watch owners, past or present out there who can lend a few lines on your smudging impressions?? Would be much appreciated.

cheers,
Tim

Crusader

November 17th, 2006, 09:24

Wow!! Interesting for sure. I wonder if Sinn has been experimenting with the ar coating or if there are inconsistencies between the three different u's or between watches within the U1, U2, UX family.

The coating is done by specialist firms, of which there are a number. Each probably have their own "recipe", in addition to having several types, grades and colors to choose from, presumably. Add to that different lead time for the coating (which specialist firm has spare capacity, and which does not), and one can see why the watch companies keep mum about who does their coating, and which standards are applied. I would not be surprised to find different coatings on different batches of the same watch model, and certainly not only at Sinn, but also with other manufacturers.

navy

November 17th, 2006, 12:13

hey everyone

tim very nice and interessting posting. to all of you, i have too say that i always enjoyed to read about you and your watch (sinn) storys. it helps to get a idea how a watch is. its always a real pleasure to see the pics that some of you are able to take and post. they say more about a watch than alot of words. right now i am in the office writing reports. taking a look at my 856 and wait for lunchtime. as i heard in the last days i should be the owner of the next ux that gets in to switzerland. i am waiting since a while now for this watch. but it always helpt to read about this watch and see the pics that you guys were posting, thanks alot. o.k. to be onest sometimes it made the waiting more hard. i am looking foreward to get it and dive with it...

thanks to all, you make this forum a great place to spend time...

greatings from zurich

Tragic

November 24th, 2006, 10:24

I've had my UX for a week or so now, not much time but sufficient for initial impressions.
As most of us are, I'm focused on mechanical watches, but my UX transcends my preferences.
I'm no watch expert by any stretch, only knowing what I glean from my fellow enthusiasts here at WUS.
I had, and really liked a U1, got used to, and came to like the funky hands.
I put my name on the cursed waitlist for the UX, not knowing whether I'd follow through.
I liked my U1, but it was 6 to 8 secs fast constantly and that bothered me.
An opportunity came to sell and I decided to move it on and try a UX.
After a 9 month wait, which I think is inexcusable personally for any company, I got my UX.
It has the killer, perfect looks of the U1, with better, more traditional hands.
The oil filling renders the white of my UX markers a shade or 3 gray, which frankly irks me. Others have watches with little or none of this effect.
The lume of MY watch is decidedly less than the U1 I had, again, others have had different results.
On the plus side, the "angle look" tilting one's wrist and viewing the dial with the oil filling, is really special.
An "Infinity pool" look really and something one has to view personally to appreciate.
For whatever reason, and I've heard several theories, the second hand has a "bounce" to it, mostly on the 30-50 seconds portion of the dial.
It overshoots and backs up.
A really weird looking behavior and I'm still not completely used to it.
Most importantly, and really why I bought it I guess, it's completely accurate since setting it against an atomic clock.
It's a reference watch without resorting to a rc option.
These are my completely honest thoughts re: this watch and it's a mixed bag.
To sum up, overall I'm pleased becuse I think the U1/UX design is a near perfect "look" for me personally.
I appreciate immensely the fact that that I KNOW the watch is EXACTLY right when I put it on and can reference my other watches against it.
Alot of these SEEM to be being flipped soon after purchase and perhaps for the reasons I've mentioned above?
Overall I'm happy with mine and I'd not like to explain the goofy movement of the second hand to any prospective buyer...lol.
It's NOT a Damasko, (My perfect watch company) , but, hey, I like it!

ral67

November 30th, 2006, 01:02

finally got my UX after waiting for 3 months here in Germany and I really really enjoy it.

Since I couldnt decide I got both the rubber and the SS bracelet and currently I like the SS more. The rubber seems to be a bit stiff, but maybe it changes over time.

As others have said the only small thing is that the AR smudges that easily.

Funny thing even though its fairly heavy with the SS bracelet it doesnt feel that heavy once its on the wrist.

eamonn

November 30th, 2006, 18:02

Hey guys, just checking in. I received my U1 yesterday, and I love it. No real review to give yet, just wanted to stop in and say hello. Here's a pic taken by the original owner. I bought it at 90+% per TZ with strap and bracelet.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/eamonnwright/u12.jpg

Tim got his boots back

December 5th, 2006, 19:43

Hi guys. My U2 is very fast approaching the one year mark of ownership. I received my U2 in the last week of December 2005.

Last night, I was at my local hang-out the Tim Hortons coffee shop in South Porcupine Ontario and a few of my friends showed up with their snowmobiles. You see, there's no doubt about it, it's winter here. Strong and heavy. Standing outside in the field with my miner buds, the temp was hovering around -20 celsius, (approx -6 f. for your Americans) with no wind and ice crystals falling from full moon lit night sky. My buddy offered me a chance to ride his Yamaha RX-1 1000cc 4 stroke monster sled in the fields. I jumped at the chance and grabbed his helmet. I strapped my U2 on my glove and out I went. After about 20 minutes of blasting and jumping around in the fields, my knees and back were getting pretty sore so I parked it. What a blast!! Thrilling, the hair on my neck was standing straight up and there were goosebumps on my goosebumps. I went inside for a coffee with them and to get a chance to strip the grin from my face.

I checked my U2 out and no fogging or condensation. After a year of pretty much everything (check out the previous posts) no problems at all. Handles the icy winds and -20's with ease. The sight glass is still white like when I received it. The U2 went from room temp to -20 to -20 at 30 miles an hour to room temp and ..no problems. Thought you guys looking at purchasing a U2 and are wondering if your getting what your paying for would appreciate this little ditty. By the way....this watch, to me, is worth every penny. Period.

p.s. -20c is nothing around here. The -30's and 40's are coming and so will the winter testing. I'll keep you guys informed.

cheers,
Tim

U2inSpe

December 5th, 2006, 19:52

Hi,

and thx again for you "cool" ice report....

Here in Germany the temps was around 15 Degree Celsius plus. ( = 59 Fahrenheit). Oh, boy, what a december.

Its good to read as U2 owner such stories of really wearing. I am only a "desktop diver" and the only small demaging are micro scratches at the clasp.

Please hold on to report such hard conditions for our watch.

cheers
U2inSpe

Tim got his boots back

December 8th, 2006, 00:22

Hi Guys.

Was out with the U2 on the glove again today as we had another 6 inches of snow. A little over a foot on the ground now and the plow came by inundating the end of the driveway with about a 2' high x 4 to 5 foot wide bank of heavy snow and ice. Had to use the snowblower. When I was done, my back and knee were done too. The U2 held out well but was well covered in snow and ice. The ss bracelet was soooo frozen cold, I couldn't wear it for 15 min or so when I came in.

Was -20c with a strong NW wind making the windchill around -28 and gusting made it around -32ish celsius. (-25 f.). No condensation or fogging and the ice wiped off showing a perfectly ticking U2.

This technology works. Did so a year ago and does so now. This is a helluva watch.

Sinn U2 - Built for a Timmins Winter.

Click anywhere on the pic below to play this short movie.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEOS/Dec%207th%20-31wc%20with%20blowing%20snow/th_P1010024.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEOS/Dec%207th%20-31wc%20with%20blowing%20snow/?action=view&current=P1010024.flv)

Just finished carving a nice walking staff, called a snow stick. I put a nice fold up ice pick on the bottom. I'll be heading out to the bush for a walk or two and will take a movie or two and post them up.

cheers,
Tim

Crusader

December 8th, 2006, 10:25

The U2 held out well but was well covered in snow and ice. The ss bracelet was soooo frozen cold, I couldn't wear it for 15 min or so when I came in.

Did you wear the watch and bracelet outside of your clothing (assuming that snow shoveling is not a bare-armed activity in Timmins ;-))?

Would you consider the fact that metal adapts on the surrounding temperature a factor in choosing a watch/bracelet material?

Tim got his boots back

December 8th, 2006, 11:50

I usually wear my watch on the wrist and wear a glove but for longer visits outdoors, I like to wear my watch on top of the glove. Like for walks and ice fishing and doing the driveway after a particularly nasty storm which will see me out there for a while blowing the driveway. When time is important as I have other things to do later, I will strap the watch on outside. For all other occasions, it's on the wrist. Last year, I had utilized the rubber strap and large clasp U series set-up when I strapped the U2 on over my gloves. It worked well and blended in with the black gloves perfectly. I found it easier to wear after I came inside as the clasp sort of hung down from my wrist and very little contact was going on.

This year, with the notification of the metal bars inside the rubber strap coming out, I checked mine and yes, they were there. I don't want to use the rubber strap now so I use the ss one. I tend to take my watch off when I come inside most of the time now so the frozen cold ss bracelet will warm by itself on top of the microwave.

But for immediate use after coming in from the severe cold and having worn the watch on the outside of the glove, the rubber strap set-up is best. Rubber or a zulu or nato or something similar will not have the frozen shock syndrome as bad as a metal one.

cheers,
Tim

U2inSpe

December 8th, 2006, 14:15

Hi, Tim,

thx again for your frosty report and vid.

To continue my last posting:

Here in Germany the temps was around 15 Degree Celsius plus. ( = 59 Fahrenheit). Oh, boy, what a december.

And now, some days later, we have in Germany a temperature fall down from 15 C to ................... 10 C. :-)

What a cool difference to Ontario.

cheers
U2inSpe

Please drink a good hot cup of coffee at Horton´s for all your "fans" in Germany and worldwide.

yoomit

December 17th, 2006, 00:28

Tim got his boots back

December 17th, 2006, 00:53

can anyone provide input/comments on comparison of U2 vs. 142.
i was looking at the 756 for awhile, but i think the size and heft of the U2 is more my liking.

is it bigger and/or heavier than the 142?
does it sit higher?
any other comments?

i'm unable to see/try on a U2 in person, so your comments would be most helpful.

thanks, all!
- M

Hi. Here's a quick size comparo

142
diameter 41mm
lug to lug 44mm
height 17mm

U2
diameter 44mm
lug to lug 50mm
height 15.45mm

The U2 is heavier. Much more so if comparing the titanium version of the 142 to it.

yoomit

December 17th, 2006, 01:27

i have the steel version of 142.
have any idea if the U2 is heavier?

are you sure you have the diameter on the 142 correct? it's the same size (if not slightly larger) than my PAM117, which is 44mm.

my SMP GMT is 41mm in diameter, and the 142 is WAY larger than that.

anybody here have both the 142 and U2...maybe a side-by-side pic?
something tells me the 142 might edge out the U2 in size and weight.

Tim got his boots back

December 17th, 2006, 01:32

I'm sure that somebody said that the U2 was heavier because of the denser sub steel but I really can't tell ya for sure. I'll go with what you are saying on the dimensions. I remember that somebody here said that they didn't like the 142 because it was skinny compared to it's height. I could be wrong. The weight of the U2 without straps or bracelet is 170g.

The dimensions I quoted came from chronomaster.com

Tim got his boots back

December 17th, 2006, 01:36

Just checked the watchbuys site and they say the latest 142 St II is 44mm in diameter so you are correct Sir. The height they have is 15mm. No weight is given.

yoomit

December 17th, 2006, 01:37

thanks for the input, Tim.
i think some of that info on chronomaster is off.
regardless, at the very least the U2 seems comparable in size and weight to the 142. so long as it's not significantly less it should be ok.

now if only i can find a used one at a good price :)

Tim got his boots back

December 17th, 2006, 01:41

I'm sure that the U2 is either equal to or more than the weight of the 142. It is a seriously heavy chunk of metal. If you get it with the ss bracelet, it's super heavy but wears nice. The U series case is very thick and the caseback is 4mm thick I am told. If your looking for heavy, this is it.

cheers,
Tim

yoomit

December 17th, 2006, 01:46

i just found on hacmac's review of the 142:
"...weighing 176 grams including the bracelet. The case is 15mm thick and measures 46mm from the tip of the screwed-down crown to the opposite side of the case..."

wow, the U2's case alone is almost the entire (case and bracelet) weight of the 142.
NIIIIICE!

Tim got his boots back

December 17th, 2006, 02:04

The U2 case only weight of 170 seems right as i have a seiko black monster that weighs 150g and the U2 feels way heavier. Add to that, with an ss bracelet and clasp, about 90 to 100 grams, most likely more. I think U2inSpe said his ss bracelet alone with all links weighed 106 g or something like that. That bracelet is super thick.

It wears quite well. I see a few U2's coming up on the sales corner. You shouldn't have to wait for long to find one. Many buy them without having any comprehension as to the size or weight of whole package and put them up for sale soon after receiving them and trying them on. Not their cup of tea. You should get a chance to get ahold of a nice almost BNIB one.

I highly recommend it.

yoomit

December 17th, 2006, 02:12

thanks, Tim.
i've been viewing all your great pics of the watch.
hoping to land one soon!
- M

dirkpitt73

December 17th, 2006, 09:24

Hi Guys,

First off, Tim - after reading this entire thread in one sitting, I almost feel like you're an old buddy and would welcome the chance to join you and you're U's for a beer if I'm even in the great white north of Timmons, Ontario! :-)

That out of the way, let me also say that I pulled the trigger on a U1 today from Watchbuys. It feels like a long journey to this decision but I think that's mostly because I tend to obsess over stuff like this - been looking for about a month. I get the urge for a new watch every year around this time and started off thinking I was going to get a UX. I've been reading the High End Quartz forum for awhile and have always admired Sinns. I figured a HEQ movement in a Sinn - perfect combo, right?

Well, after reading a number of user experiences here and elsewhere, I began to wonder if the UX was my best choice. The Breitling Colt II Quartz uses the same movement, albeit in a much more mundane (but easily serviceable, non oil-filled) case. One of these two seemed to be the direction I was going.

I'd read the positive Watchtime review of the U1 and U2 earlier this year. I like the U2 but my budget is low $1kish, so I decided to seriously check out the U1. Not quartz as I'd originally set out, but for ultimate accuracy I have my radio controlled G-Shock. When I first saw the U1 dial I too was a little put off. Too blocky I thought. Over time though, its grown on me. I can see how it's extremely legible and the whole notion if the indices and hands looking like an actual sub profile are interesting.

So, back to deciding on the U1, I was on the fence re: U1, UX and Colt II. My wife is technically giving this to me for Christmas (she's given up actually buying me a watch without my input), so I decided to show her the highest res pics of all three I could find. Her comments - Colt: too busy; UX: don't like the hands; U1: unique, likes "blockiness" of dial which fits with robust style of the case.

So, the three-way tie was broken and the U1 it is - I'm really psyched about getting it. Thanks to everyone for all the great info in this thread, it's definitely further validated my choice. I'll definitely post my ownership thoughts and pics after the holidays.

All the best,
John

Crusader

December 17th, 2006, 10:51

U1: unique, likes "blockiness" of dial which fits with robust style of the case.

Well said (by your wife), John ... the appeal of the squarish indices and hands of the U1 is their consistency with the "tool watch character" of the watch. Like the 656, it is an extremely "coherent" (for lack of a better word) design. ;-)

yoomit

December 19th, 2006, 02:05

can anyone definitively confirm the weight of the U2 - case only.
Tim, you've indicated 170g for case only, but an earlier entry in this thread (by U2inSpe) indicated 114g with the rubber strap as 60g.

Perhaps you meant 170g for the case AND the rubber strap??

Just bought a used U2, and ordered a new SS bracelet from watchbuys.
should be getting both on Wednesday, so i'll feel the weight myself.
but wanted to the info prior to, so that i know what to expect.

thanks, all!
- M

Tim got his boots back

December 19th, 2006, 02:51

Hi M. I have some mail to get out, possibly tomorrow and I will make a point of wearing my U2 with the ss bracelet and will ask the friendly girls at the post office to weigh it for me. That should be a very accurate weighing but until then, I would go with U2inSpe's weight recordings as he definitely has made a specific effort to weigh them. I would judge his efforts at being accurate. U2inSpe is a valuable contributor to this forum and I, like all of you guys, really appreciate his efforts here.

If anybody out there besides M. and I gets a chance to weigh in their U2, we would appreciate it if you could report it here.

cheers,
Tim

yoomit

December 19th, 2006, 03:14

a previous post by oyster had his UX w/rubber steel bracelet at 210 grams.
i'd imagine the U2 to be heavier than the UX, given the mechanical movement and the thicker crystal.

i'm guessing it's going to hit somewhere around 230-250 grams.

the Sinn site has the 142 ST at 109 grams without the bracelet.
you figure the bracelet weighs, what, 70-90 grams?

in any case, i'm hoping the U2 is going to be significantly heavier than my 142. my panerai (albeit in Ti) and SMP GMT almost feel like swatches after i wear my 142 for awhile.
funny enough, i also have a swatch automatic :)

yoomit

December 19th, 2006, 06:49

i found this page that has a link to an article from a german magazine that tested a slew of diver watches.
pretty heavy competition...and the U2 comes out on top!

it shows specs, and indicates that the U2 comes in at 188 grams. this must be with the rubber strap because a few of its competitors that come with standard steel bracelet are coming in far over 200 grams (a whopping 248 grams for a UTS Professional Diver 1000!!).

the U2 is by far the heaviest amongst those with standard rubber straps.
with the steel bracelet, the U2 is going to feel NIIIIICE!

you can click "UHREN Diver Test" to download the article.
it's in German.

- M

yoomit

December 19th, 2006, 07:15

another cool link - this time an article comparing U1 vs. U2.
http://www.zegarkiclub.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7667&sid=f1f5b072dcc42aa1659e8e1fa21c5597

Tim got his boots back

December 19th, 2006, 09:46

Great articles for sure M. The Uhren Diver test was reported here and the findings were no surprise to those who own the U2.

This weekend past, I was at my friend's place and helped him take off and mig weld up a muffler for a Toyota Camry. I was under the car messing around with the U2 on. We banged with the hammer and pried and bumped around up there bringing a ton of rust and salt down from the underside of the muffler and car and mig welded with sparks and slag flying everywhere. I scraped the U2 up against the hangers and bumper and hitch a few times. With all of the above, the U2 came through with flying colors. No blemishes to report. The U2, except for that dent on the bezel due to the drop on the masonary block (read past reports in this thread), is pristine, as new as the day I received it, almost a year ago. After a rather rough day, it was running at 5 seconds fast. Not bad.

So, add rust, salt, sparks and slag to the -33 celsius to +38 celsius temperature range and the snow and ice of a few vicious winter storms and a couple really brutal bangs and a bezel denting drop and a ridiculously drastic -33 to +30 rapid temperature change test in a minute or two to the almost year of ownership and I would think that this is got to be one of the toughest watches I've heard of.

The funny thing here is that this happened on the weekend and I didn't even plan it or think much of it until tonight. It never occured to me to add this to the list here as it really wasn't front and center in my thoughts. That's what life is like with the U2 after 11 1/2 months of ownership and 3200 hours of wrist time. It's just there and isn't even thought of anymore. I can crawl under an old rusty, salt covered Toyota and bang around without even thinking of my watch. That's because this isn't a precious exquisite time piece to me but rather the opposite. It's like my old Seiko 6309 diver watch which took soooo much abuse for 13 years underground....it's just MY WATCH, my constant companion and goes with me everywhere. Just like my leatherman wave multitool and my old hunting cap. This is my new 6309. I'm hoping to grow old with this watch and be buried with it.

So, that's it for now. Happy Holidays everyone!!! :-)

cheers,
Tim

dirkpitt73

December 20th, 2006, 01:02

My U1 arrives tomorrow, I can't wait! I'm really anxious to see it in person, from what I've read it's even more impressive in the flesh. I notice the U2 is sold out at WatchBuys, I bet those guys have sold a lot of U-series watches this season.

Cheers ...

yoomit

December 20th, 2006, 19:55

the U2 arrived this morning, as did the ST bracelet i ordered from watchbuys.

first impressions...

the dial is striking! pictures really don't do justice to the EZM design - the white hands and markers are highly visible.
versus markers and hands on my 142 ST (which is the last 5100 lemania version with integrated bracelet design before the D1 limited edition), which are not as blindingly white as the U2.

i immediately put on the steel bracelet on the U2...don't want to bother with the rubber as it's too light for my taste.

i have to say, the 142 "feels" heavier. i don't have a scale to weigh the watches, but perhaps the 142 feels heavier because its bracelet is so much lighter with respect to its case. versus the U2's case weight is very well balanced in proportion to its bracelet. so maybe the weight is actually greater, but its even distribution on my wrist gives it the impression that it's lighter than the 142 which skews its weight much more so toward the case.

the U2's case/bracelet urface is interesting. it's darker than my 142, but lighter than titanium. in particular, the texture of the surface is not as 'slippery' as the 142...it has a slight rough, raw texture you'd traditionally find on a titanium watch. i kinda like it, it's unique for a steel watch.

both watches have virtually identically thickness. but the U2's diameter is about 0.5-1.0mm greater than the 142. visually, however, you really can't tell.
other than the weight feel, the physical dimensions of both cases are very similar.

the U2 w/bracelet is definitely more proportional in terms of dimensions. whereas the 142 bracelet's width gets thinner at the clasp (too thin, in my opinion), the U2 retains greater width continuity all the way down to the clasp. it maintains this characterstic around the entire circumference. i wish the 142 had a similar bracelet design - if so, i think it would be by far my favorite watch.

overall, the U2 isn't overly impressive. certainly the technical specs speak for themselves - submarine steel, great depth W/R, argon gas, yada yada yada.
but given i've had and appreciate the 142 so much, i was half expecting the U2 to really overpower the physical presence of the 142 (especially reading on these boards how "robust" it is). it falls short of that, for me.

without a doubt, however, it's a nice looking watch.
i wouldn't have minded if Sinn made it a bit heavier.
then again, that's just my personal taste.

- M

Malyel

December 20th, 2006, 21:31

overall, the U2 isn't overly impressive. certainly the technical specs speak for themselves - submarine steel, great depth W/R, argon gas, yada yada yada.
but given i've had and appreciate the 142 so much, i was half expecting the U2 to really overpower the physical presence of the 142 (especially reading on these boards how "robust" it is). it falls short of that, for me.

without a doubt, however, it's a nice looking watch.
i wouldn't have minded if Sinn made it a bit heavier.
then again, that's just my personal taste.

- M

Very interesting to read your impressions having owned a 142 before the U2. :think: I think many here have gone the other way in owning a U first and then expanding to older Sinn designs. The U1 was my first Sinn and I was so impressed I bought a 103 Ti UTC Ar after and after a few months I was not impressed with the 103. I ended up selling it and buying a Damasko DC66 and I am blown away with the quality difference of it vs. the 103.

yoomit

December 21st, 2006, 00:05

been a long-time Sinn fan.
correction - been a long-time 142 fan.
i used to own a pre-integrated bracelet 142, then ended up selling it.
missed it so much, i got my hands on the integrated bracelet style before they decided to forego the lemania 5100 (i think the current 142 II is a modified version of the 5100).

(on a side note, one of the features of the 142 that i really enjoy is subdials are sweeping, not ticking. a lot of high-end chronographs have the minute and hour subdials as ticks, but the 142 sweeps. this is a major reason why i don't get other chronographs.)

tried my hands on the 103 Sa HD cuz it was limited ed and was a manual wind. was sorely disappointed cuz it felt like a plastic toy...again, relative to my other watches (142, PAM117, PAM 118 and SMP GMT).

but the U2 is a fine watch. if i never had the 142, i'd probably be more impressed by it. but the design of the 142, in my opinion, is a far more unique design (aside from the fact that B&R licensed it under its own badge) than the U2. that, plus the fact that it's one of the last lemania 5100's and its size/weight, makes it a true keeper.

Tim got his boots back

December 21st, 2006, 02:03

Thanks for your ownership experience M. Wow, makes me really want to go out and find a 142 after reading that. I am not surprised that you find the U2 lighter. I also feel that the whole package is well balanced and wears very well. A watch this heavy that feel lighter than others is quite an accomplishment. The U2 is all about practicallity. The case design is very simple and direct and is made to survive. It's all about function over form with this one. Other than the pearl polishing, I don't think any serious effort was put into this professional EZM in regards to making it slick, unique or memorable. If it's a copy of another case design, it's because that case design has proven itself and is the best option for survival.

The weak spot on the U2 seems to be the 2893.2 ETA movement. It's really small and that's why it was chosen, I'm sure. With three copper sulphate capsules and the internal dial mounted site glass, the movement had to be small. I'm beginning to think that I have one of the good ones and that there are some pretty suspect movements being inserted into the U2s. Either that or it's really delicate but I don't think that's so. Mine would have given out by now and I hear that they are pretty robust. I would hope that Sinn is looking into these movements since it's been a year after the initial production and a thorough assessment can be made based on the repair statistics which have been gathered. I hope they are taking the measures necessary to provide a more functional and reliable movement for their $2000+ professional EZM watch.

I can understand how your U2 would impress you with it's physical presence as you have had some pretty large and heavy watches. Myself, I wore old Seiko's and the largest watch I owned before the U2 was a new Seiko Black Monster. I personally wouldn't want a watch any larger than this or heavier. This seems about perfect and it's still amazing how I am so used to the weight and don't think about it at all or even consider it heavy until I take it off and lay it in the palm of my hand. With the ss bracelet, it's one seriously heavy chunk of metal.

I will have a ss 142 someday and also will make a serious attempt to find an EZM1 when I feel the timing is right. I'm sort of pouring my money into my business right now so those purchases will be in the future for sure.

I enjoyed your ownership experience post and your assessment of the U2 in comparison with the 142. An eye opening experience and greatly appreciated. Very intriguing.

cheers,
Tim

Tim got his boots back

December 21st, 2006, 02:06

Hi John. Congrats on your new U1. Great to have you here and thanks for posting up. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of your new U1 and a few lines here when you get a grasp of what you bought.

Same for you M. I wanna see some pics!! :-! If you could take some with the 142, sort of a comparo shoot, it would be awesome!!

cheers,
Tim

yoomit

December 21st, 2006, 17:30

here you go.

lcheetec

December 30th, 2006, 02:13

Hello

I've been lurking here about a week since I discovered this forum. I first came across a Sinn UX when the AD in Singapore showed my the Regulateur and then the UX. Although I considered both, it was the UX's combination of super cool looks, and great specifications that brought me back to the store again yesterday.

I held the same piece I did some weeks ago and knew something special was beginning.

I had read detractors talk about the U series flaws and their peeves before I purchased the UX, but I am a realist. I understand how companies develop from relative obscurity to large (and sometimes responsible) conglomerates, and I was really going after the specific things that the UX brought home for me.... plus it helps the AD is someone I trust.

So I took it home. I wanted to preserve the rubber strap until I could secure a replacement so the AD fitted a red-brown aftermarket one. I wore it home like that. Nope! I took out the strap bag I have at home, and tried on all colours. Hirsch, Banda, Rios, you name it. If it wasn't black, it didn't look right. Finally, I settled on a Banda black Panerai-styled calf one (that's the one in the pics).

The crystal smudges easily, the lume isn't much, and there is that "retarded" feel of the seconds hand. I LOVE the watch! On my largish (almost 8") wrist, it doesn't wear too big, and is just right. The weight doesn't bother me, and the 4 o'clock crown doesn't dig into my wrist. I find myself glancing at it ever so often just to see the dial/hands plastered right below the crystal. Really cool!

I read somewhere about the seconds hand setting lag, and it doesn't happen on mine. Soon as I push in the crown from position 3, it starts.

In conclusion, and needless to say, as soon as morning came, it was back on my wrist and as I type this. I also took some pics but please excuse the quality. It was difficult to capture what my eyes (and heart) see.

daniel
Singapore
P.S. I am considering putting down some money so the AD can order a U2, but after reading someone here that there might be a U series chrono launched soon, I might wait.

Tim got his boots back

January 1st, 2007, 04:23

I have now, officially owned my Sinn U2 for 1 year!! I can still feel the excitement when I opened the watchbox and seen this...>

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/Sinn%20U2/Dec%2031%202005%20opening%20for%20first%20time/0001crop01.jpg

I would have to say that my ownership experience with this watch is about as good as I feel any ownership experience can get. I still get that warm and fuzzy feeling, looking down at it on my wrist, after over 3,500 hours of wear time.

Physically, except for that ding on the bezel after the unfortunate drop onto the edge of a masonry block....>

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/Sinn%20U2/the%20bezel%20ding/chip01.jpg

I can report that this watch is in absolutely amazing shape. You all know now, if you've read this thread, what's it's been through and knowing that it's got over 3500 hrs of wear time, I'm sure that you would agree that the sub steel has really shown its strength and shined up to its advance billing. I don't think any of my other watches, past owned, and present, would have survived in the same condition as the U2. Except for the ding...it looks just like the day I pulled it out of the box.

Performance. It's running about 5 seconds fast a day but can run as much as 12 seconds fast a day depending on how long I wear it and what it's been through. This might be absolutely unacceptable for a +2000 watch for some people but my life is not that strict. My schedule is not so insane that a couple of seconds a day can make or break it. Other than that, it hasn't skipped a beat.

I'm not going to speak out on the virtues of the U2. I can't and won't do that. I can only speak for the watch that I've worn. My U2. This one is absolutely outstanding and I feel that it's been completely worth every cent spent...every second of the year I've owned it.

I only hope that all of you out there in watchdom can be as happy with your watch as I am and can experience an equal ownership experience.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/Sinn%20watches/Sinn%20U2/Nov%2017%20under%20the%20tree/P1010023.jpg

cheers, and Happy New Year!!

Tim

Crusader

January 1st, 2007, 16:42

I can report that this watch is in absolutely amazing shape. You all know now, if you've read this thread, what's it's been through and knowing that it's got over 3500 hrs of wear time, I'm sure that you would agree that the sub steel has really shown its strength and shined up to its advance billing. I don't think any of my other watches, past owned, and present, would have survived in the same condition as the U2. Except for the ding...it looks just like the day I pulled it out of the box.

Performance. It's running about 5 seconds fast a day but can run as much as 12 seconds fast a day depending on how long I wear it and what it's been through. This might be absolutely unacceptable for a +2000 watch for some people but my life is not that strict. My schedule is not so insane that a couple of seconds a day can make or break it. Other than that, it hasn't skipped a beat.

Excellent report, Tim, and I am glad to hear that everything works fine after the rough times you have been putting your watch through! b-)

To put the stated accuracy into perspective, one would probably have to add that you are wearing the watch with a much greater temperature range than other users. Wonder what the watch would to at 20 degrees Celsius plus/minus ten. ;-)

Tim got his boots back

January 1st, 2007, 21:11

Thank you Martin. :-)

I would like to add that with +3500 hours of wear over an entire year and the watch being worn without consideration for it's well being most of the time, except for obvious stuff like working in tight spaces where a crystal scratch would be more than probable, the case, lugs and crown are absolutely blemish free. What does this mean??

Well, it is, with the above noted, my opinion that a tegimented case is unnecessary. I would recommend that you do not waste your money on the added premium of tegimentation of the case. It appears to me that the bezel which overlaps the case protects it quite well. All the lines are crisp and sharp with no blemishes and this is important for the lug area where bracelet changes can lead to dents and scrapes and scratches. I've changed my ss bracelet to the rubber a few times.

Another thing that occured to me is that if your mating your U series watch to the U series ss bracelet, the untegimented case matches the bracelet quite well and if the case was tegimented, the lugs would be darker like the bezel and there would be a noticable contrast.

p.s. If you just want a tegimented case, that's cool and also if you forsee damage to your lugs based on rough usage or if your accident prone, tegimentation might help a bit with scratches but not much more than untegimented with dents.
All the best,
Tim

Tim got his boots back

January 9th, 2007, 01:32

Hi guys. Hope the new year's been treating you well.

Today, I was out in the outskirts at a garage where friends of mine were taking the radios and meters and top lights off of two taxis which I am taking out of service in order to install them on two 2003 Chevrolet Impalas. I stepped out of the truck onto glare ice. I didn't notice it was icy where I parked although I noticed ice on most sections on the road.

I slipped badly and took a terrible fall with my arms flying out. It happened really fast and the only real discernable moment was when my watch, crystal down smashed into the ice as I hit the ground. I heard a serious twack. Upon reaching a more or less vertical position and taking a systems, functions and operations test on my body, my attention immediately turned to the U2.

The crystal appeared scratched so I thought that ... "hey, well, I had a good run, looks like I have some battlescars, scratches that will remind me of the great fall of Jan 8th, oh welll....!! :roll: " but a few hours later, I had the opportunity to wipe off the crystal and examine it closer.

The crystal was not scratched at all. Wow, lucky me I guess. I have just checked the accuracy on the atomic clock on my computer and found my U2 to be running 8 seconds fast. I might have jumped a bit upon the violent collision with the ice. But, it's running fine and hasn't lost or gained anytime in an hour and 15 minutes. It's ok.

I guess that might be testiment to a very robust watch, or it may be viewed as just being very, very lucky. Anyway, thought I would share that with you guys.

Watch the ice ehh!! BTW, it's snowing like hell now, no wind but a very lovely Christmas cardy thing happening.

cheers,
Tim

icomm

January 9th, 2007, 10:22

Hi Tim,

It's amazing to hear that the watch survived after such landing...
The U2 is an important part of your live... and you always put it beyond the limits... good luck ? I don't think so, just an extraordinary watch...

Wish you the best for the new year

Crusader

January 9th, 2007, 12:20

Sorry to hear about your fall, Tim, but I am glad that you and the watch are o.k. It is really amazing that nothing happened to either of you ... people have been known to have their wrist broken when the watch, being tall, hits face down and serves as a break pointfor the bones. b-)

BTW, we are expecting 15 degrees centigrade here today ... :rodekaart

tallguy

January 9th, 2007, 20:32

Watch the ice ehh!! BTW, it's snowing like hell now, no wind but a very lovely Christmas cardy thing happening.

cheers,
Tim

We, too had a cold front roll in this morning.....got down to the 60's!!
(that's fahrenheit!!!)b-) Miami....what can I say?

EAD

January 14th, 2007, 19:17

WOW, I have all this thread (witch by the way was very very good:-! ), and really enjoyd it!

Now, after reading a lot more of sinn watches, reviews,pics and so on - I really appreciate the watch much more!

I personally love the U2 - has a great look, GMT, and seem to be hard as a rock, and even temp resistance |>
The price is also very nice, for what you get I don't know of any other watch that gives you that much for the $ |>
Also, the all around of things it got inside, seem like a top notch for me, indeed a very varstile watch and very though one (I can't imgine any other watch that can stand -30c and more :roll: )

Anyway, :thanks you all guys for those storys, love to read them, and wish you all a great year and hope you will share with me more info,pics, and personally storys :gold

see ya

dirkpitt73

January 15th, 2007, 07:20

Greetings all - I've been wearing my new U1 full time (more or less, couple Sub days mixed in) since Christmas day. Long enough for my thoughts to solidify a little more since I posted my three day old first impressions to TZ. So, here goes - my thoughts on three weeks with the U1:

1. Case - looks and feels great, seemingly indestructible. I hit it hard on a plane lavatory door (while trying to wrangle my toddler for a diaper change!). My Rolex and Omega would not have taken the hit so well, not a scratch on the U1. Also knocked it a few times on corners of walls and car doors, never looks or feels even remotely affected by this abuse. One note regarding the crown, I've found it doesn't screw in as easily as others I've had. Takes a few times to catch the threads, hopefully this won't result in stripping. Anyone else experience this? Hopefully this will improve over time.

2. Crystal - shows every fingerprint and is definitely tough to keep clean. Breathing on and wiping, like I do with other watches, doesn't do the trick. Very readable though, absolutely no reflections. I hope the coating is as strong as they say it is. Running under the faucet and wiping dry seems to be the best method for getting back to that spotless finish, but it doesn't last long.

3. Dial - it's definitely unique. Not for all tastes but I like it. Sometimes I catch myself doing a double take when the hands are perfectly aligned or straight out (like 10:20) - a giant white line across the dial! One thing I don't get though: why is the "Made in Germany" blacked out? It would look better in red like the rest of writing.

4. Strap / Deployment - I have the default rubber strap version and I must admit, so far this has been the one weak link in my U1 experience. I know others like it but I've not found it comfortable over the long haul. I find it slips down the arm and is then hard to get wriggled back up to the wrist and in case you're wondering, it's not loose by any means. I've found the best way to move it up the wrist, which I find myself doing many times a day, is to grab the deployment with my thumb and the bezel with my index and middle fingers. This flattens the oval and makes it move easily. Unfortunately, this action also usually smudges the AR coating with fingerprints. As for the deployment, it's enormous, but not unwieldly. On a side note re: sizing - I tried to do it symmetrically per the instructions but needed to cut one side uneven to get the right fit. I ended up switching the straps with the Sinn logo on the outside because I'd cut the wrong end shorter, pushing the watch out too much. I like the Sinn logo out better anyway. Bottom line, I'm most likely going to get the bracelet as I think it will be much more comfortable.

5. Accuracy - very good, best of all my mechanicals, roughly 5 secs/day fast on average and it's not even broken in.

So, in summary, I'm quite satisfied overall with the purchase and would definitely recommend the watch. It makes me want to try the other U-series out as well, a symptom of my WIS-illness no doubt. I really enjoyed the forum prior to purchase and hope to enjoy as well as contribute going forward. I think the brand definitely benefits from the well spoken and reasoned enthusiam seen on this and other Sinn forums.

Rich Giannone

January 15th, 2007, 09:05

One note regarding the crown, I've found it doesn't screw in as easily as others I've had. Takes a few times to catch the threads, hopefully this won't result in stripping. Anyone else experience this? Hopefully this will improve over time.

Hi John,
Thanks for your impressions! In reference to the crown, because I've been dealing with four U1's around here, I've been able to play with a few crowns. It seems the spring tension while pushing down the crown is pretty variable from watch to watch. On my brother's U1, there's very little tension and he has no problem screwing his crown down every time. My watch is like yours, and takes a few trys of pressing and turning before it catches properly. My father's spring tension is very firm and it takes a good effort to get the crown seated properly to screw it down.
Rich

Tim got his boots back

January 15th, 2007, 10:01

tallguy

January 18th, 2007, 00:09

Tallguy, Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night, Jan 15, 16 and 17th respectively, the overnight low is forecast to be -31c with Wednesday having a close to -50c windchill. I will be leaving my U2 out overnight and ... maybe I'll securely strap it to the roof rack of my suburban and take a ride down the back road. Good winter test ehhh!

cheers all,
Tim

Having seen snow for the first time when I was 27, I have only one thing to say....Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !b-)

Tim got his boots back

January 19th, 2007, 13:03

EAD

January 19th, 2007, 13:07

Well it seem that Sinn usn't delviring watches to Israel, so there goes my way to have a U2 someday <| :-s

Crusader

January 19th, 2007, 14:22

I am sure there is a AD for Israel, or ADs willing to ship to Israel. You might want to check with forum sponsors gnomonwatches chronomaster.

EAD

January 19th, 2007, 14:50

I am sure there is a AD for Israel, or ADs willing to ship to Israel. You might want to check with forum sponsors gnomonwatches chronomaster.

Do you know of AD in Israel? I really don't know
and where can I find and how?
:-s

Crusader

January 19th, 2007, 19:49

Do you know of AD in Israel? I really don't know
and where can I find and how?
:-s

I didn't say an AD IN Israel, but an AD FOR Israel, and I already gave you two addresses. You can also see the list of international Sinn ADs here: http://www.sinn-uhren.de/sinn-uhren-2000/depots.htm

tallguy

January 20th, 2007, 02:44

I didn't say an AD IN Israel, but an AD FOR Israel, and I already gave you two addresses. You can also see the list of international Sinn ADs here: http://www.sinn-uhren.de/sinn-uhren-2000/depots.htm

LOL...be patient with EAD Martin; he takes a bit of "getting used to", but I think he means well!;-) b-) o|

Tim got his boots back

January 20th, 2007, 23:51

I was bored this afternoon so I took another UX wrist presence video. Hope this might be helpful to somebody, somehow.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEO%20Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence/Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence%2002/th_1b769e98.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/VIDEO%20Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence/Sinn%20UX%20wrist%20presence%2002/?action=view&current=1b769e98.flv)

cheers,
Tim

roberev

January 22nd, 2007, 05:59

I was bored this afternoon so I took another UX wrist presence video. Hope this might be helpful to somebody, somehow.

cheers,
Tim

When I get a UX, Sinn will need to pay you a commission.

Rob

edigun

January 22nd, 2007, 11:20

John. Thanks for the excellent in-depth and well reported ownership experience update. BTW...Made in Germany is blacked out so it enhances the clarity of the dial.

Rich, I wasn't aware of the different spring tensions in the crown. My U2 has a rather strong spring and it takes some force to start the threading. Once threaded, it takes a full 4 rotations before snug. Best I've seen.

EAD. Glad this thread has been of help to you.

Tallguy, Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night, Jan 15, 16 and 17th respectively, the overnight low is forecast to be -31c with Wednesday having a close to -50c windchill. I will be leaving my U2 out overnight and ... maybe I'll securely strap it to the roof rack of my suburban and take a ride down the back road. Good winter test ehhh!

cheers all,
Tim

Dear All,

Actually I'm still a rookie in watches but couldn't help feeling amaze the capability of U1. So I took a bold decision in getting myself a Sinn U1. As I am from Indonesia & not all types of Sinn being sold by the local AD so I ordered it from Singapore AD (THG). It took me 1 month of waiting (the AD told me that I was lucky enough to wait only for 1 month whereas other had to wait for 4 months minimum !!!)

I don't understand what makes the Sinn U series so hot & people are crazy in talking about that. Finally 1 week ago I got my very own U1 in Singapore, I was quite exciting to receive & wear it till now. Honestly I first impression of that watch is TOUGH !, Elegant & very macho ! Thats I can say right now. I wish to discuss more with all U series lovers & generally Sinn lover about this unique instrument watch.

Btw Tim hows ur winter testing goin ? I 31 degrees celsius here so I really depend on you to give me the final comment on winter test.

Thanks Bro.

Have a nice day from Indonesia.

Edigun

EAD

January 22nd, 2007, 11:31

Dear All,

Actually I'm still a rookie in watches but couldn't help feeling amaze the capability of U1. So I took a bold decision in getting myself a Sinn U1. As I am from Indonesia & not all types of Sinn being sold by the local AD so I ordered it from Singapore AD (THG). It took me 1 month of waiting (the AD told me that I was lucky enough to wait only for 1 month whereas other had to wait for 4 months minimum !!!)

I don't understand what makes the Sinn U series so hot & people are crazy in talking about that. Finally 1 week ago I got my very own U1 in Singapore, I was quite exciting to receive & wear it till now. Honestly I first impression of that watch is TOUGH !, Elegant & very macho ! Thats I can say right now. I wish to discuss more with all U series lovers & generally Sinn lover about this unique instrument watch.

Btw Tim hows ur winter testing goin ? I 31 degrees celsius here so I really depend on you to give me the final comment on winter test.

Thanks Bro.

Have a nice day from Indonesia.

Edigun

Nice to hear such a thing about a watch |>
I myself consdiring getting the Sinn U2, love the hands style on the U2 then the U1
So was it worth the wait? ;-)

Tim got his boots back

January 26th, 2007, 21:34

Greetings fellow Sinners.

We have had some pretty cold nights lately and this morning, the temperature was forecasted to reach -34 celsius. I took the liberty of leaving my Sinn U2 outside for 7 hours. The temp when I brought it out was -26 celsius and when I brought it in -32 celsius. This is a dead cold, no wind chill. Actual temp.

In this first video, I have just brought the U2 inside and it was frozen almost solid. You can see this by the frost on the crystal. Notice the watch is running properly.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/winter%20testing%2001/th_61bf13e6.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/winter%20testing%2001/?action=view&current=61bf13e6.flv)

In the second video taken a few seconds later, as confirmed by the time on the watch, I am running a sink of hot, hot steaming water. Steam is visible if you look closely. When I insert the watch, you will notice that the frosty ice on the crystal dissappears instantaneously which means that it was on the outside of the crystal and not the inside. Also take note of the fact that there is no frost, fog or condensation on the inside and the crystal doesn't pop or explode and the watch continues to run.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/winter%20testing%2001/th_49d9e418.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/winter%20testing%2001/?action=view&current=49d9e418.flv)

When removed, the case was super hot to the touch. Almost too hot to handle. The temperature would have transferred inside quickly as metal transfers heat fast, especially 4mm thickness. After over a minute in the hot, steaming water, the temperature should be back to at least room temperature inside the watch and probably hotter. Even after extraction, heat is still transferring inside.

This is visible proof of my winter testing last February and it's achieved the same results almost a year later.

-32 celsius to at least room temp in less than two minutes. A 50 degree celsius swing!! This should greatly exceed anything anyone could expose their U2 or any other watch to in real life conditions and accurately proves that the technology used here is not just some stupid marketing fluff but real, practical technology developed to enable such equipped watches to withstand pretty much any kind of climactic conditions it could encounter. At least the U2.

You may not need this tech, but I wear my watch on the outside of my mitts while snowmobiling in -25 celsius weather. I never seen a sled with a clock in the instrumentation. I need this tech. This watch was designed for me!!! by Lothar Schmidtt and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his hard work and dedication.

cheers,
Tim

edigun

January 27th, 2007, 07:50

Crusader

January 27th, 2007, 08:22

Awesome stuff, Tim! You really don't baby your U2 ... :-)

edigun, the dry capsules and Argon filling of the U2 would prevent fogging up during extreme temperature swings.

Tim got his boots back

January 29th, 2007, 13:29

6:25am Jan 29th 2007 - Outside the door it's now -37 celsius. I left my U2 outside all night and it's still ticking. Everything is normal with it except that it's frosted over. Looks just like the video so no pics necessary.

This is the coldest temperature my watch has seen and it's still running fine. It's still outside and I will bring it in around 9am. Going with the UX today.

Sinnerman

February 5th, 2007, 06:47

First, allow me to thank Patrick and Martin for allowing me to participate on this Sinn Forum and also to congratulate them for a great job in helping grow the young community of Sinn fans.

Since Oct 2006, I had the idea of coming up with an owner's experience report of the U1/2 since I had quite a few WIS friends who also own these wonderful tool timepieces. So thats how the project was born and I got hold of a dozen friends who indicated that they would contribute

I decided to publish the first few had sent me their reports (the others were too busy to finish them on time) and add I figured that I will add the rest later.

The concept was simple in that collectors who I know and trust (not just telling stuff others want to hear) would tell their own stories and experiences with the watch. I came up with a series of questions and they simply answered them in an essay.

So as one would describe this as a Long Term review of the watch - if you are interested, do CLICK HERE (http://harrytan.sg/watches/Sinn-U1-Review/) to read the report.

Thanks for looking!

Cheers!
Harry Tan

JOHNB

February 10th, 2007, 15:35

Crusader

February 10th, 2007, 22:58

Ive just got the Sinn U2 and I absolutely love it, so much so Im shopping now for the U1. Regarding the 2 I have two very small gripes. The first is the strap size. I prefer leather to rubber and when I changed the rubber strap and fitted a 22/20mm leather I found the watch slopped around on my wrist and didnt seem to sit correctly. I solved this problem by getting a 24/24mm Panerai strap and trimming the watch end by 1mm each side and it fitted perfectly and the width of the strap not only kept it stable on my wrist but suited the watch very much. Secondly the fact that the strap is fixed with spring bars and not screws as Panerai or Fortis was also disappointing. So disappointing that Im on the look out for someone who could convert the watch to take screws - any suggestions?
Apart from these two small points Im a convert.

Hello John,

in my experience, leather straps are easily +/- at least half a millimeter, or even a full millimeter.

Secondly, I have heard an experienced watchmaker argue that screwed bars are not inherently safer than spring bars, in his experience. Not trying to make light of the obvious in screwed bars, but I am inlcined to take into account that there may be more involved thatn meets the eye re bars. (Prefer fixed bars myself ;-)).

Tim got his boots back

February 22nd, 2007, 09:59

Hi Guys. Latest winter test.

Two days ago, we had a wild winter storm and I went out in the evening at about 8pm with my snowmobile and broke trail through the drifted snow down to my buddy's place where he was waiting for me...about 1 hour of trail riding and then we went to a small town called Connaught to a small bar that used to be a church and had a chip and played a game of pool and hung out. There was about 4 inches of fresh snowfall and more where it had drifted with the blowing snow. Breaking trail was totally awesome and crazy with the whipping snow and -22 celsius. An additional 2 inches of snow fell when we were at the bar.

I had my U2 strapped on the outside of my glove and it was taking the brunt of the wind and snow at speeds upwards of 100km/h. It was running fine when I got to the bar in Connaught after about 1 1/2 hours of blizzard conditions at an average speed of 65km/h.

Didn't take any pics as it was dark and blizzardy but trust me guys, the U2 ran flawlessly in conditions anybody would be hard pressed to similate.

It's snowing and blowing hard tonight and we will get about 6 to 8 more inches and I will be going out with the sled tomorrow before the groomer comes around to groom the trails so I can blast through the fresh drift.

I will try and take some pics for you guys.

cheers,
Tim

suckerforblockhands

February 23rd, 2007, 03:29

Thanks for the update. I envy your conditions Tim. Just being outside to witness the force of nature is so enjoyable for me. I can't imagine the amount of freedom the snowmobile gives you in the vast snowy countryside...

Ryan

Tim got his boots back

February 23rd, 2007, 03:42

Hi Ryan. Thanks. Your right, it's an absolute passion to snowmobile in the bush here. Our snowmobile season is long and full of snow every year.

Snowmobiling videos coming tonight...stay tuned! ;-)

U TURN

February 24th, 2007, 12:07

;-) Between the copper-sulphate capsule and the Argon gas, I think the former is much more important than the second. :-!

You´re right. That was confirmed by Sinn employees on the factory tour yesterday.

RogerP

March 13th, 2007, 03:19

Roger

LFCJari37

March 15th, 2007, 11:58

It looks huge in the box, and even bigger on my wrist. At 44m it’s the biggest watch I own, and it feels indestructible! I thought about splashing out on the bracelet, but im glad I didn’t, I love the comfort of the strap and the huge deployant is cool. The bezel turns beautifully, as expected, and thuds into each position more than clicks. It’s a more substantial sound than my Orange Monster and certainly than my loud Vostok Europe. I had never had a watch with AR on the dial, and it really is amazing. When its completely clean, it does look like there’s no crystal at times! I haven’t taken it out in bright sunshine yet to test (it’s been raining for 3 days solid) but will do that as soon as I can. It is very easy to set the time and date, with the 3 crown positions offering hacking feature as well. Also can be hand wound, and has 42hr power reserve. The Lume is better than I was led to believe, its every bit as bright as my OM, if not brighter. It hasn’t been as well applied though, with a sort of powdery texture to it on the minute hand, but that doesn’t bother me. As advertised, it is a smudge magnet, so its lucky I have a hanky with me all the time to combat this. The strap attracts plenty of dust too as a side-point, which has been pointed out by one of the members. Overall, its comfortably the best watch I’ve ever owned, and I will have to put great effort to make sure the other 2 watches get worn as much as they should:gold

Tim got his boots back

March 15th, 2007, 20:22

Just a quick line to thank you guys for your contribution here. Very much appreciated. |>

:thanks

mtc5

March 18th, 2007, 05:07

Here's another wrist presence video of my U2. My wrist size is 7.5 inches.

Hopefully this is of help to those contemplating a U series watch.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/th_4b3dc8d7.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/212longhole/U2%20video/?action=view&current=4b3dc8d7.flv)

all the best,
Tim

Tim, you're incredible - nice to know I'm not alone with my watch fascination. Question: Your video is extremely helpful and brought up a point I hadn't considered - it appears that the crystal on the UX is flat, below the bezel while the U2 is domed. Your video dramatically demonstrates the impact the silicon filled case has on the face. You can see the face at even sheer angles while the U2's domed crystal won't allow it.

Excellent work.

Now I have to choose between the U1, U2, or the UX. Having GMT is handy, though I really don’t need it (now. . . ). The U1’s unique hands are interesting, but the UX’s oil-filled case along with the U2’s styled face might be the ticket.

Can you think of some other difference I’ve overlooked between these?

You rock, eh?

Michael

lcheetec

March 18th, 2007, 07:16

Tim, you're incredible - nice to know I'm not alone with my watch fascination. Question: Your video is extremely helpful and brought up a point I hadn't considered - it appears that the crystal on the UX is flat, below the bezel while the U2 is domed. Your video dramatically demonstrates the impact the silicon filled case has on the face. You can see the face at even sheer angles while the U2's domed crystal won't allow it.

Excellent work.

Now I have to choose between the U1, U2, or the UX. Having GMT is handy, though I really don’t need it (now. . . ). The U1’s unique hands are interesting, but the UX’s oil-filled case along with the U2’s styled face might be the ticket.

Can you think of some other difference I’ve overlooked between these?

You rock, eh?

Michael

Well, if you dive to beyond 1,000m, then the U1's out for you. Beyond 2,000m the ticking stops for U2 (from the specs, I mean).

:-)

daniel

Tim got his boots back

March 18th, 2007, 11:03

Michael. A few words on the crystals. The UX and U1 crystals are thinner than the U2's. The U1 has a 3.5mm thick crystal and the U2 a 4.6 domed one. Not sure how thick the UX is...anyone know??

The U1 and UX crystals are indeed flat but they are not positioned below the bezel but are of equal height as far as I could tell.

The UX crystal combined with the a/r and silicon oil provide unparralleled clarity at the most extreme angles which, to me, is just simply amazing. But, there's something about a 4.6mm thick domed crystal that gives the U2 a most foreboding feel to it and just screams SERIOUS...PROFESSIONAL...TIME INSTRUMENT. The extra thickness of the bezel and subsequently the whole watch give the U2 that extra ummph!!

There are three watches that I own that bring out the oooh's and aaaah's. My two U boat steel watches and my old perfectly restored '76 Seiko brown bullhead. All my other watches have brought some .."hey, that's nice" but no real impact from my friends who are really not into watches and can't understand my, our facination with them. The absolute best accolade I could give to the U boat steel watches is the absolute, complete seal of approval from my buddies. They won't pay more than 40 bucks for a watch but seem to feel, having explained these watches in detail to them, that they are indeed worth the money I spent and they aren't just saying that because I'm sitting there. We don't do that to each other...we let 'er fly truthfully.

lcheetec

March 18th, 2007, 12:28

Michael. A few words on the crystals. The UX and U1 crystals are thinner than the U2's. The U1 has a 3.5mm thick crystal and the U2 a 4.6 domed one. Not sure how thick the UX is...anyone know??

Hi Tim

I just happened to have the UX lying around so, it is 13mm from bottom to top. Not as thick as the Ball Hydrocarbon GMT I also have, but very nicely proportioned with the rest of the watch.

Also, I second the visibility and get a kick out of getting my friends to look at it edge on while I slowly angle my wrist and show the hands plastered on the crystal. This the result of index matching between the oil and the crystal.

Just a word on the UX with original rubber strap and large buckle. They are a match made in heaven. Again, the overall heft and professional air about the Sinn (in this case, the UX) is unsurpassed in my collection. I wanted to buy and try the bracelet but it was too costly ($250) but might try the leather strap recommended in another thread by Hary.

daniel

mtc5

March 19th, 2007, 14:46

Well, after decades of loyal SEIKO lust, I made the jump to the German side. Odd that after all these years how one's perception can shift. I've read all of your posts including your very through reviews, Tim, which were all greatly appreciated as were all others.

After working through the decision process for the UX, U1, and U2, the 2 was selected. I love the X's oil filled case, but not the quartz. Loved the 1's simplicity and clean face, but couldn't grasp the hands. The U2's GMT was a major selling point between the three, along with the crystal, Argon gas, and desiccant pellets.

Straps have always been an issue for me. I've got a drawer full of Internet purchased straps I need to sell from trying to match a strap to my Marinemaster. Ironically, after realizing that I'll probably not take the U2 off my wrist, I'm wondering if I should let the MM find a new home. Watches are made to be worn, not kept in a drawer. I see them like dogs - gotta take them with you and play with them. If you leave them alone in the house, they get weird.

Back to the straps. To me, the balance between the strap/head is critical to the overall functionality of the timepiece. Although costly and dressier, the SS bracelet usually is the most comfortable to wear for me. The added weight is sometimes an issue, but form follows function.

There's something about the Sinn bracelet, which moved me. Very industrial and rounded. Functional. I like how the bracelet will let your skin breath. No longer in the cold Jersey winters, my Florida summers now are like dishwashers - very sauna like. I bought a Panni rubber/silicone, which looks similar to the Sinn, but I'd like the real deal.

Has anyone bought one from the AD? I just found the black/red leather strap on the bay but don't see any rubbers.

I must say that I've really enjoyed sharing your fanatical reviews and conversations about these watches. It's nice to know I'm not alone with my fetish. Let you all know when mine arrives and perhaps I can add to the strings the merits of this beautiful timepiece.

Michael

Tom R

March 25th, 2007, 07:43

I could not be happier with my new U1. Much like my Doxa, this watch seemed like a bargain for the money immediately upon opening the box and fitting my watch. I have spent one full year since buying my Doxa deciding which watch to buy next. I chose the Sinn U1, and I do believe my choice was a fine one. :gold

I think it was good business by Sinn to offer their newest watch, shown on the Sinn TZ forum - The 757, on a tegmented bracelet. The tegmented bezel on my U1 is just wickedly tough... adding a tegmented bracelet was the next step. Sinn is obviously paying attention to customers. |>

Crusader

March 25th, 2007, 22:45

I think it was good business by Sinn to offer their newest watch, shown on the Sinn TZ forum - The 757, on a tegmented bracelet. The tegmented bezel on my U1 is just wickedly tough... adding a tegmented bracelet was the next step. Sinn is obviously paying attention to customers. |>

Both tegimented cases and tegimented bracelets have been routinely offered by Sinn for about five years now, see e.g. 656/756/856 and 900. ;-)

Mustard

March 25th, 2007, 22:58

Did you get a tegmented bracelet for your U1?

The tegmented bezel on my U1 is just wickedly tough... adding a tegmented bracelet was the next step. Sinn is obviously paying attention to customers. |>

Janne

April 17th, 2007, 00:08

I am not a Sinn-er yet, so sorry to barge in into this fora. I am about to buy a "U" watch. The problem I have is to decide which one. U1: Plus:thinner, possibly a better movement,like the hands more, cheaper. Minus: flat crystal, no UTC, U2: Plus: domed crystal, UTC function, fogfree. Minus: More expensive, thin hands. Has anybody investigated if the factory can replace the thin U2 hands to the thick U 1 ones? Help!
Greetings to you all Janne

pixiebb

May 13th, 2007, 13:57

i became a Sinner just for a few weeks, but i enjoy my daily Sinn:-!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/pixiebb/U1wristshot.jpg

JesperF_DK

May 25th, 2007, 22:45

Hi all,

First time writing in this esteemed forum :-)

I'm the proud owner of a U2 - bought it from www.sinn.dk (http://www.sinn.dk) the Danish AD last summer.

I work in the IT industry where it is almost getting impossible to go anywhere without having every junior sales rep flashing their Breitling or Omega watch(es). So I thought I wanted something a little different. It was pretty much by accident that I discovered the Sinn productline - read an article on the Danish watch site www.vintageure.dk (http://www.vintageure.dk) where Sinn was mentioned, bounced over to the Sinn website and HELLO! Stumbled across the U2 and my search stopped there and then. Ordered the watch from Sinn.dk immidiately and about 14 days later it arrived. I added the bracelet a couple of months later - the rubber strap i super cool but the bracelet makes it possible to use the U2 for formel events as well ;-)

The watch gets it's share of comments when worn that's for sure. Haven't met anyone yet who doesn't find the watch cool.

I only rotate between 3 watches so the U2 is pretty much on the wrist all the time and it works like a charm. In the first month or so it was a bit ahead of time. Started of by gaining 40 sec/day, that slowed to +5 sec/day. However after approx 8 months it has begun losing time! About 40-50 seconds pr. day. Now I'm no deepsea diver - the toughest conditions the watch has been put through is swimming in a pool. The copper-sulphate is a clear white still, soh... I've started logging this. Any input to how much a timeloss I should accept from a watch of this standard? Looking forward to hear from you guys!

Crusader

May 27th, 2007, 00:53

Hello and welcome here!

It is always worth to look at magnetism (we live in a highly electronic, and by extension magnetic, world) as the source of inaccuracy.

A good watchmaker should be able to de-magnetize the watch, which will - depending on the result - lead to further steps, or rectify the problem.

The U-series is not among the Sinn watches which have the special antimagnetic protection (like the Flieger watches).

JesperF_DK

May 27th, 2007, 01:24

Hi Martin,

Txh a million for the quick response - magnetism eh? Shouldn't have played "can-I-lift-my-brand-new-U2-watch-with-a-horseshoe-magnet" after all :-)

Thought the U-boat steel had extreme anti-magnetic proporties though - but that offcourse doesn't mean the watch has been specially tested for this. Hmm... will just have to keep logging the accuracy and see what happens.

Again - thx for the input.

BR
Jesper

Crusader

May 27th, 2007, 01:29

Thought the U-boat steel had extreme anti-magnetic proporties though

It does not. Quite the opposite, really ... check out the article in the articles section for the full details of how specail antimagnetic protection like in the aviation watches (and the EZM 3) are the ooposite concept of what the U-series is optimized for. ;-)

JesperF_DK

May 29th, 2007, 00:38

Hey Crusader,

:thanks Thx for the input - wasn't able to find the article you're referring to though - my forum skills aren't that great yet :-)

Was however able to find some details on the magnetic field technology that Sinn uses to extend the magnetic protection further than the normal DIN demands.
I know the U2 doesn't have the special magnetic field capability but the watch and it's ETA movement is still anti-magnetic up to the demands of DIN 8309 http://www.sinn.de/sinn-uhren-2000/online-shop/Modelle/archiv/archiv.htm (4,800 A/m). I know this doesn't give much protection if you're up against i.e. a MRI-scanner or a power turbine :-), but it should be able to handle day-to-day contact with small magnetic fields.

On another note - it seems as if the time loss is actually "cooling" off and is now stabilising. The wonders of mechanical watches ;-)

BR
Jesper

Crusader

May 29th, 2007, 11:00

Hi Jesper, the article can be found here: http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=13804

Sinn have conducted a wide-ranging test (n=1000), and a surprisingly high number of watches (50%?) were magnetized to some degree, affecting their accuracy. Since practically all watches today are antimagnetic to DIN (=4'800 A/m), I am not sure just how good that basic protection package is.

JesperF_DK

May 29th, 2007, 20:43

Hi Martin,

I see - read the thread you linked to. Makes sense. Thx for your time and effort ;-)

BR
Jesper

Tim got his boots back

June 6th, 2007, 10:15

Hello Sinners. I have a rather boring update on my Sinn U2 and UX. By boring, I mean that nothing much has changed.

I have owned my U2 since December 31st, 2005 and I now have somewhere between 4400 and 4500 hours of wrist time with it. I have abused this watch somewhat over that period of time by subjecting it to temperatures as low as -37 celsius when I left it out all night and to temperatures of 38 celsius in the hot summer. I have also given it a couple of super drastic rapid temperature changes which you can read about in this thread. It's been banged, scraped, dropped and shaken and vibrated. Pretty much everything you could imagine you could do to your watch, I have done, not for the sake of testing, but because this watch is my constant companion and is almost always on my wrist. It has followed me everywhere and has taken what it has encountered. The only consideration for its well being was when I knew that damage to the crystal was a given and I had to take it off to complete whatever task I was confronted with. I have only a small dent on the edge of the bezel where I dropped in onto a cinder block, (read more of this in this thread...also look for the pic), to show for all of this. No scratches or scrapes or smudges. The sub steel and tegimentation on the bezel really works.

The movement has seen accuracies of between +3 sec/day to about 12 sec/day. The average is about +5 sec/day ish. Depending on what you are doing and how long you wear it, the accuracies will change but I believe that after almost a year and a half of steady wearing, my 2893.2 movement can be considered a durable, reliable tractor movement. Yours may differ. Mine's just fine.

The copper / sulphate sight glass at the 6 o'clock position has not changed in colour since I first pulled it out of the box. Considering the rapid temperature changes and the vast range of temperatures encountered and the elapsed time, I would say that the viton gaskets are very good gaskets and I still have a considerable w/r rating after 1.5 years. I can trust taking this watch underwater based on the sight glass colour.

I wear the ss bracelet all the time. I have not used the rubber since I put the ss on. I really like it and it really makes this watch very imposing. The presence is TITANIC. Very Substantial.

So no issues at all after almost a year and a half. I will keep you updated.

_________________________

My UX has been in my posession since August 24th of last year. It's doing fine as well and is out by about 15 seconds since that time. The crystal smudges easily and is hard to clean but I don't really notice it anymore. I tend to wear it on days where I have short sleeves and am just casually running around and I don't encounter smudging.

The clarity is unreal and the extreme angle effect is still intriguing to me after all this time. It's a real hit with my friends.

I have a little over 1000 hours of wrist time with it.

___________________________

I highly recommend both watches to anyone.

All the best,
Tim

lcheetec

June 6th, 2007, 18:49

Nice to hear from you again, Tim!

daniel
Singapore

Hello Sinners. I have a rather boring update on my Sinn U2 and UX. By boring, I mean that nothing much has changed.

I have owned my U2 since December 31st, 2005 and I now have somewhere between 4400 and 4500 hours of wrist time with it. I have abused this watch somewhat over that period of time by subjecting it to temperatures as low as -37 celsius when I left it out all night and to temperatures of 38 celsius in the hot summer. I have also given it a couple of super drastic rapid temperature changes which you can read about in this thread. It's been banged, scraped, dropped and shaken and vibrated. Pretty much everything you could imagine you could do to your watch, I have done, not for the sake of testing, but because this watch is my constant companion and is almost always on my wrist. It has followed me everywhere and has taken what it has encountered. The only consideration for its well being was when I knew that damage to the crystal was a given and I had to take it off to complete whatever task I was confronted with. I have only a small dent on the edge of the bezel where I dropped in onto a cinder block, (read more of this in this thread...also look for the pic), to show for all of this. No scratches or scrapes or smudges. The sub steel and tegimentation on the bezel really works.

The movement has seen accuracies of between +3 sec/day to about 12 sec/day. The average is about +5 sec/day ish. Depending on what you are doing and how long you wear it, the accuracies will change but I believe that after almost a year and a half of steady wearing, my 2893.2 movement can be considered a durable, reliable tractor movement. Yours may differ. Mine's just fine.

The copper / sulphate sight glass at the 6 o'clock position has not changed in colour since I first pulled it out of the box. Considering the rapid temperature changes and the vast range of temperatures encountered and the elapsed time, I would say that the viton gaskets are very good gaskets and I still have a considerable w/r rating after 1.5 years. I can trust taking this watch underwater based on the sight glass colour.

I wear the ss bracelet all the time. I have not used the rubber since I put the ss on. I really like it and it really makes this watch very imposing. The presence is TITANIC. Very Substantial.

So no issues at all after almost a year and a half. I will keep you updated.

_________________________

My UX has been in my posession since August 24th of last year. It's doing fine as well and is out by about 15 seconds since that time. The crystal smudges easily and is hard to clean but I don't really notice it anymore. I tend to wear it on days where I have short sleeves and am just casually running around and I don't encounter smudging.

The clarity is unreal and the extreme angle effect is still intriguing to me after all this time. It's a real hit with my friends.

I have a little over 1000 hours of wrist time with it.

___________________________

I highly recommend both watches to anyone.

All the best,
Tim

roberev

June 6th, 2007, 20:01

<snip!>
My UX has been in my posession since August 24th of last year. It's doing fine as well and is out by about 15 seconds since that time. The crystal smudges easily and is hard to clean but I don't really notice it anymore. I tend to wear it on days where I have short sleeves and am just casually running around and I don't encounter smudging.
<snip!>
All the best,
Tim

I hear 'ya about the smudging. Since I now have to wear eyeglasses and keep lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth in my office, car, and home, I just give the UX crystal a quick spray and wipe when I clean my glasses. This seems to do the job well enough for me.

I agree with you regarding the bracelet. Pictures of it don't do it justice (cliche, I know). I've found that the UX also looks great on myriad straps. Today, I've got it on a Sinn shark strap. I'm going to have to take and post photos of all the different UX/strap combos one of these days.

Well, here's one Q&D shot that I've posted before . . . UX w/brown Hirsch Leonardo Principe/Principal (gator grain):
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/roberev/Sinn%20UX/IMG_2873.jpg

Rob

Grey Uhu

June 11th, 2007, 01:02

Hi Ya'll!

The Forum didn't recognize my prior account (Grey Owl), so I had to re-register. I know I haven't been active on the forum, but I monitor it from time to time.

Anyway...on to the quick & dirty review of my U2 ownership:

I've owned my U2 for approximately 1 year and six months (since Nov 2005). Yes, I got one of the first batch to the USA.

Problems: NONE
Accuracy: Well within tolerable limits (+ or - 3 seconds day; worse + 5)
NOTES: Never used the supplied rubber strap; worn on grey ZULU 4 ring)

Overall impression: My favorite daily wearer; accurate, functional, and an attention getter...from mostly ladies, surprisingly.

Would I buy it again? YES. If lost I'd replace it ASAP.

Anything else? Nope. IF I had to have ONE watch, this would be it.

JesperF_DK

June 11th, 2007, 11:37

Hi All,

Well I'm getting close to my 1 year anniversary with my U2. Needless to say - especially in this forum ;-) - this watch is a keeper!

I mainly use the metal bracelet but from time to time I switch to the rubberstrap for that authentic look. I've just ordered the black U2 leather strap with red stitching - just to add another combo.

The U2 combined with business-suit and tie raises a few eyebrows - the watch has a special "presence" because of it's ruggedness and clean cut engineering.

Tried to capture a couple of pictures of watch. I wish to apologise in advance - I'm not a good photographer so bear over with me...

Problems: Nope, not really (see accuracy)

Accuracy: When worn consistently the accuracy is OK +/- 5-10 sec pr. day. But... when the watch has to rely on handwinding (because I'm using another watch) accuracy seems to deteriorate :-( It will then lose up to 30 secs pr. day. Guess it's trying to tell my something, eh? Keep the watch on the wrist and don't use others :think:

Overall impression: An excellent and imposing timekeeper with a unique ruggedness in combination with top of the line engineering. It doesn't just look like a mean workhorse - it actually is one...

Would I buy it again: If I lost it... hmmm... might want to try another divewatch from Sinn then. Maybe a 203 Arktis...

No further comments as of today.

ToddG

June 30th, 2007, 19:16

I've had my UX for eight days. It was purchased from a WUS member who bought it February from the original owner. The watch was originally purchased from Watchbuys in Dec'06. The COSC certificate (details included below) is dated Jan'06.

I find nothing to dislike about this watch. The dial is clean and easily read, and the "oblique angle readability" feature is one that has been discussed many times here. Nonetheless, I would have to agree with most of the UX owners that it's something you need to experience to understand. And while it is true the crystal smudges easily, the watch is so readable from so many angles that it's only a bother if you look for it. The harder-than-steel AR coating means you can use just about anything you want to wipe the crystal clean, too.

This particular UX does exhibit the "bouncing second hand" but just slightly. It happens when the second hand is sweeping up from 6 to 12 when the watch is lying dial-up, and it happens from 12 to 6 when the watch is dial-down. When the watch is more or less vertical -- like when I read it on my wrist -- there is no bounce.

The lume, while certainly not enough to read by, is adequate for bedside time checks at night if the watch gets a little charge before bedtime. I keep an Insight Typhoon on my nightstand, so that isn't a problem. The lume is also perfectly acceptable for spending a few hours in a movie theater, etc. Personally, I'm not a fan of blinding bright lume, so I'm happy with this.

The quality control on the watch is obviously very high. Construction is top notch. The only minor misalignments are that the second hand isn't perfectly aligned with the dial hash marks (common to all but the highest high-end quartz watches unless you're lucky) and the bezel seems to be off by about 3 degrees clockwise. Neither is noticeable when admiring the watch or reading the time, but if you look closely it's definitely there. I will most likely ask Sinn to adjust both of these when the watch goes back to Germany in a few years for a battery change. In the meantime, it isn't enough of a bother to think about.

The bracelet that came with the watch is of extraordinarily high quality, and the finish matches the tegimented bezel very nicely. Still, I've already managed to put a few marks on it and will probably get the new tegimented bracelets when they become available later this year. Sizing the bracelet is a snap with the included hex wrenches, and the hex head screws in the bracelet make it look particularly "tough" compared to most watches.

Swapping out the bracelet for a Sinn-signed rubber strap was equally easy. I do wish the rubber strap buckle had fine adjustments but it's summer now so hopefully the watch will continue to fit throughout the year. The rubber strap is quite stylish looking and much lighter than the steel bracelet. I can wear the UX on rubber strap while working out, running, etc. I also prefer the two-pusher deployant on the rubber strap to the foldover on the bracelet.

As far as timekeeping is concerned, it's only been eight days so one would expect a thermocompensated quartz to be perfect and my UX is. Set at 2200 (GMT-4) on Fr 22-Jun, the watch is still ticking precisely along with the US Naval Observatory atomic clock. This is no surprise, since the COSC certificate reports less than 0.01 second/day deviation for the watch:

Day 1, 23 deg C, "Additional Mechanisms" ... M1: -0.00
Day 2, 23 deg C ... M2: -0.01
Day 3, 8 deg C, "Temperatures" ... M3: 0.02
Day 4, 38 deg C, "Temperatures" ... M4: -0.04
Day 5, 23 deg C ... M5: -0.01
Day 6, 23 deg C ... M6: -0.00
Day 7, 23 deg C, "24h Dynamic Rate" ... M7: -0.01
Day 8, 23 deg C ... M8: -0.00
Day 9, 23 deg C, "100 g Mechanical Shocks" ... M9: -0.00
Day 10, 23 deg C ... M10: -0.00
Day 11, 23 deg C ... M11: -0.01

Mean Daily Rate at 23 deg C: -0.00 (spec is +/- 0.07)
Rate at 8 deg C: 0.02 (spec is +/- 0.20)
Rate at 38 deg C: -0.04 (spec is +/- 0.20)
Stability of rate in horizontal position: 0.01 (spec is 0.05)
Effect of dynamic test on rate: -0.00 (spec is +/- 0.05)
Temporary effect of shocks on rate: -0.00 (spec is +/- 0.05)
Residual effect of shocks on rate: -0.00 (spec is +/- 0.05)
Rate-resumption: -0.00 (spec is +/- 0.05)

My watch has been subjected to about 1,500 rounds of pistol shooting in the past week without any effect on accuracy. It hasn't really been challenged environmentally except for a few hot showers and the frigid blast of air conditioning. :-)

If I was put in charge of Sinn tomorrow, the only things I would change about the UX would be the addition of a perpetual calendar and a quick-set hour hand. A watch this accurate really shouldn't need to get hacked twice a year for Daylight Savings/summer time or when one travels across timezones frequently. There is a version of the UX's ETA Thermoline movement that has those features.

For the money, I would have to say this is the best watch I've bought. It has the same movement as the (half-again more expensive) Breitling Colt II Quartz I own. In fact, the Colt II will be going up for sale pretty soon now that I have the UX.

A great first Sinn, and I owe a lot to all the Sinners at WUS for this and similar threads helping me decide if and what to buy.

Stay safe!

feudallordcult

July 3rd, 2007, 10:05

Got myself a U1 3 days ago and loving every moment of it. It's a shame that the clasp is not made of sub steel. then again, i guess cost constraint would be a factor. here's me being silly posing in complete darkness in the wee hours of a monday morning.

May i just ask where I could locate a tegimented bracelet? I have a hunch that it's gonna cost a limb at teh very least.

Will update every six months, cheers:-!
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/421/dsc00481jz2.jpg

AH1

August 3rd, 2007, 21:44

Well it’s been a bit quiet on here recently so time for a new post.
I’d read and re-read all of the posts here and Tim Patrick’s “tests” convinced me that the U2 was the watch for me.

My only concern was whether the watch would be too big for me.

The solution was to call the UK AD (Neil at Chronomaster) and arrange to meet him, no big problem as he is only an hours drive away.

So three weeks ago I became the proud owner of U2 number 1020.1061
I wanted it with the bracelet, but as Neil didn’t have one in stock I took it with the rubber strap and arranged for the bracelet to be sent on.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2491a.jpg

The presentation box is very nice but I couldn’t wait to get the watch set to the correct time and onto my wrist.

Initially I was unsure about the rubber strap, but it is just so comfortable, I’ve swapped it a few times with both the bracelet, a black leather strap and various NATO’s, the rubber is my favourite by far.

So what are my thoughts on the watch, well it is extremely accurate, losing between one and two seconds per 24hrs.
Although it is heavy it is comfortable to wear.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2441a.jpg

Earlier I posted a thread about the fact that my watch has a red “1 minute marker” on the bezel, I have seen this on photos of other watches, although I don’t know the reason for this.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2494a.jpg

Also I was disappointed to discover that the was no “SUG” engraving on my case at 6 o clock, that said it would usually be covered by the rubber strap or bracelet.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2502a.jpg

The lume is excellent fading quite quickly from its brightest but then remaining constant throughout the rest of the night. Only the slightest of natural light is needed to illuminate the watch face.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2515a.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2517a.jpg

The hands are the most beautiful white colour.
My GMT hand also lines up perfectly with the hour hand.
I also like the typeface used for the engraving on the back of the case.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2497a.jpg

There has been some discussion about the crystal’s on U series watches showing up marks, my experience is that the U2 is reasonably smudge free and only ever needs a quick wipe with my shirt to clean it.

After three weeks the watch is as good as new with not a mark on it, its considerably tougher than the Sinn strap changing tool which lasted less than two weeks !!!!

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/hill933/U2/DSC_2518.jpg

So if you wondering whether to buy one or not my advice is an unequivocal yes and if you are from Sinn (or one of the AD’s) and are reading this then I think you should be supplying Tim Patrick with free watches for life as I suspect his posts have sold an awful lot of U series watches.

Cheers Andy