US authorized dealer WatchBuys—which focuses on German brands—has just announced the Sinn U50 Professional, developed for WatchBuys by Sinn and limited to the North American market.
The Release
First, go and skim my review of the Sinn U50 SDR-T, which is the foundation for the U50 Professional. That review will tell you everything you need to know about the U50. The Sinn U50 Professional makes some not insignificant changes, though. While the case is still fully tegimented (meaning very, very durable and scratch resistant), the crown has been moved to 10 o’clock and the flat sapphire has been swapped for a domed sapphire crystal, bumping the thickness from 11.2mm to 12.5mm. On the caseback, the watch is identical except for the addition limited edition numbering. The watch is available on either a rubber strap with a metal locking clasp or a steel H-link bracelet with a folding clasp.
The dial is at first glance almost identical to the other U50s, but changes have been made. The date window has been removed, likely to accommodate the move of the crown. The accents on the hands—and basically the entire seconds hand—have been switched from red to black, and the water resistance indication on the dial has as well. Instead of “Automatik,” the watch says “Professional.” The lume has also been upgraded from Super-LumiNova C1 to the brigther BGW9.
Our Thoughts
I like that the dial has been simplified: less red and no date with better lume. Other than that, I’m not sure what the purpose here is, other than making some small changes to create a limited edition for the sake of it. WatchBuys says the domed sapphire provides additional water resistance and legibility, but I’m here to call bullshit. First, the water resistance is the same as the other U50 models (I’m reminded of the VW Bug commercial where they try to assert that the domed roof makes the car more durable, because domes are strong). Second, having reviewed the flat-sapphired U50, I can tell you it’s got exceptional legibility, and the domed sapphire will only bring distortion around the edges. The domed sapphire also adds thickness for—as just established—no good reason.
Then there’s the damn crown. What? Why is it at 10? WatchBuys says it’s like the EZM special forces watches Sinn has made, which have left-sided crowns to avoid crown dig (crown pressure on the back of the hand). But the standard U50 has a 4 o’clock crown and I can promise you crown dig is not an issue. 10 o’clock is also just inconvenient: if you’re a lefty, you get a weird crown that still can dig into your hand, if you’re a righty you have to deal with a left-sided crown. The WatchBuys product page says one of the primary goals in creating this watch was to have a “number of firsts never before used on this model.” While this watch is still a U50 and therefore a fantastic watch, doing something first for the sake of it isn’t always a good idea. Oh, and did I mention it’s $220 more than the U50 SDR-T?
Availability
The Sinn U50 Professional is limited to 150 pieces, available only to the North American market. It’s priced at $3,260 on the rubber strap and $3,330 on the bracelet. The watch is available now directly from WatchBuys, with a $900 deposit required and deliveries expected throughout the second half of 2022, depending on serial number.
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I agree with your assessment on the domed crystal. How does water resistance improve from this lol. And the crown being moved to 10? I find the current 4 o’clock position to be very comfortable. The only advantage I give this model is purely aesthetics. The hands, bezel and no date make this a much cleaner look than the regular versions. This should just be made as part of the general line. Many German manufacturers now give potential buyers the ability to select their own color combinations, Sinn should consider doing the same.