Sinn 556

The luxury watch manufacturer Sinn Spezialuhren is based out of Frankfurt, Germany and known for their extremely robust service, pilot's, and diving watches. The 556 collection is as durable as any other, but feels less technical thanks to its no-frills design. It can even function as a sporty dress watch.

At 38.5 mm, the satin-brushed stainless steel case of the Sinn 556 is somewhat smaller than most of the brand's other watches, making it a great choice for any wrist size. Its screw-down crown and sapphire glass case back grant it water resistance up to 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft). What's more, this timepiece is well-suited to use outdoors thanks to its resistance to shocks, low pressure, and magnetic fields. The ETA caliber 2824-2 provides the 556 with is accuracy. Sinn refines each movement and outfits them with their in-house rotor.

The dial has a minimalist feel thanks to its shiny black background and stark white indices. The wide sword hands are inspired by the onboard instruments found in aircraft and are the only clear indicator of this watch's connection to Sinn's famous pilot's watches. Models with a sunburst or mother-of-pearl dial look less technical and highlight the timepiece's sporty elegance. These versions pair especially nicely with a suit .

Sinn offers this watch with a wide variety of bands. These include stainless steel bracelets or silicone straps, as well as over 20 leather straps ranging from cow to alligator leather in different shades of black, blue, brown, and gray.

The Sinn 556 I has a black dial, white minute and hour indices, and white hands. There's also a window for the date display with a black background and white numerals at 3 o'clock. The version with a leather or silicone strap costs around 1,000 USD new. If you'd prefer a stainless steel bracelet, that price climbs to just under 1,100 USD. You can find pre-owned models for as little as 820 USD.

Both the 556 I B and 556 I M add some color to the mix. Their dials have the same minimalist design as the standard edition, but with a blue or brown sunburst pattern. However, this comes at a price, as you'll have to do without a date display. Expect to spend around 1,100 USD for a mint-condition timepiece on a leather strap. Models with a stainless steel bracelet cost about 110 USD more. Pre-owned pieces are currently hard to come by.

The 556 with a mother-of-pearl dial feels especially refined. Sinn creates two versions of this timepiece: the 556 I Mother-of-Pearl S with a shimmering black dial and the 556 I Mother-of-Pearl W with a white dial. Each watch is truly unique since no two pieces of mother-of-pearl are the same. Beyond that, they resemble their sister models with sunburst dials in their lack of a date and numerals. Prices for a Sinn 556 with a dark mother-of-pearl dial start around 1,100 USD. The lighter model costs only slightly more at 1,200 USD. These watches are relatively new, making pre-owned timepieces rare for now.

The 556 A stands out from the rest of the series. Its matte black dial features large, luminous Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. This leaves no room for a date at 3, which is why it has shifted to between 4 and 5 o'clock. This design bears a striking resemblance to that of the Sinn 856 pilot's watch, though the 856 has a larger, 40-mm case. Prices for a new 556 A with a leather or silicone strap sit around 990 USD, while well-maintained pre-owned pieces change hands beginning around 830 USD.