Sinn 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary Watch Instruction Manual

Sinn 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary Watch

DEAR CUSTOMER,
Since the company was founded in 1961, high-quality mechanical watches have been at the heart of our work. Today, watch lovers associate the name Sinn Spezialuhren with a passion for innovation, patents and functional design.
We are often asked how new products are created in our workshop. The inspiration for this comes in a wide variety of ways. A very important prerequisite is that we listen carefully to our customers and partners and are open to their wishes and ideas.
This is how the 356 series came into being 25 years ago.

In 1996, our partner for the Japanese market wanted a more elegant version of the 256 pilot chronograph. Initially exclusively for the Japanese market, we developed a variant based on this model without a rotating bezel and with high-domed acrylic glass. Due to the great success of the 356, we introduced a production model in 1998 that has become a much-loved classic in our range.
This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of this series with the extraordinary 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary. Be inspired by the interplay of the satinised case, combined with an elegant grey dial and matt silver counters in bicompax arrangement.

Discover the many fine details that have been incorporated into this special model and rest assured that you are wearing an exceptional classic watch on your wrist – this edition is limited to 500 watches.
I am delighted that you have chosen the 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary and wish you a lifetime of pleasure with it.
Yours,

It was back in 1961 that pilot and blind-flying instructor Helmut Sinn founded the company. Since then, we have been committed to producing high- specification mechanical watches. In 1994, the graduate engineer Lothar Schmidt took
over the company. This marked the beginning of a new era for the SINN brand, because the new owner took a decisive step towards more innovation. Under
his leadership, new technologies and materials were introduced, thus providing the crucial incentives for our company’s evolution and gradual emergence as an insider’s tip for lovers of fine watches. Today, our name stands for technical innovations – much to the delight of both the trade and our customers alike.

Technical innovations
Take, for example, the absolutely condensation-free, anti-reflective, German Submarine Steel diving watch – made possible by HYDRO Technology. Other examples include a chronometer chronograph fashioned from a 22-carat
gold alloy that is as hard as stainless steel and a chronometer with a magnetic resistance of up to 100 mT (= 80,000 A/m). There are also watches with a clockwork mechanism optimally protected from aging by an inert gas and integrated dehumidifying capsule. The list would not be complete without mentioning the development of mission timers (Einsatzzeitmesser or EZM in German) for firefighters, for special police units and border patrol guards. DIAPAL is one of our most important technological developments, with oiling no longer needed for the most important functions in the watch thanks to the materials we select. This technology was first used in 2001. With the aid of TEGIMENT Technology, we achieve greatly increased scratch resistance through surface hardening.

Ongoing advancement in technology and quality
Our top priority has always been to develop watches that offer superior performance – both in daily and in professional use. Which is why our engineers are working continually to identify which innovative methods, materials and technologies are best suited for optimising our watches. Each new development has to first undergo rigorous practical tests before being incorporated. And no watch leaves our workshops before it has been subjected to thorough checking and fine adjustment by our master watchmakers.

Innovations in endurance testing
The world’s largest classification society for maritime safety DNV (formerly Germanischer Lloyd, Hamburg), has been testing our diving watches for pressure and water resistance since 2005. As part of DNV’s official certification process, our diving watches have been treated as part of diving equipment since 2006 and tested and certified in accordance with European diving equipment standards. This is unparalleled in the watch industry. Selected pilot watches are tested and certified by independent institutions according to the DIN 8330 Horology – Aviator watches in an extensive and complex type and unit verification process. This ensures that a DIN 8330-compliant pilot watch is not only a suitable all-round replacement for the on-board timekeeping instruments available to pilots, but is also capable of remaining unaffected by the physical stresses of flight, posing no risk potential for the crew or aircraft, and demonstrating compatibility with other on-board instruments.

Workshop modifications

From the robust case and the polished crystal to the exquisitely decorated movement, we make sure that each and every detail in our watches is fit for purpose. In addition to our technology, the heart of any SINN watch is the fascinating mechanical movement. That is why we rely only on selected renowned manufacturers.
“SZ movements” is the name given to our movement modifications. The results are high-quality calibres characterised by impressive features. An example of this is the SZ04 with regulateur for the 6100 REGULATEUR series.

The model series 140 and the model 717 uses our proprietary chronograph development, the SZ01. It was modelled on the Lemania 5100 calibre used in the EZM 1. One of the biggest differences between the SZ01 and the Lemania 5100 is the former’s stopwatch minute display. This feature now makes it even easier and quicker to record stop times more accurately. The aim of this modification was to significantly improve the readability of the chronograph function.

The SZ calibres 02, 03, 05 and 06 are a modification of the SZ01 movement, characterized by an off-center 60-minute counter. The 60-minute scale of the stopwatch minute counter is much simpler and more intuitive to read than the 30-minute scale commonly found in other watches.

356 PILOT CLASSIC ANNIVERSARY

Whether it is the aesthetic appeal, technical finesse and the associated craft of watchmaking or the limited edition of 500 watches, the 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary embodies timekeeping in its own unique way – the ideal watch to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this model series.

Bicompax arrangement of the counters
Classic chronographs fascinate many watch lovers – not least because these timepieces often have a number of unique features. The same can certainly be said for our 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary model. For the first time in this model series, we have exquisitely decorated the dial at six o’clock with the unmistakable “FLIEGER KLASSIK” lettering as a special tribute. As a counterpart to this, we attached the SINN logo as an appliqué at 12 o’clock.

Another novelty relates to a complication that is also unusual for this model series: the bicompax arrangement of the silver matt counters. For a balanced overall appearance, they harmoniously match the anthracite electroplated dial. In the interest of visual perfection, the hands for the hours, minutes and stopwatch seconds are rhodium-plated and lined with luminous paint, while the silky-matt anthracite-coloured design of the small seconds and 30-minute stopwatch
are eye-catching. As a useful feature, we have equipped the dial with a fine- minute dial, divided into quarters of a second, for fast recording of short- time measurement.

High-domed sapphire crystal glass
The high-domed crystal featuring an anti-reflective coating on both sides ensures a clear view of the striking dial – even under extreme lighting conditions. In keeping with this, the case back – also made of sapphire crystal – makes it easy to catch sight of the limited-edition identifier on the rotor. To truly appreciate the value and quality of this special material, it is important to know that the glass is ground out of a solid blank that is around 5 mm thick with five different curvature radii and is then carefully polished. Connoisseurs are left impressed by the result, as the procedure preserves the classic appearance.

The 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary is powered by a high-precision mechanical movement that guarantees an improved power reserve of over 56 hours.
Look forward to an extraordinary timepiece with two locally manufactured straps made from nubuck boar leather.

A look back at history
The 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary model is a fine example of how every watch – or chronograph – tells a unique story. This timepiece, too, stands on the shoulders of an entire generation of successful watches from the 356 series.
It’s worth taking a look back at history. At the very beginning, there was a special edition in an exclusive range of 300 pieces. Made especially for the Japanese market, we developed an elegant and slimmer version of our 256 pilot chronograph without a rotating bezel in 1996: the 356 with the characteristic
“FLIEGER” imprint on a matte black dial, bead-blasted stainless-steel case and shock-resistant acrylic glass. This first model was equipped with the Valjoux 7760 hand-wound movement.

Classically elegant appearance
The great success of this watch on the Japanese market prompted us to include the chronograph in our collection. In December 1998, the time had come: as expected, the 356 PILOT, now featuring an automatic movement, bead-blasted casing, acrylic glass and a solid back, was very popular. The fact that this watch is still one of our most popular chronographs worldwide shows how timeless it is. These first chronographs also defined the parameters that characterise this model series to this day: classically elegant, with a clear, aesthetic appearance, where nothing distracts you from the essentials, because form and design are subordinate to the reliable reading of the time and the stop times determined by the chronograph.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

Winding the watch (crown position 1)
The crown is screwed down (crown position 0). To loosen the crown, turn it counter-clockwise (crown position 1). The movement is wound manually by turning the crown clockwise. Under normal circumstances, a few turns of the crown are enough to start the movement. We recommend 20 full turns of the crown for the initial use. Simply wearing the watch every day should suffice to keep the self-winding mechanism wound. The power reserve allows you to take off your watch overnight without having to rewind it. About 40 turns of the crown by hand will wind up the watch completely. Because the winding mechanism of your watch is designed for automatic winding with minimal winding speed, the watch should be wound at a moderate, consistent speed when winding by hand to avoid damaging the movement.

Time adjustment (crown position 2)
In crown position 2, the motion is paused. This helps you to set the watch precisely. Please make sure the date changes at midnight and not at midday. Just move the hands forward until the date changes. Afterwards you attempt to set the time. We recommend moving the hands past the desired minute marker and then adjusting it backwards. The movement restarts as soon as the crown is no longer in position 2.
Please take care to fasten the crown after making adjustments.

USING THE CHRONOGRAPH TO MEASURE TIME

The chronograph is operated by means of buttons A and B. The measurement starts when button A is pressed once. Pressing this button again stops the measurement. The measurement is resumed by pressing button A once more. This allows you to add up and record the cumulative time. Button B resets the hands of the chronograph to zero.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Watch case

• Case made of stainless steel, satinized
• Sapphire crystal glass in front, anti-reflective on both sides
• Transparent case back made of sapphire crystal glass, anti-reflective on the interior
• Case back screw-fastened
• Crown screwable
• Meet the technical requirements for waterproofness, as set out in standard DIN 8310
• Waterproof and pressure-resistant to 10 bar
• Low pressure resistant
• Case diameter 38.5 mm
• Band lug width 20 mm

Dial and Hands

• Anthracite electroplated dial
• Numbers coated with luminescent colour
• Hour, minute and stopwatch second hand coated with luminescent colour
• Scale for displaying a quarter of a second for short-time measurement

Functions

• Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds
• Chronograph

Mechanical movement

• Self-winding mechanism
• 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour
• Seconds stop function
• Anti-magnetic as per DIN 8309

ADVICE

Water resistance
In its original condition, your watch fulfils the technical requirements of water resistance according to DIN 8310. The static compressive stress of your watch is given in bar. Each and every one of our watches is tested for water resistance. However, in everyday use it is important to note that seals can suffer from wear and ageing over time due to a wide range of factors which arise when wearing a wristwatch. We therefore recommend having the water resistance checked at least once a year. To ensure your watch retains its water resistance for as long as possible, rinse it with tap water if it comes into contact with seawater, chemicals or the like. Continual mechanical stress in the form of shocks and vibrations can also not only reduce water resistance, but also increase wear and tear of the movement. Care should therefore be taken to protect your watch from unnecessary impacts.

Accuracy
The measured results of the watch’s rate are always “snapshots” taken under laboratory conditions. For this reason, we also take each owner’s individual movements into account when making a specific regulator correction. It is therefore only possible to judge the accuracy of your watch after it has been in operation for approximately eight weeks. In the event of a deviation, please keep a daily record of its timekeeping over an extended period, for example one week.
Do you have any questions? Our employees will be pleased to advise you.

Telephone: + 49 (0)69 978 414 400
Telefax: + 49 (0)69 978 414 401
E-mail: service@sinn.de

SERVICE

Does your SINN watch need an inspection, repair, retrofitting or reconditioning?
If possible, please use our service order form. For information about our service order form, please refer to the section entitled “Customer Service” on our website www.sinn.de/en and to the section entitled “Servicing and repairs” in our general terms and conditions at www.sinn.de/en. We would be happy to send you a copy
of the general terms and conditions.

Our international partners generally offer on-site service. However, should they be unable to provide a certain service, they will organise the safe dispatch and return of the SINN watch to our manufactory in Germany. Please be aware that our partners will wait until they have a sufficient number of SINN watches before they post a shipment, in order to keep transport costs and customs duties to a minimum. This will increase the processing time.
Alternatively, you can send your SINN watch to us directly. You will be required to cover the postage costs for the delivery and return shipment, which vary depending on the country. For insurance reasons, we strongly recommend sending us any return goods by registered parcel post. We regret that we are unable to accept deliveries with unpaid postage!

In case you have a chance to drop off your watch directly at our office in Frankfurt am Main we look forward to your visit. Please make a note of our opening times.
For information about our service, please refer to the section entitled “Customer Service” on our website www.sinn.de/en or +49 (0)69 / 97 84 14 – 400.

© Sinn Spezialuhren GmbH
1. Auflage / 1st Edition
07.2023
Technische Änderungen vorbehalten. Technical specifications are subject to changes.

References

• Sinn-Spezialuhren
• Sinn-Spezialuhren

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