# Advice about the Sinn 856 UTC



## handcrank1

I would like to ask the Sinn forum for some comments regarding the Sinn 856 UTC. Before I do, let me state my watch situation. I have been set with three watches for quite some time now. My Speedmaster is my daily companion. On the weekends I wear a Hamilton Khaki Mechanical, which I have to say is an excellent watch so I won't call it a beater. I also own a Glycine Combat Sub which fills in any time I need a watch that can handle the water in whatever form it comes at me. I don't really care to have a "dress" watch because thankfully my days of working in a suit are over, and these days I rarely go more dressy than business casual. Besides, My Speedy on a croc strap looks great even in a suit!

Recently, I have been traveling quite a bit, and I plan to do more traveling as time goes on. I have been looking for a GADA watch with a GMT complication to be the only watch I bring along. The Sinn 856 UTC has made my very short list. This watch seems to check almost all the boxes for me (Field watch look which I prefer, sapphire, decent water resistance, screw down crown, drilled lugs for quick strap changes, nice lume, a solid movement, perfect case size).

I wish there was a place near me where I could physically see the 856 and try it on, but there isn't, so I have a few questions, and the first is about how it wears. From the many pictures I have been able to see although this watch is 40mm and just short of 11mm thick, it looks to me like the 856 wears pretty big. Is that true? What is the lug-to-lug measurement? I haven't been able to find that.

Next I would like some suggestions about places where I can purchase this watch. It seems that Sinn has only one U.S. rep? Is that the case, or am I missing something?

Finally, I would appreciate any comments from members that have owned this watch for a while. It is not cheap. Is it worth the money? If I purchase an 856, I would probably flip my HKM or my Glycine (maybe both). I am not the type to keep watches just lying around.

Thank you in advance for any comments or advice!


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## Foch

I love my 856 UTC. In fact some rather nice watches are headed out because the Sinn is the bomb. It does not wear big. my only suggestion is the Tegimented steel. It will forever look new, it is nothing short of amazing. The tech put into the 856 is something else, this watch can be dress, dive, field, fly. Rolly and Oly owners have commented on this watch, it is a serious wrist wonder.

Look here for the US Ad for Sinn, this link will have all the specs.









Sinn 856 UTC Tegimented on Bracelet


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## Foch




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## handcrank1

I appreciate the comments. Do you mind if I ask your wrist size? Also, does it wear tall or thin? I know it is about 11mm but some 40mm watches can be chunky unless they are very thin. I'm considering the leather version. Thanks again!


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## TommyG

I've said it before and I still go by it: The 856 UTC is the just about the perfect watch...great look, not too big, second time zone, fits under a dress shirt cuff. It's my go to watch and I've taken it on every overseas assignment just for that reason. I can wear it in the field and not worry about it and it will still look great with a suit for a meeting or reception. My wrist is just under 7" and it's the perfect size.


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## Doulos Christos

Herr Foch is right.
48mm lug to lug by my measurement. For me (6.75"), it doesn't wear thin nor thick. Just right.
Most versatile watch out there IMHO.
You can save some money and watch for a used one on Watchrecon/WUS if you don't want to pay full price.
Common! Sinn a little! :-!


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## Jonlean

I have the standard 856 but others are right at 40mm diameter/20mm lug width/48mm lug-to-lug/11mm thich its right in the sweet spot size wise for most people (6.5-7.5" wrist size). It's not dressy, the tegimented steel gives it a pretty industrial vibe, as does the dial. You have all the cool Sinn technology i.e. tegiment, CuS04 pellet, antimagnetic, antishock, anti-low pressure, 200m WR so it's a proper pilots watch. I'm not a big fan of the bracelet (just the look, there is nothing technically wrong with it), so mine spends more time on the standard black leather/white stitching strap, but it also looks really good on a green Cordura two piece Hadley Roma. Gives it even more of a military vibe, better even than a Nato IMHO.

Don't sell any of the other watches - you'd have a really good collection there; Khaki as the field watch, Speedy as the Chrono, Glycine diver and Sinn GMT Pilot watch - really diverse!

P.S there are usually a few on Ebay if you want to go the used route and they are not much of a premium over the standard model - they go for around $1200-1500 on depending on bracelet or strap.


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## chris01

I've had my 856 UTC for 6 years and it's just about my favourite watch, although I usually wear a quartz HAQ. It's very tough, comfortable to wear and very readable in any light.

However, IMHO, it is a lousy travel watch. It's important to understand how the two hour hands work. You set and hack the time (crown fully out) with the large hour and minute hands and the date, and this would be your local time. The 24-hour hand, which would be your home time, UTC, or some other 'fixed' reference, is then set as an offset from the local time. So when you arrive at a new destination you have to stop the watch, set the new local time, and then reset the UTC hand offset.

That's a lot of trouble compared with the way that, for example, Rolex does it. Here you set the time with the 24-hour hand, and then the local time can be set and reset without having to change the core time. Unfortunately, in the 856 and most other moderately-priced UTC watches, this is the price you pay for a relatively cheap ETA movement.

My only use for the 24-hour hand, given that I usually have to restart the watch whenever I want to wear it, is that it makes it easy to set the local time to the correct am/pm, so the date changes at midnight, not at noon.


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## Radharc

handcrank1 said:


> Finally, I would appreciate any comments from members that have owned this watch for a while. It is not cheap. Is it worth the money?


I've owned an 856S UTC since late 2006. It is an awesome watch and still serves me well -- there is no doubt in my mind that it is worth the money. In terms of your questions about how it wears, I find it wears a bit thin and just about average in terms of face size. The watch is all face, essentially, but since it is "only" 40 mm it balances out well.

That said, make sure you consider chris01's post about how the UTC function works. I don't find it to be as inconvenient as he does, but he is right that the ETA approach to the UTC's hand functionality is inferior to how Omega, Rolex, and other higher end companies handle it. Of course, the 856 is much less expensive than those watches...

Yes, if you want the watch new from an AD, Watchbuys is the only option if you are in the U.S. Unless you want to fly to Germany and buy directly from the factory...


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## handcrank1

chris01 said:


> I've had my 856 UTC for 6 years and it's just about my favourite watch, although I usually wear a quartz HAQ. It's very tough, comfortable to wear and very readable in any light.
> 
> However, IMHO, it is a lousy travel watch. It's important to understand how the two hour hands work. You set and hack the time (crown fully out) with the large hour and minute hands and the date, and this would be your local time. The 24-hour hand, which would be your home time, UTC, or some other 'fixed' reference, is then set as an offset from the local time. So when you arrive at a new destination you have to stop the watch, set the new local time, and then reset the UTC hand offset.
> 
> That's a lot of trouble compared with the way that, for example, Rolex does it. Here you set the time with the 24-hour hand, and then the local time can be set and reset without having to change the core time. Unfortunately, in the 856 and most other moderately-priced UTC watches, this is the price you pay for a relatively cheap ETA movement.
> 
> My only use for the 24-hour hand, given that I usually have to restart the watch whenever I want to wear it, is that it makes it easy to set the local time to the correct am/pm, so the date changes at midnight, not at noon.


So if I understand you correctly, the 2nd time zone cannot be set independently and both the new local time and the UTC time have to be reset every time the watch enters a new time zone? I can see this would be a bother when traveling through several time zones in a short period of time (like an ocean crossing where ship's time changes one hour every day) but not such a big issue if you will be flying and staying in the new time zone for a few days or longer. This is not a deal breaker for me because a few days here and a few days there is more my pace. At the end of the day a second time zone is really overkill if you can do simple math (or own a smartphone), isn't it? I just like the notion of having it available.

Did you know this prior to purchasing your UTC, or is this something you learned after the purchase? If you came to know this after the purchase, would you buy the UTC again?


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## handcrank1

Jonlean said:


> Don't sell any of the other watches - you'd have a really good collection there; Khaki as the field watch, Speedy as the Chrono, Glycine diver and Sinn GMT Pilot watch - really diverse!


Interesting. I never thought of it that way. These days I only keep watches that I need and wear often. My thoughts on the 856 are that it is enough like a field watch to take over the spot reserved for my HKM (weekends and travel), and it has sufficient water resistance to take over for the Combat Sub since both are rated for 200m, and I don't dive anyway. I would be reducing from three watches to two (Speedmaster and 856). That is a good thing as far as I am concerned because it bothers me to have watches just lying around. I guess I'm not a WIS in the conventional sense. Both watches would have multiple uses and get plenty of wrist time. The 856 UTC would be my travel watch not only because of the 2nd time zone complication, but because it is rugged, nicely water resistant, and looks good in most situations. To me that covers almost everything travel entails and bringing only one watch along is the goal. I had five watches not too long ago. I gave two of them away. I am looking to bring my "collection" down to the bare minimum and still cover all bases.


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## chris01

handcrank1 said:


> So if I understand you correctly, the 2nd time zone cannot be set independently and both the new local time and the UTC time have to be reset every time the watch enters a new time zone? I can see this would be a bother when traveling through several time zones in a short period of time (like an ocean crossing where ship's time changes one hour every day) but not such a big issue if you will be flying and staying in the new time zone for a few days or longer. This is not a deal breaker for me because a few days here and a few days there is more my pace. At the end of the day a second time zone is really overkill if you can do simple math (or own a smartphone), isn't it? I just like the notion of having it available.
> 
> Did you know this prior to purchasing your UTC, or is this something you learned after the purchase? If you came to know this after the purchase, would you buy the UTC again?


Yes, you understand correctly. Another issue with this function is that you actually have to reset the watch when changing time zone (or DST). In the absence of another available time source, this is a problem for someone who likes their watches set accurately.

I bought the 856 for many reasons that did not include the UTC function. At the time the bare 856 had been released but the AD couldn't give me a date, so I got the UTC, without really caring how it operated. The 24 doesn't detract from the utility of the watch and it adds a bit of interest. I have other watches that manage time zones properly and would never consider travelling with it. If the 24 isn't essential, or even desirable, the cheaper, bare 856 is probably a better buy. I would certainly buy again, either model.


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## ten13th

handcrank1 said:


> So if I understand you correctly, the 2nd time zone cannot be set independently and both the new local time and the UTC time have to be reset every time the watch enters a new time zone?


^ This is not entirely correct. The UTC/24hr hand can be set independently from the 12hr hand. You do this by placing crown in the 2nd position and rotate up to jump the 24hr by one hour increment. Rotating the crown down while in the 2nd position change the date. Crown position 1 is for winding. Position 2 for independent UTC/24hr hand and date adjustment. Position 3 moves the entire watch drive-train, it adjusts the minute hand, 12hr hand, 24hr hand and the date.

As a proud owner of 856UTC for the past six years. I've traveled with my 856UTC to Asia and Europe. For short stays, I would leave the 12hr time as my home time, and adjust the 24hr to the new local time that I'm in. I also find 856UTC's way of doing dual time to be superior to "Traveler GMT" as in Rolex, Omega and Grand Seiko/Seiko in one particular situation of working with international teams while at home. I could quickly adjust the 24hr hour hand to the time of this week's international team I'm collaborating.

Full disclosure, I do have GMT watches from the three brands I listed above. They are fine watches that have a different way of setting 24hr and 12hr hands.


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## Dennis K

As a person with skinny 6'' wrists, I found that the 856 UTC was just a smidge too large lug-to-lug for me. However, I wouldn't say that the watch wears large for a 40mm as the additional GMT hand and markings tend to visually shrink the dial and the watch actually felt quite slim, with the narrow 2892 movement helping in this regard.


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## Radharc

handcrank1 said:


> So if I understand you correctly, *the 2nd time zone cannot be set independently* and both the new local time and the UTC time have to be reset every time the watch enters a new time zone?


The bolded part is incorrect (assuming the "2nd time zone" is the 24hr hand). The 24hr hand can be set independently of the 12hr hand, but the 12hr hand cannot be set independently of the 24hr hand. This is suboptimal if you travel to a new time zone and want to leave the 24hr hand on its current time and adjust only the 12hr hand. In that situation, you have to adjust the 12hr hand to the new time zone and then put the 24hr hand back to the old time zone.

Again, this is not unique to the 856. All ETA-based watches with a 24hr hand work this way (there may be exceptions for heavily modified movements, but I am not aware of any).


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## handcrank1

ten13th said:


> ^ This is not entirely correct. The UTC/24hr hand can be set independently from the 12hr hand. You do this by placing crown in the 2nd position and rotate up to jump the 24hr by one hour increment. Rotating the crown down while in the 2nd position change the date. Crown position 1 is for winding. Position 2 for independent UTC/24hr hand and date adjustment. Position 3 moves the entire watch drive-train, it adjusts the minute hand, 12hr hand, 24hr hand and the date.
> 
> As a proud owner of 856UTC for the past six years. I've traveled with my 856UTC to Asia and Europe. For short stays, I would leave the 12hr time as my home time, and adjust the 24hr to the new local time that I'm in. I also find 856UTC's way of doing dual time to be superior to "Traveler GMT" as in Rolex, Omega and Grand Seiko/Seiko in one particular situation of working with international teams while at home. I could quickly adjust the 24hr hour hand to the time of this week's international team I'm collaborating.
> 
> Full disclosure, I do have GMT watches from the three brands I listed above. They are fine watches that have a different way of setting 24hr and 12hr hands.


Interesting. As you have no doubt realized by now, I have received conflicting information regarding the 856 UTC's usefulness as a travel watch. One owner has stated that it is a "lousy" travel watch because of the ETA movement's limitations (in his view). Your opinion is definitely different. I know that people will differ in their opinions, but at this point I am curiously confused.


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## ten13th

handcrank1 said:


> Interesting. As you have no doubt realized by now, I have received conflicting information regarding the 856 UTC's usefulness as a travel watch. One owner has stated that it is a "lousy" travel watch because of the ETA movement's limitations (in his view). Your opinion is definitely different. I know that people will differ in their opinions, but at this point I am curiously confused.


It helps having a clear expectation of what it does and how it does it. I like the way 856UTC as is and don't wish for it to behave like my Omega GMT, GS GMT or Rolex GMT. Sinn 856UTC probably gets the most wrist time out of all my watches. For me it has the perfect blend of size, utility, unassuming under the radar aesthetics and build quality.

I would suggest picking up a preowned 856UTC and live with it as a trial. The preowned price is stable enough so you can flip it if you don't like it or flip it to buy a brand new one for life.

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## Sixracer

The GMT functionality thing is confusing. I think of it this way. 

Rolex/Omega/etc
You land in a new city and pull the crown out to the second position to “jump” the main hour hand in 1-hr or 1/2-hr increments. The 24hr hand does not move as it is tied to the minute hand and date. Very nice for world travel. The main hands read local time and the 24hr hand reads home time.

ETA movement watch (Ball, Hamilton, Sinn, Steinhart, etc etc etc)
You land in a new city and...
A) Pull crown out to 2nd position and “jump” *the 24 hour* hand in 1-hr or 1/2-hr increments. Set it to local time. Now your main hands read home time and you refer to the 24hr hand and minute hand to read local time. Takes a little more mental overhead I suppose. 
-or-
B) Pull crown to 3rd position and set main hour and minute hand to local time. Click back to 2nd position and set the 24hr hand (which has moved along with the main hour and minute hand set to local time) to GMT, home time, whatever. 
-or-
C) Don’t actually fly anywhere! Just use 2nd crown position to set the 24hr hand to the time zone of your buddy living abroad, the Shanghai Office, GMT, or simply local time. I find looking at local time with the 24hr hand gives a better sense of the passage of time. 

One other consideration is date setting. 
The ETA movement (Sinn, and others) wins on this as you can simply rotate the crown down in the 2nd position to quickset the date. On my Omega the downside is I can’t quickset date in the 2nd position as that just jumps the hour hand the other way. Winding the hands around and around to set the date when I wear the watch on and off seems like too much wear and tear. I don’t do it all the time. 


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## Radharc

handcrank1 said:


> Interesting. As you have no doubt realized by now, I have received conflicting information regarding the 856 UTC's usefulness as a travel watch.


There is no doubt that on a relative scale the Omega/Rolex approach makes for an easier travel watch. That doesn't make the 856 bad by any stretch, though. It just take a bit more futzing. If it helps, I have both an 856 UTC and an Omega AT8500 (which doesn't have a 24hr hand but does have a quickset 12hr hand) and my next purchase is very likely to be another Sinn with the same UTC functionality as the 856.



Sixracer said:


> I find looking at local time with the 24hr hand gives a better sense of the passage of time.


I rarely see this mentioned, but I agree 100%.


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## ten13th

Sixracer said:


> The GMT functionality thing is confusing. I think of it this way.
> 
> Rolex/Omega/etc
> You land in a new city and pull the crown out to the second position to "jump" the main hour hand in 1-hr or 1/2-hr increments. The 24hr hand does not move as it is tied to the minute hand and date. Very nice for world travel. The main hands read local time and the 24hr hand reads home time.
> 
> ETA movement watch (Ball, Hamilton, Sinn, Steinhart, etc etc etc)
> You land in a new city and...
> A) Pull crown out to 2nd position and "jump" *the 24 hour* hand in 1-hr or 1/2-hr increments. Set it to local time. Now your main hands read home time and you refer to the 24hr hand and minute hand to read local time. Takes a little more mental overhead I suppose.
> -or-
> B) Pull crown to 3rd position and set main hour and minute hand to local time. Click back to 2nd position and set the 24hr hand (which has moved along with the main hour and minute hand set to local time) to GMT, home time, whatever.
> -or-
> C) Don't actually fly anywhere! Just use crown position two to set the 24hr hand to the time zone of your buddy living abroad, the Shanghai Office, GMT, or simply local time. I find looking at local time with the 24hr hand gives a better sense of the passage of time.
> 
> One other consideration is date setting.
> The ETA movement (Sinn, and others) wins on this as you can simply rotate the crown down in the 2nd position to quickset the date. On my Omega the downside is I can't quickset date in the 2nd position as that just jumps the hour hand the other way. Winding the hands around and around to set the date when I wear the watch on and off seems like too much wear and tear. I don't do it all the time.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Great point about the date setting on the Omega/GS/Rolex. It is a major pain to jump the hour hand 24 times to move one day. Some time I just doesn't correct the date, or just not wear the watch until the date on watch is only couple days from actual to ease the pain of adjustment.

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## handcrank1

_*Pull crown to 3rd position and set main hour and minute hand to local time. Click back to 2nd position and set the 24hr hand (which has moved along with the main hour and minute hand set to local time) to GMT, home time, whatever*.

_Thanks. This does not seem that frustrating, nor does it sound like an ETA GMT movement makes for a lousy travel watch. Like I said before, all the hoopla surrounding a GMT complication is not a big deal if you can do simple math, or if you have a smartphone where you can set the world clock feature to multiple cities at one glance. Nevertheless, it is pretty cool, and it may be my excuse to buy a new watch since among all the watches I have owned, I have never owned a GMT.

The 856 also seems rugged enough to handle extensive travel well. I always disliked taking my high end watches on long trips because the hussle and bussle of the trip inevitably brought about situations at airports, etc. where knocks and dings can easily occur. It sounds like the 856 is just the ticket and it is getting hard to say no to the 856 UTC. Now, how to slip it by my better half!


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## Sixracer

Radharc said:


> If it helps, I have both an 856 UTC and an Omega AT8500 (which doesn't have a 24hr hand but does have a quickset 12hr hand) and my next purchase is very likely to be another Sinn with the same UTC functionality as the 856.


Actually I should add that a Sinn 857 UTC is #1 on my want list. I use timing bezels alot. This thread has me looking more at 856 though.

I 100% think Sinn UTC is a great watch.

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## janiboi

handcrank1 said:


> _*Pull crown to 3rd position and set main hour and minute hand to local time. Click back to 2nd position and set the 24hr hand (which has moved along with the main hour and minute hand set to local time) to GMT, home time, whatever*.
> 
> _Thanks. This does not seem that frustrating, nor does it sound like an ETA GMT movement makes for a lousy travel watch. Like I said before, all the hoopla surrounding a GMT complication is not a big deal if you can do simple math, or if you have a smartphone where you can set the world clock feature to multiple cities at one glance. Nevertheless, it is pretty cool, and it may be my excuse to buy a new watch since among all the watches I have owned, I have never owned a GMT.
> 
> The 856 also seems rugged enough to handle extensive travel well. I always disliked taking my high end watches on long trips because the hussle and bussle of the trip inevitably brought about situations at airports, etc. where knocks and dings can easily occur. It sounds like the 856 is just the ticket and it is getting hard to say no to the 856 UTC. Now, how to slip it by my better half!


Yes, it isn't frustrating and "lousy travel watch" seems a slight overstatement.
Now, I strongly suggest buying this watch, since (among other things) the movement is just "buttery" smooth to operate.

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## Time On My Hands

I'm sensitive to watches wearing too large. I prefer 38-39mm on my 7"wrist.

That said, I'm quite OK with the 40mm Sinn 856. Being more slender than, say, my 40mm Damasko, the Sinn does not feel like a large watch to me. I don't know your wrist size, OP, but here's how it looks on my 7" wrist.









My only quibble is that I wish the numerals were a point or two smaller. I think it's an excellent choice for a watch with a second time zone/UTC.


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## handcrank1

janiboi said:


> I strongly suggest buying this watch, since (among other things) the movement is just "buttery" smooth to operate.


Tell me about the ETA 2893-2. I have read different things about the accuracy and reliability of this movement. One report I read stated that it has been known to run well beyond +10, and the more elaborate version runs at +5, with some at +2 or +3. Does this sound right? Also, does Sinn do anything to the movement? What is the expected accuracy of the movement according to Sinn?


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## handcrank1

janiboi said:


> I strongly suggest buying this watch, since (among other things) the movement is just "buttery" smooth to operate.


deleted. repeated post. sorry.


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## handcrank1

Time On My Hands said:


> I'm sensitive to watches wearing too large. I prefer 38-39mm on my 7"wrist.
> 
> That said, I'm quite OK with the 40mm Sinn 856. Being more slender than, say, my 40mm Damasko, the Sinn does not feel like a large watch to me. I don't know your wrist size, OP, but here's how it looks on my 7" wrist. My only quibble is that I wish the numerals were a point or two smaller. I think it's an excellent choice for a watch with a second time zone/UTC.


Thank you for posting. My wrist is 7" as well, so your picture is very helpful. As for the numerals being a bit smaller, I have gone back and forth on this, but it may be beneficial as inevitably my vision goes downhill with age! :roll:


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## Dave Matison

Why not buy a 556 red and keep the money in your pocket. I’ve had UTC watches and never used the function.


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## handcrank1

Dave Matison said:


> Why not buy a 556 red and keep the money in your pocket. I've had UTC watches and never used the function.


That is a good question. The answer is because I am considering a watch for travel and the UTC function would come in handy. The 556 is a nice watch, and if I were to go in that direction I would probably select the 556i since I consider it a bit more versatile. However, I can't get around the fact that I already own a watch that gives me that look with a very comparable movement.

While we are on the subject of movements, one thing that I am definitely cognizant of is the fact that the Sinn 856 and 556 use ETA 2893 and 2824 movements respectively. These are good solid workhorse movements, but it has always bothered me a bit when a higher end watch uses the same movement as a much more affordable watch but costs over $1000 more. I totally get the fact that the Sinn has a terrific case and the build quality is very good. Nevertheless, I am conflicted about this. It is the same reason I have not considered Tudor watches in the past. No matter how Rolexy they claim to be, until recently, under the hood they offer a 2824 which is the same movement that sits inside my $500 diver. That bothers me.


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## handcrank1

Dave Matison said:


> Why not buy a 556 red and keep the money in your pocket. I've had UTC watches and never used the function.


what's up with my posts posting twice! o|


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## handcrank1

Can anyone comment on the case insert Sinn uses on the 856 to combat moisture. According to the website the insert turns blue over a period of time and needs replacing every five years. Clearly, a local watchmaker is not going to have this insert. It seems to me this pretty much commits one to servicing the watch through Sinn. Does anyone know for sure? This would be a game ender for me since I like using my local guy who is very good and very reasonably priced.


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## Bradjhomes

handcrank1 said:


> Can anyone comment on the case insert Sinn uses on the 856 to combat moisture. According to the website the insert turns blue over a period of time and needs replacing every five years. Clearly, a local watchmaker is not going to have this insert. It seems to me this pretty much commits one to servicing the watch through Sinn. Does anyone know for sure? This would be a game ender for me since I like using my local guy who is very good and very reasonably priced.


I spoke to a watchmaker from Sinn at a Page&Cooper event about this just last week. The capsule turning blue doesn't necessarily mean a service is needed, and if the capsule hasn't turned blue then it doesn't need replacing.

The blue signifies that it has absorbed moisture from inside the watch. It doesn't mean it can't absorb any more - just that it has been working.

I therefore see no reason why you can't get it serviced by your guy and only send it back to Sinn when it's time for the capsule to be replaced (which could be longer than a normal service interval).


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## handcrank1

Bradjhomes said:


> I spoke to a watchmaker from Sinn at a Page&Cooper event about this just last week. The capsule turning blue doesn't necessarily mean a service is needed, and if the capsule hasn't turned blue then it doesn't need replacing.
> 
> The blue signifies that it has absorbed moisture from inside the watch. It doesn't mean it can't absorb any more - just that it has been working.
> 
> I therefore see no reason why you can't get it serviced by your guy and only send it back to Sinn when it's time for the capsule to be replaced (which could be longer than a normal service interval).


Thanks for the quick response. However, this is a total game ender for me. I do not want a watch that is in any way tethered to the manufacturer for any reason. It is not that I mind sending it to Sinn for service, or even to change the capsule, but the thought of having to do it is not for me. Too bad. Looks like a nice watch but it is encumbered in a way, and I'm out. Thanks to everyone who responded! Back to the drawing board!


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## handcrank1

Bradjhomes said:


> I spoke to a watchmaker from Sinn at a Page&Cooper event about this just last week. The capsule turning blue doesn't necessarily mean a service is needed, and if the capsule hasn't turned blue then it doesn't need replacing.
> 
> The blue signifies that it has absorbed moisture from inside the watch. It doesn't mean it can't absorb any more - just that it has been working.
> 
> I therefore see no reason why you can't get it serviced by your guy and only send it back to Sinn when it's time for the capsule to be replaced (which could be longer than a normal service interval).


Thanks for the quick response. However, this is a total game ender for me. I do not want a watch that is in any way tethered to the manufacturer for any reason. It is not that I mind sending it to Sinn for service, or even to change the capsule, but the thought of having to do it is not for me. Too bad. Looks like a nice watch but it is encumbered in a way, and I'm out. Thanks to everyone who responded! Back to the drawing board!


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## nodnar

Are you looking to buy new, or used? A used watch would not have to be serviced by Sinn/RGM. While they would replace the capsule and fill the case with dry nitrogen, that does not seem mandatory. 

Your local guy could forgo that. One point maybe worth asking it whether he could get the plug used in lieu of the capsule. Like the one used for base models without the Ar tech. Such as the 358 just Pilot. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dennis K

handcrank1 said:


> While we are on the subject of movements, one thing that I am definitely cognizant of is the fact that the Sinn 856 and 556 use ETA 2893 and 2824 movements respectively. These are good solid workhorse movements, but it has always bothered me a bit when a higher end watch uses the same movement as a much more affordable watch but costs over $1000 more. I totally get the fact that the Sinn has a terrific case and the build quality is very good. Nevertheless, I am conflicted about this. It is the same reason I have not considered Tudor watches in the past. No matter how Rolexy they claim to be, until recently, under the hood they offer a 2824 which is the same movement that sits inside my $500 diver. That bothers me.


To be fair, the 2824 in a 556 is a Top grade movement, which is decorated with thermally blued screws and then regulated to chronometer specs. It's a lot more expensive than a Standard or Elaborated 2824 found in your average $500 diver. However, thanks to Sinn's aggressive and incessant year on year price increases, I do agree that the 556 is getting too expensive for what it is.

ETA 2892 movements are usually only seen in watches costing over £2000. Considering the technology and build quality that the 856 offers, it actually offers good value. More so than the 556.


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## krisrsolebury

handcrank1 said:


> While we are on the subject of movements, one thing that I am definitely cognizant of is the fact that the Sinn 856 and 556 use ETA 2893 and 2824 movements respectively. These are good solid workhorse movements, but it has always bothered me a bit when a higher end watch uses the same movement as a much more affordable watch but costs over $1000 more. I totally get the fact that the Sinn has a terrific case and the build quality is very good. Nevertheless, I am conflicted about this. It is the same reason I have not considered Tudor watches in the past. No matter how Rolexy they claim to be, until recently, under the hood they offer a 2824 which is the same movement that sits inside my $500 diver. That bothers me.


I don't think this is really a fair point when it comes to watches in this price range - unless we're talking about Seiko, there really isn't an "in-house" movement out there in the $1k range - definitely not Swiss/German unless I'm missing something.

The closest I can think of is a Nomos Campus hand-wound for $1650 MSRP (I know it could be negotiated cheaper) - and by the time you get to their Automatic movements, you're talking $2200+ MSRP for time only/no date, and $2500+ with date.

That's it - until you get to $2800-4k+ Tudor/Nomos/Omega. All of the Longines/etc calibers don't really count - rebranded ETA's, often only Elabore grade compared to Sinn's top grade.

I think what Sinn offers in any given price range is very fair - always top grade movements, and for every step-up you know what you're paying for - whether it's tegimented cases, antimagnetic shielding, rotating bezel, sapphire covered bezel, etc etc etc - it's never a mystery why one watch costs more than another in their line.


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## Radharc

handcrank1 said:


> Thanks for the quick response. However, this is a total game ender for me. I do not want a watch that is in any way tethered to the manufacturer for any reason. It is not that I mind sending it to Sinn for service, or even to change the capsule, but the thought of having to do it is not for me. Too bad. Looks like a nice watch but it is encumbered in a way, and I'm out. Thanks to everyone who responded! Back to the drawing board!


Not trying to talk you into anything, but for whatever it is worth I bought my 856 UTC back in 2006 and the capsule is the same color as the day I bought it. I think you could get by indefinitely without changing it.


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## flatbows

I bought mine used here; good cost savings and still had some warranty left. My wrist is 7.25" and I was concerned the watch might wear too small. It is perfect. Great looking and runs about +3 secs per day. The tegimented steel on watch head and bracelet are so tough it looked brand new and still does over a year later. I have the bracelet but like to wear it best on a nylon or leather nato. Great watch!


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## Foch

handcrank1 said:


> I appreciate the comments. Do you mind if I ask your wrist size? Also, does it wear tall or thin? I know it is about 11mm but some 40mm watches can be chunky unless they are very thin. I'm considering the leather version. Thanks again!


 A massive 7". I love dive watches. The Sinn wears way smaller than those. In a suit the shirt cuff clears. I love leather for sure, but the bracelet is more versatile.


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## Kosoff

For whatever it’s worth I think the proportions are perfect for my 6 3/4” wrist. I couldn’t ask for a better built everyday companion.


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## mconlonx

Apparently, I'm in the minority, when I say that I thought the 856 UTC wore a bit large for my tastes. 

All-dial watch with a thin, fixed bezel means a whole lot of dial showing. 7" wrist.

But it's just personal preference - even my smaller 656 is right on the edge of being too large for me.

Having said that, I believe if you are comfortable with both a Hamilton KFM and a Glycine Combat Sub, the 856 will fit well.


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## GMTtwotone

Is there an 856 pic thread?


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## Mr.Wes

Are all of the UTC hands yellow along with the UTC text? In some pictures it looks white to my eyes. Unless certain years had yellow and certain years had white?


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## Watch Free Fall

One other item I'm not sure has been mentioned above, is this watch's luminous material does not last as long as I would like. I just live with it however, since I like this watch. This lume lasts less than the EZM 1.1 and 13, about the same as 556a in my experience.


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