Gut Reaction Reviews – First Look At The New Sinn 358 Sa Pilot Collection

Gut Reaction Reviews – First Look At The New Sinn 358 Sa Pilot Collection

Editor’s note: Like you, we are also excited for the releases from the 2021. Before we get to dive deep into the releases and go hands-on with as many of these as the two of us here can, here’s our preview and the Gut Reaction Review (Grr…) of the new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot Collection. For our other detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here.

Gut Reaction

The first thing that catches your attention is the grinding dial of the 358 Sa Pilot DS and the blue sun-ray pattern of the 358 Sa Pilot B E. Both are nicely executed and give the watch enthusiasts a couple of decent choices to choose from. 

I am partial to the blue dialled version, given Sinn just released the U1 DS diver with the same grinding dial. With exceptional contrast brought on by distinctive colouring and a striking combination of dark-blue dial and ivory-coloured coating on the indices, hands and numerals, there is enough legibility and play of colours/textures to keep enthusiasts occupied. The azurage sub-dials really contrast well with the sunburst pattern of the main dial, and the inclusion of a black day/date wheel is a welcome touch as well.

I reckon the new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot Collection also presents the best value for money when it comes to comparing within their latest releases (barring the new 104 St Sa I MG) given it doesn’t feature the Ar‑Dehumidifying Technology which essentially is a tool to prevent fogging up of the watch with water through the moisture that may seep inside it. 

The new U1 DS — which is essentially a dive watch version of the 358 Sa — retails for 3’979 AUD, the Sinn 717 for 8’120 AUD, 144 St S Anniversary II for 5’850 AUD, and the U50 S for 4’675 AUD. 

Retailing for 4’840 AUD, the new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot features the chronograph and day-date complications, along with the brand’s Ar‑Dehumidifying  Technology and 100m water resistance. To me, that’s value right there. It’s a no-fuss, easy to read, practical pilot’s watch.

The Watch 

The new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot comes in two variations, the beige decorative grinding dialled 358 Sa Pilot DS ref. 358.065 and the dark-blue dialled 358 Sa Pilot B E ref. 358.064. They are both released as part of the regular production and feature the SW500 movement which is an automatic-winding movement that comprises of 25 jewels, beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28,000 vph), and provides a 48-hour power reserve. 

They are encased inside a 42.0mm diameter and 15mm thick satinized stainless steel case with sapphire crystal glass in front. The new timepieces meet the technical requirements for waterproofness, as set out in standard DIN 8310. 

Quotable

Sinn describes the design of this watch as: “In keeping with the design of traditional instrumental chronographs, our 358 Sa PILOT DS model captivates with clarity, functionality and elegance – and also a dial that has been finished with a manually engraved decoration”.

Wish List

15mm is too thick; I wish the watch was thinner. 

That’s All Folks! 

Sinn already has in its lineup the pilot’s series 103 and 900. They also have a fair few other chronograph offerings, and I am finding it a bit hard to see the justification in releasing these. I feel the brand should have consolidated their releases a bit more, even though I understand they had their 60th anniversary to celebrate. And perhaps a completely new design or complication addition would have been more welcome. Divers are their mainstay, and chronographs their bread & butter, but how about something for the soul?

Don’t get me wrong, I like what they are doing here, but still, I was hoping for a little more diversity in their offerings, like the new U50 with a mother-of-pearl dial. Now that’s different. In short, a bit more art and a little less practicality is the need of the hour. After all, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. I really like the brand but I think they need to ‘brighten up’ their designs.

That said, coming back to the watches at hand, if I ignore they have so many chronographs and pilot’s watches, then in that case, as standalone watches, both the new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot’s are handsome and practical. And while I prefer the blue variant, I can see a market for the scratched-up version as well. Of course, given these are Sinn watches, if you like how they look, you can’t go wrong with either of the options.

To find out more about the new Sinn 358 Sa Pilot Collection and other Sinn watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise specified are © Sinn / Copyright Sinn Spezialuhren. Make sure to check out our reviews of Watches & Wonders 2021 releases here.