Sinn Quality Problems

[als0008]

I'm really getting concerned about the overall quality of Sinn Watches. This is particularly true considering the current inflated prices of Watchbuys for theses watches. I have three Sinn's; a U1, 756 and an EZM. On the U1, the triangle lume on the bezel has come off twice and the crown has come off once when resetting the time. I had the 756 into RGM late last year (which took three months) to repair the frozen GMT hand and now the second hand has come loose and does not work. In comparison to other watches of similar price point such as Omega or Breitling I'm just not seeing these quality control problems. I was going to by a 556 for my wife who wants a men's mid-sized but I think I'll go another direction. Is anyone else seeing these problems?

[Janne]

The lume triangle on the bezel of my EZM3 fell out. It had to be sent back to Sinn for a bezel replacement under warranty.
A couple of months after I bought the JLC Master Moon, it stopped and had to go back to the factory for a warranty repair/service.

I think these things happen, both on cheap-ish (Sinn) and more expensive (JLC) watches.
I truly do not think that Sinn have lowered the quality.
And, we can not accuse Sinn of what Watchbuys charge!

[DavidCassell]

One thing I must say here....I've been very impressed with Sinn's service. I think you get a level of personal service that you wouldn't find at Omega, Rolex etc. I am dealing with them now and they are very good indeed.

However, I do wish that my SINN watches didn't have to go to Sinn service so often, and so I agree with the "Sinn Quality Problems".

But I am sure other brands have their issues, probably very similar.

Cheers David

[scm64]

The lume triangle on the bezel of my EZM3 fell out. It had to be sent back to Sinn for a bezel replacement under warranty.
A couple of months after I bought the JLC Master Moon, it stopped and had to go back to the factory for a warranty repair/service.

I think these things happen, both on cheap-ish (Sinn) and more expensive (JLC) watches.
I truly do not think that Sinn have lowered the quality.
And, we can not accuse Sinn of what Watchbuys charge!

+1 I have had no problems with the 3 I have. But I did have to send a Swiss brand back after 5 days to a manufacturer for repair ( which was done quickly and correctly), so it can happen to any brand.

[Tristan17]

i've brought my U1 to cycling, gyms, rock climbing, snorkeling trips and maybe diving soon but still no problems after more than a year.
I would say that in any product, there bound to be some defects here and there. Quality Standards are still the same but nobody can avoid certain manufacturing issues. If not, customer service people will be out of job.
IMHO.

[als0008]

All good replies. Thanks. I may also be a bit negatively biased at this point due to dealing with RGM for service.

[Janne]

I always deal with the Manufacturer (factory). More expensive - yes, but I believe they provide a higher quality. Just IMHO, of course!

[Geof3]

These things are mechanical devices. They break, they have bugs, some are just flat out lemons. Happens in ALL areas of mechanics from watches to airplanes at any and all price points. Frankly, some people have very good luck with mechanical items, others don't for whatever reason (I have my own personal thoughts on that one.) Anyway, sorry you've had some issues, they are never fun. But I don't think it refects on a quality control issue, or price point valuation.

[dogdoc97]

I want a 103 and just ordered a GLYCINE SST, read the posts on that forum, and the letter from GLYCINE, one after another out of the box NOT working including mine that was 4 HOURS off in a 24 hour period!!!!!!!! I see QC issues with many brands; I agree things break,hell we break as machines, but right from the factory or first 90 days, I am not easy on these mfg'rs, they need to up the QC at THE DOOR! IMHO! dogdoc

[Kurt Koerfgen]

Sinns no different from other manufacturers. You can't check every single watch.....
....They don't have control of how a ad stores or treats there products....
.... As long as the company fixes the watch, what more can you expect?

I disagree with parts of your statement, quoted above.

On the contrary: YES, I do fully expect a watch manufacturer like Sinn (or Breitling, Omega, IWC, etc...) to check every watch.
Absolutely, and without reservations.

If I should believe for only a moment that Sinn would take a movement as it is delivered from ETA, slap dial and hands on it, case it, and put it in a box "ready for delivery" without any checks, I could have saved my money and picked up something like that for a fraction of the costs in the streets of Shanghai. (It might even say "Rolex", "Omega" or "Breitling" on the dial.)
The difference is called quality control, which should be an ongoing process for any manufacturer that intends to stay in business for long, and which I consequently believe is an area where Sinn needs to pay close attention to.

I do not get overly excited when an occasional hidden defect should slip past quality control and becomes apparent only later. I consider that largely unavoidable and manufacturers can soften the impact of defective goods by a generous, quick and unbureaucratic warranty system. But in essence warranties are a remedy - not a substitute - for flaws that should have been detected by Quality Control (often more appropriately referred to as Quality Assurance - QA) before the goods left the factory.

While I noticed that some owners do take their expectations to an extreme, manufacturers of mechanical quality watches have an obligation to ensure that their products leave the factory in a condition that makes them fit for service.

When you say: They {Sinn} don't have control of how a ad stores or treats there products; do you mean to suggest that some Sinn AD's treat Sinn watches harsher than the environment that the eventual buyer exposes the watch to; or that Sinn should pay no attention to the set-up, reputation, expertise and facilities of a dealer they intend to appoint as distributor?

While we need to be realistic with our expectations on how a new watch should perform, we need to be likewise realistic on how manufacturers should keep their part of the bargain, which includes delivering a properly functioning watch.

Discerning customers would find your suggested attitude of "Quality control? What quality control; the manufacturer can always fix it on warranty. So what do you want?" clearly unacceptable.
Particularly it would not be good enough for a manufacturer like Sinn, which depends extensively on Internet sales and a limited network of distributors, with service centers few and far between.





K.