Into the abyss
An early memory for me was the movie The Abyss. Set underwater, it was groundbreaking at the time for its use of CGI and real world effects. It was also my first real exposure to the challenges that humans face underwater, including the main protagonist ‘falling’ into a seemingly endless abyss. So if Ed Harris had to wear a watch on the outside of his fancy underwater, astronaut like suit, what would he have chosen? He would have chosen the Sinn U2.
I don’t know about you, but when I choose to go snorkelling here in Australia, I often take a deep breath and dive down to see what’s hiding under the coral. If you’ve done this yourself, you know what it does to your ears. One of the first things you have to master when learning to dive is the skill of equalising the pressure in your ears. You have to do this every couple of metres, the effect on your ears is very similar to what happens when driving up/down a steep hill. |
I was lucky enough to experience a deep dive to 30 metres once. Accompanied by a dive master, it was quite interesting to see the effect pressure had on the chip packet and egg we brought down with us. Subjected to this kind of pressure, the air was compressed and the chip packet was hard as a rock. Cracking the egg, it stayed round due to the pressure. We also had to do some basic maths to see what effect pressure had on us, it’s not unusual to not be able to do basic addition at such depths due to the effects on the brain. It’s dark, inhospitable to humans and we simply don’t belong there.
The Sinn U2 EZM5 is tested to 200ATM. That is 2000 metres. Yes, this watch is tested to withstand water pressure at 2 kilometres under water. And while there, it will show you the local time and the time in Cape Town if you’re interested. The engineering here is simply astonishing. Let's, ahem, dive in. |
My impressions owning & wearing the watch.
The idea here is to keep this watch for life and pass down to my kids & grandkids. So, buying it new and speccing it up to my ideal configuration, despite the significant cost differences in doing so, was worth it.
This was my first real exposure to an Authorised Dealer of a brand. I dealt with Define Watches in Queensland and I have to say, I would like to do more of this. The difference a subject matter expert can bring to a transaction, not to mention somebody else worrying about the transportation and configuration, removes the stress of a significant purchase. As with my previous experience with a Sinn watch, you get an understated, but high quality, black box. It exists to enhance the content. What I truly loved here was that the booklet is not generic but specific to the model. It details the material used, the thought process behind the watch and some lovely photos. A quality warranty card and a 20/21 Sinn brochure was also provided. All in all, an excellent first impression. |
So, meet the U2 EZM5. There was not a lot of plastic wrapping etc on the watch and really, why would there be? It would take Thor’s hammer to make a mark on this beast so why waste pointless packing material. Picking up the watch, and yes it’s on both the heavy and the large side. However, unlike watches that are large for the sake of being large, it’s justified here due to the extreme engineering. I've enjoyed wearing this daily.
The dial is typically what you first notice. I absolutely love the red/white/black mix on display here. It’s extremely legible and I’m personally very attracted to this approach where legibility & function dictates design. It’s not for everyone but if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re at this point either going WOW or wondering why you’re staring at a watch face seemingly inspired by Santa Claus. The broad white sword like hands are lumed up and very easy to see in any light. The minute markers and white on black date window is also supremely legibile but I truly appreciate that the date window here is placed where it doesn’t interrupt or complicate the dial, particularly since we also have the ability to track a second time zone and space is limited. The black and red 4th hand indicates time on an inner circle marked from 1 to 24, so at a glance you can see the time in another time zone and whether your friend is sleeping or on their way to work. What is interesting is that red details such as this ‘disappear’ in the underwater blue where it would probably be more important to know how long you’ve been breathing compressed air versus if your friend’s having dinner in front of the TV. The red seconds hand has a white section near the tip, which is also lumed. |
Finally on the dial we have a barely visible Ar symbol and an odd detail at the 6 position (more on this below) and of course the Sinn logo. Underneath the logo, you’ll find possibly the most German sounding word you could imagine, Einsatzzeitmesser. It means “mission timer” indicating that it’s part of Sinn’s EZM range, devoted to specific missions such as fire rescue, medical professionals and in this case, divers. Finally, blacked out around the 6pm position there is the ‘Made in Germany’. I love this sort of understated discretion.
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The bezel is an interesting one. Many reviewers have mentioned that it has back play and is not precise. I disagree with this after having used it. It is very easy to turn, handy if you’re wearing diving gloves, and the way it works is interesting. It’s designed to be easily manipulated and will therefor move freely anticlockwise. As you turn it, it may appear to miss the minute mark that you’re aiming for but what is actually happening here is that it snaps back to the exact place you were aiming for. So, if I’m moving the lumed pip to the 9 position, it moves freely to this point and will land at 15 and a half minutes to 12 before falling back to the exact 9 position. It does feel unusual at 60 rather than the usual 120 clicks, but it is in fact very precise.
What is also notable is the captive bezel design. You’ll notice small screws on the side of the bezel. These hold the bezel in place which means that unlike any other watch with a standard design bezel, this one will not snap off if caught on a seat belt or the anchor of the Titanic. |
Within the bezel we have a sapphire crystal that is no less than 4.2mm thick. This means that you get some lovely, but very subtle, distortions at an angle, due to the sheer thickness of it. It’s almost acrylic looking in some ways. There is also hands down the best anti reflective coating applied that I have ever seen. It’s applied on the inside and the outside and there is not a single scenario to date where it’s been hard to see what time it is. Whether you have the sun at an angle, torches, screens, you name it, you’ll never ever struggle to tell the time due to reflections.
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The signed crown is at an unusual position at just past four. I wear my watches on the right hand so I love this since there is no digging in to my arm what so ever. There are people online that don’t like this placement (I know, who would have thought there’d be people online arguing about things), but since the crown is both large and very grippy, there is no issue here with its proximity to the lug. It’s easy to operate and hardly surprising at this point, very solid feeling.
The ETA movement within is incredibly smooth and it’s almost as if the crown is free spinning when/if you do wind it. Setting the time is easy and the next step gives you access to both the date in one direction and the 24 hour hand in the other, easy. |
Turning the watch over, we find a large U2 logo in the middle, model number, more awesome German words stating resistant to saltwater and one in particular that is very interesting: Deutsche U-boot stahl. Yep, the watch is made from the same material used in the construction of the outer hull of submarines! It’s further hardened up to 1200 vickers (around five times harder than standard steel) as part of Sinn’s proprietary Tegimenting process.
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There are various strap options available from Sinn. I really wanted the Sinn H-link bracelet, particularly since the black option has the same Tegiment processed steel, before the DLC coating is applied. There are 3 links on either side with hex screws that will never wear out and also look very badass indeed. It’s a fantastic bracelet.
The clasp however, is a different story. I would at this point expect a clasp that would hold the jaws of a blue whale shut but it’s actually fairly flimsy. There are milled clasps and It snaps shut ok, but just ok. It has the usual safety fold over function so there’s no concern of it accidentally open, but it feels thin. The good thing with the thinness is that you can actually wear the watch whilst ‘desk diving’ and the diving extension is easy to access. There are also a further three micro adjustments so you will be able to get a good fit. The clasp is signed with the Sinn and EZM logo. It is fine and I’m not worried by it at all, but it’s my only small criticism of the overall package that is the H link bracelet. |
Finally before we discuss all of the tech….the lume. It is very good. Initially, I was not overly impressed but it is clearly generously applied and it lasts easily through the night. The photo here is of a fully charged lume so it’s very bright of course. I could still easily make out the time when waking up at night. It doesn’t have comedy lume like bezels and crowns, it’s function uber alles here. Lume pip on crown, minute markers and a small bit on seconds hand. It won’t be the brightest lume in your watch box but it is more than adequate.
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Movement
Strap & Bracelet
Case
miscellaneous
Dimensions and Weight
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Sinn Technology
EDR Seals
They are exceptionally weather and ageing-resistant and, in contrast to nitrile rubber, are not prone to ozone cracking. Sinn special oil 66-228 High-grade, fully synthetic oil specially developed for Sinn. Its outstanding properties at low and high temperatures allow the watch to run accurately from -45°C to +80°C (phew…) |
Copper Sulphate Capsules
There are three of these in the watch, only one is visible at the 6 o’clock position. Over time these capsules will gradually turn dark blue indicating that humidity has been absorbed. The primary benefit to these copper sulphate capsules is a more dry and stable environment for both the movement and the lubricating oils. Together with Sinn's inert gas treatment these capsules form the basis of Sinn's Dry Hold Technology. Dehumidification Technology Sinn has found that filling the case with inert gas can help prevent the introduction of moisture and humidity to the case, as well as provide a more stable environment for the oils that lubricate the movement. The little Ar logo indicates that the watch is filled with protective gas. A very real world effect here is a watch that won’t fog up going from warm to cold to warm environments, and the movement should last far longer between service intervals. Here's the link to Sinn's website if you want to read more.
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Final Words
Is it really necessary to own and wear a watch like this? Well, is it really necessary to drive a Porsche 911 that you will never, ever push to its limits?
Obviously the answer to both of these questions is no. You don’t buy these things with the brain, you buy them with your heart. I will never ever dive to even a fraction of the depths that this watch can withstand but I love the effort that’s gone into achieving such a hugely impressive device, even if it’ll never fall into a deep, dark & blue abyss. |
I love the GMT function, the extreme scratch resistance that will ensure my watch will in fact stay black, the awesome AR coating and so much more. I will always love owning devices that are built for adventure, to push humans beyond our comfort zones and I have become a life long Sinn admirer. You should too.
Thanks for reading, if you liked this article I would love if you shared it with your watch loving friends. Cheers, Esbjorn |
Did you enjoy this review? Coffee fuels my night time ponderings.