Editorial G.r.r. Limited Edition spotlight New Releases New Watches New Watches 2022 Sinn

Is The New Sinn 556 LE Set To Beat Rolex and Omega At Their Own Game With Four New Colourful Daily Wearable Beauties?

Editor’s note: Like you, we are also excited for the Time To Watches novelties. Before we get to dive deep into them, here’s our preview & Gut Reaction Review (Grr…) of the new Sinn 556. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here. This is not a sponsored post.

New Sinn 556
New Sinn 556

The New Sinn 556 In A Nutshell

Sinn has forged an image within the watch enthusiast and collector community as that of a company whose watches bear the brunt of time with a smile, shrug-off the dust gathered from any daily wear activities and simply march on. Sinn watches are tough, resilient, and handy. And they more often than not they are also very pocket friendly. 

New Sinn 556

With the new Sinn 556 models for 2022, the brand takes their characteristic charm and adds some welcome fun to it. Granted Rolex did it first with their colourful Oyster Perpetuals in 2020, but try getting your hands on one at retail. Heck even if you miraculously do, they still would cost ~4 times at retail. I am not saying that the Rolex OPs aren’t worth it at retail, but not everyone can afford them. Of course buying at retail is a myth for the ordinary man these days anyway, and playing that game is not our idea of watch collecting. 

Coming back to the new Sinn 556, at 1’990 AUD, they are simply a steal. Now that’s value for you. And considering that the new Sinn 556 are also limited in numbers, they become sure-shot collectable as well. It’s for those who would like to introduce some colourful fun in their watch collection without taking out a second mortgage.

New Sinn 556

They also have their own distinct personality and features such shimmering dials, more universal 38.5mm diameter, 200m water-resistant and Sinn’s usual sturdiness that charms you into forgetting about the Rolex comparison.

New Sinn 556

The 5W1H Of The New Sinn 556

In 2016, Sinn Spezialuhren celebrated its 55-year anniversary and released the 1’000-piece only 556 Anniversary model in stainless-steel case with an anthracite electroplated dial with sunburst decoration. It featured the same design specs as that of the new Sinn 556 but a slightly different ETA 2824-2 movement. They also in 2016 released the Mocca-brown coloured dial with sunburst decoration variation the ref. 556 I M, and the 556 I Mother-of-pearl W. 

New Sinn 556
New Sinn 556

In 2017 came the blue electroplated dial with sunburst decoration ref. 556 I B and another unisex version with shimmering black mother-of-pearl dial (similar to as seen in our hands-on of the Sinn U50 S Mother-of-pearl S). 

Sinn U50 S Mother Of Pearl S 16
©Watchyagonnadoaboutit

Then a couple of years ago Sinn released the more subdued and sporty ref. 556 A RS with a matte black dial and red second’s hand. This added a date function and Arabic numerals but was now powered by the same SW200-1 as that of the new Sinn 556. That year Sinn also released the ref. 556 I RS with indices and the date widow at 3’o clock.

New Sinn 556

Now for 2022, they are releasing the 556 as a more colourful and fun series:

  • new Sinn 556 emerald green
  • new Sinn 556 citrine yellow
  • new Sinn 556 aquamarine blue
  • new Sinn 556 carnelian red

All the new variations of the new Sinn 556 feature a 200m water-resistant 38.5mm diameter and 11mm thick satinised stainless steel case with a lug-to-lug spacing of only 45.5mm and interhorn spacing of 20mm. 

New Sinn 556

The 38.5mm diameter ensures that both men and women can enjoy these watches, while the lug-to-lug spacing is manageable for those with slim wrists such as myself (with ~16cm wrists). And the standard lug interhorn spacing is good for finding replacement straps with ease.

The 400-pieces in each colour limited edition new Sinn 556 is announced today on 29 March 2022 as lead in to the Time To Watches event happening parallel to Watches & Wonders in Geneva.

New Sinn 556

Basic Specifications Of The New Sinn 556

Inside the new Sinn 556 ticks the tried-and-tested Swiss Sellita SW-200-1 which is an automatic-winding mechanical movement measuring 25.6mm x 4.6mm. The movement comprises 26 jewels, beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), and offers a 38-hour power reserve. 

Sinn 556 Series 9

While not in-house, it is good to remember that other brands such as CW, TAG Heuer, Montblanc, Hublot, Tiffany, Bell & Ross, Baume & Mercier, and IWC use or have used this movement in the past, with the only drawback being its low power reserve of 38 to 42-hours. Other than that, it is a workhorse movement that can also be serviced rather easily. 

These are very daily wearable courtesy them featuring 200m water-resistance (and are also anti-magnetic as per DIN 8309).

New Sinn 556

Our Thoughts On The New Sinn 556 LE Series 

My first reaction to the new Sinn 556 began with a sudden smile that turned into a roaring laughter. I was almost euphoric. One, these was Sinn taking on the Swiss heavy weights of Rolex and Omega. And two, it looks set to beat them at their own game. At 1’990 AUD, the new Sinn 556 models is a tasty array of delightful colours that is simply too good to be missed out on.

New Sinn 556

The Rolex ones come in either a smaller 36mm (RRP 8’150 AUD) or larger 41mm (8’600 AUD) size, and the Omega offerings feature Atlantic Blue, Bay Green, Sandstone, Saffron and Terracotta dials. With a similar to the new Sinn 556 38mm diameter, the Omega models feature a 45.1mm lug-to-lug spacing and 12.28mm height. They also retail for a higher 9’250 AUD. 

Omega Rainbow 1
©Copyright OMEGA SA. All rights reserved.

With the new Sinn 556 LE Series, I like that the colours of the dials are actually inspired by the namesake gemstone colours and not just randomly chosen. Unlike Rolex or Omega, the dials are finished using varnish with a metallic shimmer that well catching the right should reveal a nice texture. The dials remind me of the metallic-green dial of the Sinn 103 Sa G, and if these are anything like that in person, we have a winner on our hands.

Sinn Watches 2020 23

On these striking colourful canvas are the rhodium-plated and polished appliqués (that are meticulously attached by hand). For night time legibility, the hour and minute hands and the indices are all coated with luminescent colour.

New Sinn 556

My advice? While you wait for a Rollie and think about the Omega Aqua Terra, pick the aquamarine blue Sinn 556. Tiffany blue is hot right now, and what better way to enjoy that colour than without breaking the bank. Or the red will be a good option too considering the recent popularity for the colour thanks to watches like the MB&F M.A.D.1 Red and the Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph 40 Burgundy. Then there is the green version, which bears the in-season colour of 2021/22. And as for the yellow dial, frankly, who doesn’t like a bit of sunshine?

You know what – get them all. Collectively they are still the price of a Rolex OP or an Omega Aqua Terra. And they are watches you can actually buy and enjoy on a daily basis. And more importantly, these look so good that you may not even want anything else. 

New Sinn 556

To find out more about the new Sinn 556 and their other watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are courtesy are © Sinn / Copyright Sinn Spezialuhren.

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