The world of pilot’s watches is a crowded one, with seemingly a new model, line or brand dedicated to the style coming out every day. But not all are created equal, and not all are made to truly be worn by pilots. Naturally, most of us are not pilots, myself included, and don’t need something that is truly to spec, but often the same technologies and details that make them fit to fly also just make them long-lasting, tough-as-nails tool watches with bold and aggressive designs. Of the few brands that offer something truly meant for the cockpit, Sinn’s watches go the furthest, offering the most cutting-edge tech as well as TESTAF certification, authenticating their credibility.
e’ve looked at many a Sinn before on w&w, from the classically styled pilot’s chronos 103 and 356 to the clean and purposeful 556i and 240 to the mission-ready EZM 13 diver’s chronograph, all of which offer a great value for their build quality, style and functionality. Today, we’re going to take a look at a watch that sits at the top of Sinn’s food-chain, the EZM 10. Packing more technologies than most brands will ever develop, a unique modern design, an in-house modified 7750 that recreates the function of the Lemania 5100 and TESTAF certification, the EZM 10 is quite possibly the most serious pilot’s chronograph on the market.
Of course, all of those features come with a cost, making the EZM 10 at $5,290 one of Sinn’s most expensive pieces. That said, compared to luxury brand offerings at the same price, or frankly double and triple that price, the EZM 10 stands alone with its feature set. Like all Sinn’s, it offers a unique value, one that is based on an honest though not cheap price for something high-end and unique. With the EZM 10, you also have a watch that is very specific and designed as an instrument, and while useable as an everyday watch, likely will appeal to die-hard pilot and chronograph fans, as well as people who need the level of tech inside. And for those people, there really is nothing else quite like it.
Case
The EZM 10 case is big and bad, with a unique modern design, making it standout within Sinn’s lines. Measuring 46 x 52 x 15.75mm, it’s a pilot’s watch in the original sense of the term. A big bold design that is meant to be read at a glance, and potentially under adverse situations. This does however make it limiting for those who prefer smaller watches or simply can’t pull off a 46mm. To temper the size, Sinn went with titanium for the case, decreasing its potential weight. Well, not any titanium, Tegimented titanium. This is the first, and perhaps most useful on daily terms, tech you’ll encounter on the EZM 10. Tegimenting is Sinn’s proprietary case hardening method, making the watch near impervious to scratches.
On the bottom left lug, you’ll find another signature Sinn technology, a copper sulphate capsule, which is part of their 3-part Ar-dehumidifying system. The copper sulphate absorbs any moisture that might get into the case, and “binds it permanently”. As it pulls more and more moisture from within the case, the white dot that is visible will turn blue (over several years). Once blue, it must be replaced to keep functioning properly. The next part of the system is an inert gas filling to the case. By replacing the air inside of the case with gas, they further eliminate the presence of any moisture, which in turn leads to a longer lasting watch, as well as prevents fogging. The last part of the system is the use of Sinn’s Extreme Diffusion-Reducing (EDR)-seals, which greatly reduce moisture infiltration over conventional seals. Do you “need” this level of dehumidifying tech in your watch? For daily use, unlikely, but the point is that the watch can survive way beyond the usual.
Movement
The Lemania 5100 is a movement of such high regard that we gave it its own article. The 5100 was used by Sinn in many watches in the 80’s through the early 2000’s, from the 140/142 that went to space, to the law enforcement issued EZM 1s that kicked off their Mission Timer series, to my personal favorite, the 156 (seen below), which was design to be a follow up to the Heuer Bund. The unfortunate demise of the 5100 left Sinn and various other brands without a comparable replacement, either dropping those watches from their lines, or using 7750’s in their stead. While the 7750 is a high-quality workhorse, it lacks the centrally mounted chronograph minutes that make the 5100 so easy to read and use. There are many other differences as well, namely a completely and utterly unique architecture that made the 5100 incredibly durable and able to withstand high Gs and shock, but forgetting that for a second…
Conclusion
The Sinn EZM 10 represents the top of Sinn’s pilot line of watches and proves what the brand can do. When you consider the feature list: tegimented titanium, Ar-dehumidfying, DIAPAL escapement, in-house modified 7750 with unique function and TESTAF certification, you realize that Sinn is in a class of their own. Sure, there are plenty of other pilots watch brands out there, some also offer tech while others hide behind the veil of “luxury”, but none have a feature set like the EZM 10. The SZ01 movement alone is enough to make this watch a winner. Add to that that is simply doesn’t look like any other watch out there, and you really have a really outstanding watch.
