Mido’s new version, our test watch, most closely resembles one of its historical ancestors with two counters at the 9 and the 3. Mido’s annals have this to say about the original chronograph: “The large central hand indicates the fifths of a second. The subdial on the right shows the elapsed time in minutes. This type of dial is recommended for athletes, technicians, photographers, etc.”

Speed Measurement Through The Years 

Today, the new watch’s golden elapsed-seconds hand sweeps from the center of the dial, follows the 4-Hz rhythm of Mido’s modern Caliber 60 and passes smoothly along a correctly calibrated elapsed-seconds scale with three graduation marks per second on the edge of the dial. Together with the tachymeter scale, which is positioned even farther out on the dial’s rim, the elapsed-seconds scale gives the Multifort Patrimony Chronograph an instrument-like look. This tachymeter scale differs from those on historical models, which ran in a spiral in the inner part of the dial. Mido’s instruction manual explained how to use this scale: “At a distance of one kilometer, the reading is taken on three rings, beginning with the outer one. The numerals on the ring indicate the speed in kilometers per hour. The speed is read on the outer ring for an elapsed interval of less than one minute, on the middle ring during the second minute, and on the inner ring during the third minute.”

With our modern Multifort Patrimony Chronograph, only speeds of intervals up to one minute and 60 kilometers per hour can be read. But considering the fast pace of our times, this is probably not much of a shortcoming. Less satisfactory, however, is the fact that the tachymeter scale appears quite distorted under the highly arched rim of the box sapphire crystal and is, therefore, difficult to read. The suboptimum legibility here is quite the opposite of the clear readability of the rest of the chronograph functions and the time.

A Modern Movement Ticks Behind A Nostalgic Façade 

Although the central elapsed-seconds hand is very thin, it can always be easily seen because its rose-gold color contrasts well against the dark blue background of the dial. The same good legibility also distinguishes the small and likewise gold-plated hand for the continually running seconds, its counterpart for the elapsed minutes and even more so for the two retro-style “alpha” hands for the main time, which even glow in the dark. The dial has a fine sunburst finish and the curvature of its rim follows the curve of the sapphire box crystal, thus emphasizing the nostalgic character of this timepiece.

The two chronograph pushers further affirm the handsome retro styling. With their mushroom shape, they look exactly the same today as their ancestors did on Mido’s first chronograph more than 80 years ago. Today, however, they trigger the stopwatch functions of a modern movement, namely the Mido Caliber 60, where the 60 in the name refers to the movement’s 60-hour power reserve. Caliber 60 embodies a modernization of the ETA/Valjoux 7753 to create the ETA A05.H31, which is also used in various versions by other brands of the Swatch Group, to which Mido also belongs.

A relic from the ETA/Valjoux 7753 is the quickset date, which is positioned at the 6, where it replaces one of the classic white Arabic numerals. The quickset is not operated with the crown extracted to its center position, as is usual, but by pressing a tiny button inset into the case at the 10. The resetting requires a tool, a correction pen that is supplied by Mido, but which may not always be at hand.

Mido encases the Elaboré version of Caliber 60 in the Multifort Patrimony Chronograph. Among other things, this means that the movement is only regulated in three positions. ETA specifies a rate deviation of between plus and minus 7 seconds per day in this quality level. Our test watch kept time within this range in all situations. It ran best on the wrist, and its rate also remained stable with the chronograph switched on. The cam shift mechanism for the chronograph works in the usual manner. A bit more pressure is needed to begin measuring an elapsing interval; stopping, restarting and the zero position work a bit more easily. But these three commands run very pleasantly and give you the feeling of having secure pressure points under your fingertips. The partly polished and partly satin-finished case, which is plated with rose-gold PVD, tapers toward the back with a concave step, making it easier to turn the crown when resetting the hands. This also hides somewhat the overall height of more than 15.5 mm, which is due to the combination of the highly arching box sapphire crystal and the tall threaded back with its window of sapphire crystal.

Historical Lettering Pays Tribute To a Rich Heritage 

Despite its relatively tall height, the elegant yet sporty Multifort Patrimony Chronograph sits very well on the wrist. This is due to the highquality strap made of genuine Vachetta leather with faux crocodile embossing. The strap is crafted from thin cowhide and seems somewhat dainty, but the rembording toward the lugs assures that it is strong enough to securely hold the chronograph on the wrist. In keeping with the retro character of this watch, the leather strap is secured by a pin buckle plated with rose gold. And as on the dial below the 12, historical lettering on the buckle pays tribute to the heritage of both the timepiece and the Mido brand.

Mido Multifort Patrimony Chronograph Specs:

Manufacturer: Mido SA, Chemin de Tourelles 17, 2400 Le Locle, Switzerland 

Reference number: M040.427.36.042.00 

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds subdial, chronograph (central elapsed-seconds hand, counter for 30 elapsed mintues), tachymeter scale, date 

Movement: Mido Caliber 60, Elabore ́ , base ETA A05.H31, automatic, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, gold-plated nickel balance, Nivarox 2 hairspring, fine adjustment via bipartite index, Nivachoc shock absorption, 60-hour power reserve, diameter = 30.0 mm, height = 7.90 mm 

Case: Stainless-steel and rose-gold PVD, box sapphire crystal above dial, sapphire crystal in back, water resistant to 50 m 

Strap and clasp: Vacetta leather with faux crocodile embossing, rose-gold PVD pin buckle 

Rate results: Deviation in seconds per 24 hours (Fully wound / after 24 hours) 

Dimensions: Diameter = 41.89 mm, lug width = 21 mm, height = 15.54 mm, weight = 96 g 

Variations: With white dial (Ref. M040.427.36.262.00, $2,390); with black dial and stainless-steel case (Ref. M040.427.16.052.00, $2,160) 

Price: $2,390

Score:

Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Very handsome, high-quality strap matches the watch’s style, as does the clasp. 9

Case (10): The high-quality case suits the retro style and is well built, but quite tall. 8

Dial and hands (10): The elegant dial and retro hands match the watch’s style and the color of its case. 8

Design (15): The retro style is upheld very consistently in the case, dial, crystal, hands, pushers, strap, clasp, etc. 14

Legibility (5): The time and the chronograph function are quite legible during the day, but the tachymeter scale appears distorted; nighttime readability is limited. 4

Operation (5): The buttons and crown are easy to operate, but the date quickset requires the use of a tool. 4

Wearing comfort (5): Despite the tall height of the case, wearing comfort is good due to the well-crafted leather strap. 4

Movement (20): Modified ETA caliber in Elaboré quality with an increased power reserve. 15

Rate results (10): The rate is well balanced and doesn’t stray beyond the permissible deviations of the Elaboré quality level. 7

Overall value (10): A well-made, authentic watch offering a very good price performance ratio. 9

TOTAL: 82 points

To learn more about Mido, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

In 2020, Swiss dive watch specialist Aquastar was relaunched with the simultaneous return of a slightly larger version of the Deepstar chronograph from the ‘60s (see February 2021 issue). Since November 2021, the brand’s first three-hand watch is offering a much more affordable option for those who missed out on the chronograph, or didn’t want to spend $3,590 on one of the four dial options (which were all sold out rather quickly).

Interestingly, Aquastar chose to not relaunch another of its classic designs (which is bad news for all those who had hoped for a return of the Benthos), but instead opted for a declination of the Deepstar’s design. The Deepstar II, like its 40.5-mm chronograph counterpart, comes with the large silver subdial, this time at 9 o’clock (instead of 3 o’clock) for the permanent second hand (instead of the minute chronograph counter). The satin-finished case, however, measures 37 mm (around 47 mm lug to lug) and is based on the design of the first dive watches from the brand, and therefore offers a very compact alternative.

Like the Deepstar Chronograph, the Deepstar II comes with a 200-meter water resistance, but is powered by a top-grade Swiss-made automatic movement from Sellita (SW290-1 with 38-hour power reserve). As a result, the Deepstar II is priced at $1,490 during the brand’s preorder period. The stainless-steel beads-of-rice bracelet is sold separately, but a Tropic and Horween leather strap are included. The polished, bidirectional bezel is mounted with ceramic bearings and features the brand’s typical decompression engravings for calculating repeated “no decompression” dives. While the bezel pip, hour and minute hand as well as the hour indexes are covered with high-density “old radium”-style Super-LumiNova, the second hand unfortunately remains invisible at night.

The Aquastar Deepstar II is currently available in three dial options: “Steel Grey” (pictured here), “Vintage Black” and “Blue Ray,” with each being limited to “an opening series” of 300 individually numbered pieces, which sounds like there might be an option for the brand to add more pieces and colors, in case demand is bigger than supply.

Surprisingly, the 37-mm watch wears bigger on the wrist than one might assume, which is mostly because of the 47-mm lug-to-lug length. The biggest surprise, however, is that Aquastar has managed to create a completely new model that looks like it has been part of the brand’s collection for almost exactly 60 years.

Aquastar Deepstar II Specs

Manufacturer: Montres Aquastar GmbH, Leugenestrasse 6, 2504 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland 

Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds (9 o’clock) 

Movement: Sellita SW290-1, automatic winding, 28,800 vph, 31 rubies, 38-hour power reserve, diameter = 25.60 mm, height = 5.60 mm 

Case: Stainless steel, screw-in crown and caseback, domed sapphire crystal, water resistant to 200 m, bidirectional ratcheting bezel (120 clicks) with decompression time calculator 

Strap and clasp: Tropic rubber strap with signed buckle 

Dimensions: Diameter = 37 mm, height = 14.80 mm, lug width = 19 mm 

Variations: With blue or black dial (each limited to 300 pieces) 

Warranty: 1 year 

Price: $1,890

To learn more about Aquastar, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

Among enthusiasts of diver’s watches, the Fifty Fathoms needs little introduction. It debuted in 1953 as one of the first diver’s watches designed as a tool for professional divers. Its everyday counterpart, the Bathyscaphe, followed in 1956, offering a more refined format with a reduced diameter for everyday use while still providing the ability to explore the underwater world. Today, the luxury sports watch collection encompasses a wide range of models, from three-hand iterations to sought-after sophisticated complications. In addition, the Fifty Fathoms is offered in a variety of materials and dial options, with gold bracelets being the latest extension.

The beautifully crafted red gold bracelet involves a series of demanding assembly and finishing processes. The hand-satin-brushed links are joined together with transverse pins, giving them a flexibility that ensures a perfect fit on the wrist. Thanks to a patented system, the screws are placed on the back of the links to preserve the smooth look and feel of the bracelet edges. In addition, the combination of these features guarantees great comfort and seamless cohesion between the case and the bracelet.

Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune

The Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune is presented in the already existing red gold case that measures 43mm wide and 13.4mm thick. Water-resistant to 300 meters, it houses the self-winding manufacture caliber 6654.P.4 that brings to life the complete calendar, with the indication of the weekday through two windows, a pointer date, and a charming moonphase-indication distinguished by a classic moon depiction with a face and accompanied by stars.

Equipped with a silicon balance-spring and a 72-hour power reserve, the 6654.P.4 demonstrates the technical prowess of the venerable Swiss manufacture.

Information on pricing is available upon request.

To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.

Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback

The Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is one of the collection’s high-horology complications, featuring a state-of-the-art chronograph movement with a flyback function that allows the timer to be quickly restarted while the chronograph is running: the F385. It beats at a frequency of 5Hz, is equipped with a silicon balance-spring, offers a date indication between 4 and 5 o’clock and has a power reserve of 55 hours.

The case dimensions and water resistance are the same as those of the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lunes.

Here, too, an intense blue sunbrushed color provides a magnificent background for the indications, with the two chronograph counters at 9 and 3 o’clock and the subsidiary seconds sub dial at 6 o’clock.

Information on pricing is available upon request.

To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.

IWC has been developing and building watches for pilots for 85 years. Originally inspired by cockpit instruments, these wristwatches are still regarded today as robust, precise, functional and reliable. And they have long since ceased to be solely for professional pilots. Rather, its unmistakable appearance makes an IWC Pilot’s Watch a trendy “tool watch,” i.e., a genuinely practical tool, which you can use to master many situations in everyday life.

In 1936, IWC introduced its first Pilot’s Watch. It had a rotating bezel with a tapered hand for marking a departure time. This Pilot’s Watch encased hand-wound Caliber 83, which was equipped with an antimagnetic escapement.

In the late 1930s, IWC developed a professional watch for pilots for the German Air Force with a satin-finished steel case and a diameter of 55 mm. Other features included an easy-grip winding crown, a black dial with luminescent numerals and hands, a stop-seconds function and a long leather strap so the watch could be worn over a flight suit. Each timepiece also had to meet the test conditions of the German naval observatory, which measured the timekeeping in six positions and at three different temperatures. Powered by hand-wound Caliber 52 T.S.C., this timepiece, as well as identical models made by the German watch manufacturers A. Lange & Söhne, Laco, Stowa and Wempe, played a decisive role in shaping the design of the genre of the pilots’ watch.

The Mark 11 debuted in 1948 and soon became a real cult watch. Many aircraft captains relied on this timekeeper, which had a softiron inner case, which protected Caliber 89 against magnetic fields up to an intensity of 80,000 amps per meter. Many subsequent generations of the “Mark” were patterned after this model.

IWC continued its tradition of pilots’ watches in 1988 with a Pilot’s Chronograph based on the ETA/Valjoux’s Caliber 7750, a mass produced, automatic movement that has already proven its mettle in millions of watches. Modified and assembled by the experts in Schaffhausen, this caliber ticked for many years inside IWC Pilot’s Chronographs, including various special editions and models with split-seconds complications. But newly designed manufacture calibers in the 69000 series are now gradually replacing chronograph movements based on the ETA/Valjoux 7750.

New 69000 Caliber Family Replaces the ETA/Valjoux 7750 

The 69000 caliber family was developed over a period of four years and made its debut with Caliber 69375 inside the Chronograph Ingenieur in 2017. Caliber 69380 arrived two years later in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire. Now, after another two years, Caliber 69385 powers the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, which belongs to the Standard Collection and was given this name because there are other unusual models, such as the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Antoine de Saint- Exupéry” or the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium, that encase Calibers 79320 and 79420. These numbers refer to the corresponding ETA/Valjoux 7750 basic caliber. You can tell the difference immediately with a quick glance at the dial. The ETA/Valjoux 7750-based calibers have their subdial for the seconds at the 9 and the chronograph’s counter for up to 12 elapsed hours at the 6, while the positions of these two indicators are reversed on the dials of watches that encase the calibers in the 69000 series.

A Chronograph Movement Designed To be Robust and Suitable for Everyday Use 

On the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with green dial, our test watch, the progress of the seconds is shown with a small red hand on a subdial at 6 o’clock. The red color makes it easy to distinguish this seconds hand from the chronograph’s elapsed-time hands. When the chronograph is switched on, the elapsing seconds are shown with a slender steel needle at the center of the dial, while the elapsing minutes are tallied on a subdial at 12 o’clock. The small white hand for the elapsed minutes advances position farther along each time the elapsedseconds hand passes its zero position, i.e., every 60 seconds. As stated earlier, the elapsed hours are counted on a subdial 9 o’clock, where an identical small white hand advances slowly and continuously. This hand’s gradual progress indicates that it is powered by the same basic construction in Caliber 69000 as in ETA/Valjoux’s Caliber 7750. But there are a few differences. After all, the automatic column-wheel chronograph movement is a modern, newly designed caliber.

Manufacture Caliber 69385 inside the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 consists of 231 individual components and, like every IWC Pilot’s Watch, was designed with a focus on robustness, reliability and precision. This is also why the chronograph, which can be used to tally intervals of up to 12 hours’ duration, is controlled by a column wheel. This complex component with two functional levels remains a challenge to manufacture, although modern design and production methods make the processes involved in its fabrication easier today.

A traditional rocking pinion alternately couples and uncouples the going-train from the chronograph. The energy, on the other hand, is provided by a modern, double-acting, self-winding system with a pawl. But this is not the winding system that’s named after IWC’s former engineer Albert Pellaton, which is still used in the calibers of the 89000 series. Rather, the bidirectional click winding system installed here results from a recent development within the Richemont Group. This innovative system efficiently converts kinetic energy from the motions of the wearer’s wrist into tension for the mainspring, which provides a 46-hour power reserve when fully wound. This is not an unusually long running autonomy by today’s standards as contemporary chronograph calibers often offer greater power reserves. For example, the ETA/ Valjoux movement, modernized to Caliber A05, offers 60 hours, as does the updated El Primero 3600 or Caliber 9900 in Omega’s Master Chronometer. Breitling’s Caliber B01 offers 70 hours and Heuer’ Calibre 02 provides 80 hours of power autonomy.

The frequency of the balance can be finely adjusted by shifting the position of the regulator. This is a simpler method than turning eccentric screws along the balance’s rim as is done in Caliber 89000, but IWC opted for the less complex variation because the company wanted to add a less expensive caliber to this series. Several thousand dollars separate the prices of models encasing different calibers.

Caliber 69385 keeps time quite respectably. Our wearing test measured an average daily gain of 3.5 seconds. We were pleased to see that neither the rate behavior nor the amplitudes deviated significantly when the chronograph was running. With the stopwatch function activated, the average daily gain was 1.8 seconds and the amplitudes hovered around 285 degrees.

The New Chronograph Maintains IWC’s Pilot’s Watch Heritage 

A gaze through the window of sapphire crystal in the screw-in back of the case, which now resists pressures up to 10 bar (compared to the former pressure resistance of 6 bar), shows the typical features and finishings of IWC’s calibers, for example, circular graining, circular grinding in Geneva-wave style, and satin finishing on the skeletonized rotor with the well-known engraving: “Probus Scafusia.”

This promise of quality, which was used as early as 1903 and means “Proven from Schaffhausen,” is also implemented in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, this new addition to IWC’s popular portfolio of established Pilot’s Watches. No matter how you look at this chronograph, it reflects the typical DNA of an IWC Pilot’s Watch. The stainless-steel case, measuring 40.85 mm in diameter and 14.55 mm in height, is mostly satin finished. Only the steep and narrow bezel has a bit of high gloss shine and is the sole exception to the norm that IWC Pilot’s Watches have upheld since the 1930s.

The round chronograph pushers, which run through bushings, and the large threaded crown are unmistakable. Thanks to the crown’s deep knurling, it is easy to to unscrew. The crown slides into its withdrawn positions with secure latching points; a bit of pressure returns it safely to its inserted position. When the crown has been withdrawn to its middle position, the date and the day of the week can be smoothly reset by turning the crown clockwise or counterclockwise. When the watch is running, the calendar indications “creep” toward their next settings between 11:25 p.m. and 12:10 a.m. The day of the week changes first, followed by the date. Both the switching operations and the positioning of the calendar display at the 3 recall the past, when the ETA/Valjoux caliber was used.

A Perfect Pilot, Even with A Green Dial 

Thanks to column-wheel control, the buttons for the chronograph function have secure pressure points and move surprisingly evenly. Triggering the stopwatch function starts the slender elapsedseconds hand, which sweeps smoothly along the bold scale on the edge of the dial. However, while the indexes and Arabic numerals are eye-catching and amply dimensioned, only the three larger markers at the 3, 6 and 9 are luminous, as are the orientation triangle and its two dots at the 12 as well as the lance-like, rhodium-plated hour and minute hands for the main time display from the dial’s center. This matches the typical luminous arrangement on IWC’s other Pilot’s Watches, although the numerous white markers here might lead to the mistaken conclusion that all 12 hour markers glow in the dark.

In daylight, all 12 markers contrast excellently with the currently popular glossy green sunburst dial, which explains why the dial is very easy to read on the whole. Depending on how the light falls, the color of the dial varies from a luminous green to almost black and sometimes only the circular-grained counters appear black, thus creating a contrast with the otherwise green background. The excellent readability that always distinguishes IWC’s Pilot’s Watches is further improved by the slightly domed sapphire crystal, which sometimes gives the impression that it is not there, thanks to antireflective coating on both its upper and its lower surface.

The EasX-Change system is new, but has already proven its merits. This innovative solution eliminates the task of fiddling with the wristband’s crosspieces or even taking a trip to the jeweler when you want to change one wristband with another. Applying slight downward pressure on the metal clamps at the reinforced ends of the strap releases the clamps from the crosspieces and makes it easy to remove the two halves of the strap. An audible “click” signals the successful insertion of a new wristband, and that’s all there is to it. Options include calfskin and rubber straps in various colors, as well as a new, slender, stainless-steel bracelet with an integrated system to finely adjust its length. Attached to the familiar brown calfskin strap that tapers slightly about two centimeters beyond the strap lugs and has contrasting colored stitching and an angular pin buckle, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with its green dial proves to be a perfect IWC Pilot’s Watch.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Specs:

Manufacturer: IWC Schaffhausen, Baumgartenstrasse 15, 8201 Schaffhausen, Switzerland 

Reference number: IW388103 

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds subdial, weekday, date, chronograph (central elapsedseconds hand, counters for up to 60 elapsed minutes and 12 elapsed hours) 

Movement: IWC 69385 based on Caliber family 69000, automatic, 28,800 vph, 33 jewels, Incabloc shock absorption, fine adjustment via bipartite regulator, Glucydur balance, 46-hour power reserve, diameter = 30.0 mm, height = 7.90 mm 

Case: Stainless steel with domed sapphire crystal above the dial with anti-reflective coating on both sides and secured against sudden loss of pressure, sapphire crystal in the caseback, water resistant to 100 m 

Strap and clasp: Brown calfskin strap with pin buckle 

Rate results: Deviation in seconds per 24 hours (Fully wound / after 24 hours)

Dimensions: Diameter = 40.85 mm, height = 14.55 mm, weight = 110.0 g 

Variations: With blue dial and calfskin strap (Ref. IW388101, $6,500); with blue dial and stainless-steel bracelet (Ref. IW388102, $7,200); with green dial and stainlesssteel bracelet (IW388104, $7,200)

Scores:

Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Rustic, high quality, leather strap matches the Pilot’s Watch style, practical system for changing wristbands, various strap options. 9

Case (10): A simple, classic case in IWC’s familiar Pilot’s Watch style, anti-reflective crystals, screw-down crown. 8

Dial and hands (10): Dial in trendy green; the DNA of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches has been preserved in the bold numerals, hands and indexes. 9

Design (15): The watch’s entire design follows IWC’s characteristic Pilot’s Watch style. 14

Legibility (5): Easy to read thanks to the large typeface, strong contrasts and anti-reflective crystal, nighttime luminosity follows the IWC Pilot’s Watch DNA. 5

Operation (5): Easy to use screw-down crown, the pressure points of the push-pieces are very uniform, perfect strap changing system.

To learn more about IWC, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

With Model 158, Sinn has revived a little-known facet of its history: the Bundeswehr Chronograph. Presented in a refreshed, limited edition, how well does this retro chronograph perform?

Sinn is known for making watches for police and military forces. The EZM 1, for example, was the first mission timer Sinn designed in 1997 for special units of Germany’s customs authority. Sinn had the German special police unit GSG 9 in mind when it developed the UX divers’ watch, which is also worn by members of the German Navy’s Special Forces Command. And the 212 KSK meets the requirements of the German Army’s Special Forces Command.

But fewer watch fans may know about the points of contact between Sinn and the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, in the past. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the company’s founder, Helmut Sinn, purchased the German Army’s stock of decommissioned Bundeswehr chronographs, which were made by Heuer (Ref. 1550 SG). Helmut Sinn reworked these watches and afterward sold them as Sinn Model 155 Bw, with Sinn lettering on their dials designating “Heuer/Sinn Bunderswehr-Chronograph für Piloten” (German for Heuer/Sinn German Armed Forces Chronograph for Pilots).

Now Sinn pays tribute to this watch with its Model 158, our test watch, which is released in a limited edition of 500 timepieces. The lion’s share of this watch’s design has been adopted unchanged from its ancestor. Anyone familiar with the original model will immediately notice that the new watch is almost the spitting image of the Bundeswehr Chronograph, but a few details have been altered. The case corresponds almost 100 percent to the original. Fidelity to detail is evident in the shape of the push-pieces, as well as in the crown, which has no lettering for better usability, and above all in the bidirectional rotatable bezel of black anodized aluminum, which honors its ancestry in its minutes scale and in the typography of its numerals. The family resemblances even include subtleties such as the fluting on the rotatable bezel, the fully pierced strap lugs and a rather unusual snap-on case with four set screws. The bead-blasted surface of the case, its diameter of 43 mm, its opaque metal back and its domed acrylic crystal likewise match their counterparts on the original 155.

The new watch’s dial, on the other hand, looks somewhat different from that of its forebear. The bicompax arrangement of subdials (with seconds on the left and elapsed minutes on the right) and the typography of the hour numerals correspond to the original, but some modifications have been made. For example, the chronograph’s elapsed-time hands are highlighted in red, the hands have a more modern shape, a date display has been added at 6 o’clock and a scale with split-second markers at 5-minute increments has replaced the original scale, which marked every fifth minute with a number. The new face makes a harmonious impression and follows Sinn’s characteristic color scheme. Furthermore, the updated design scarcely detracts from the excellent legibility, which naturally topped the list of specs for the original Bundeswehr Chronograph.

Simple operation was another crucial item on the military’s list of requirements. As is usual with this caliber, the push-pieces demand authoritative force, especially when starting the chronograph. Controlling the stopwatch function isn’t made any easier by the authentic shape of the push-pieces, which offer a rather small area on their circular tops. The functionality is better with the low-rise but large-diameter crown, which — like its ancestor on the historical model — protrudes unusually far from the side of the case, thus ensuring that this fluted button can be easily turned and readily pulled outward. A stop-seconds mechanism halts the balance and thus also stops the hands: this makes it convenient to set the time with to-the-second precision. Although the bidirectional rotatable bezel doesn’t snap into place in specific increments, it’s nonetheless a pleasure to operate: it runs smoothly, but not so easily that it could inadvertently shift position.

Robustness was the third important requirement for the military. At first glance, the operating elements could be a potential cause for concern here. Fortunately, closer inspection finds that the lengthy push-pieces and the protruding crown fit in their guides very firmly and without play, thus making an extremely sturdy impression. The flat bezel doesn’t protrude beyond the case, so even without Sinn’s frequently used technology of a screwed and therefore impossible-to-lose bezel, there’s little reason to fear that this rotatable ring might snag on something and get pried off. The acrylic crystal over the dial doesn’t resist scratches as effectively as a sapphire crystal, but it’s made of the same material as its ancestor — and at least it won’t splinter if it suffers a sharp impact. The case’s water resistance to a depth of 100 meters is more than adequate for a pilots’ watch.

Despite the watch’s high resistance to pressure, Sinn has succeeded in keeping it fairly slim. The 158 encases a taller self-winding movement than the original model with a hand-wound caliber, so it can’t have a height that’s quite as slim as the 13 mm of its predecessor, but its 15 mm height and outwardly sloping bezel give it a sufficiently low-rise profile. A curved back and recesses in the case’s middle piece further help this chronograph make a slim impression.

Most of the original Heuer/Sinn Bundeswehr Chronographs encased Valjoux’s hand-wound Caliber 230 with column wheel and flyback function. The new 158 relies on Sellita’s self-winding Caliber 510. Critics allege that Sellita only imitates ETA’s movements. (Copying them would not be prohibited because their patent protection has expired.) This allegation may be true in most instances, but Sellita has achieved something here with Caliber 510 that ETA has not yet accomplished with its Valjoux 7750: namely, a symmetrical dial arrangement (tricompax or bicompax) combined with a rapid-reset function for the date mechanism via the crown. The ETA Valjoux 7753 needs a corrector button at the 10 and this extra button requires an additional aperture in the case. We prefer Sellita’s more elegant solution.

Apart from this detail, the Sellita movement corresponds to its robust progenitor with cam switching and a unidirectional effective winding rotor, whose clearly perceptible and audible idling is liable to annoy connoisseurs with sensitive hearing. The maximum power reserve of 48 hours is also similar to that amassed by the ETA Valjoux movement. Sinn encases the better “Premium” quality variation with a Glucydur balance, decorative finishing and blued screws. The case’s authentic and consequently opaque back conceals the movement, but you shouldn’t lament the absence of a transparent caseback because this watch’s concept and its caliber were developed to prioritize functionality.

The German Air Force stipulated that the watch must not deviate from perfect timekeeping by more than 10 seconds per day while its chronograph mechanism is running. Our Witschi timing machine confirmed that the contemporary 158 keeps time with significantly greater accuracy than that. With its stopwatch function switched off, it kept very nearly perfect time, gaining an average of less than 1 second per day. And with the chronograph mechanism switched on, its rate posted an acceptable daily loss of 4 seconds. However, according to our strict evaluation scheme, the difference of 10 or 12 seconds among the several positions compels us to deny it a very high rating in this category.

For the German soldiers who wore the original model, this watch was a purely functional instrument, a dyed-in-the-wool tool watch. The finer points of its workmanship played a subordinate role as long as they didn’t detract from the watch’s durability. Things are naturally different for a watch worn by civilians. It’s noteworthy to see that Sinn has paid careful attention to the quality of the finishing on the case, dial and hands. The aged leather strap with red decorative stitching likewise fits neatly into the overall picture. Only the simple off-the-rack buckle with a bent (rather than milled) pin reminds us that straps and clasps used to be items that were expected to wear out and need replacement.

The Sinn 158 is priced at $2,660, which seems reasonable when one bears in mind that it’s launched in a limited edition of 500 pieces. Other Sinn models (for example, the 103 St Acrylic on Strap priced at $1,890) are less expensive alternatives for wearers who are interested solely in functionality. But compared with other brands, and in view of its exciting history and successful design, we think it’s worthwhile to call up the reserves and put the Sinn 158 into active duty.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: Sinn Spezialuhren GmbH, Wilhelm-Fay-Strasse 21, 65936 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Reference number: 158.010
Functions: Central hours and minutes, seconds on a subdial, date display, chronograph with a central seconds hand and a counter for up to 30 elapsed minutes
Movement: Sellita 510 “Premium,” automatic, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, stop-seconds function, rapid-reset function for the date display, Incabloc shock absorption, fine adjustment via index, Glucydur balance, 48-hour power reserve, diameter = 30 mm, height = 7.9 mm
Case: Stainless-steel case, domed acrylic crystal above the dial, screw-less crown, four screws hold the snap-on case in place, stainless-steel caseback, pressure resistant to 100 m and secured against low pressure
Strap and cla­­sp: Cowhide strap with stainless-steel pin buckle
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours, with chronograph switched off/on):
Dial up +3 / 0
Dial down +5 / +1
Crown up -3 / -11
Crown down +1 / -3
Crown left +4 / -6
Crown right -5 / -7
Greatest deviation 10 / 12
Average deviation +0.8 / -4.3
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 292° / 269°
Hanging positions 264° / 232°
Dimensions: Diameter = 43 mm, height = 15.15 mm, weight = 110 grams
Limited edition of 500 pieces
Price: $2,660

SCORES:
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Handsome aged leather strap with red decorative stitching; simple buckle 7
­­­Operation (5): The crown is easy to operate and also triggers a quick-reset function for the date, but more than a little force is needed to activate the chronograph’s start button. 4
Case (10): The well-crafted case is secured against low pressure and also resists high pressure up to 10 bar; the acrylic crystal is an authentic retro detail, but it isn’t scratch resistant. 8
Design (15): A very handsome classic with tasteful new color accents 14
Legibility (5): The time can be read very quickly both day and night, but the elapsed-time hands with no luminous coating offer less contrast. 4
Wearing comfort (10): The supple cowhide strap makes this watch very comfortable on the wrist. 10
Movement (20): Sinn adds attractive decorative finishing to the top-quality
“Premium” variation of Sellita’s robust caliber. 13
Rate results (10): The average gain is very slight, but the maximum difference among the several positions is quite large. The timekeeping strays into the loss column when the chronograph is switched on. 7
Overall value (15): A good value for the money and the limited series is likely to enhance value retention. 13
Total: 80 POINTS