Sinn Ref. 856 Pilot Watch (Box and Papers), 2016 — view 1 of 6 — View 1 of 6 · Image: Craft & Tailored · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Sinn Ref. 856 Pilot Watch (Box and Papers), 2016

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.

Maker / attribution: Sinn (maker)
Date: 2016
Historical period: Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)
Country of origin: Unrecorded in source
Object type: Wristwatch
Dealer: Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles
Stock no.: Product 10563856590
Credit line: Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (product 10563856590)
Catalogue title (original): 2016 Sinn Ref. 856 Pilot Watch (Box and Papers) (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number Product 10563856590), this is a wristwatch by Sinn, dated 2016. The Atlas places it in the Contemporary Horology period (2010 – Present) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Sinn was founded in 1961 by flight instructor and pilot Helmut Sinn under the name ‘Helmut Sinn Spezialuhren’. Sinn clearly has roots in aviation but does offer other tool category watches that leverage times and classic details while leveraging the latest that technology and precision manufacturing has to offer. This specific Sinn 856 class pilots watch is no exception. The case made of bead-blasted stainless steel in Sinn's Tegiment stainless steel, making this case 5x stronger and scratch resistant than that of an average stainless steel case. However, the case back is a normal nickel-free stainless steel. This case also meets standard DIN 8310 Pressure-resistant to 200 m water depth and is also low pressure resistant. One of the more amazing features of this Sinn 856 is the Ar-Dehumidifying Technology, which is located on the bottom left lug. This technology engineered by Sinn is made of copper sulfate which absorbs moisture from the air inside the case and binds it permanently. This is essential for maintaining a moisture free environment inside of the watch, protecting both the amplitude of the balance and the original lubrication inside the movement itself. The Sinn 859 is also shock resistant per DIN 8308 and has a magnetic field protection up to 80,000 A/m per DIN 8309 Stock # 16SNW856 Brand Sinn Style Pilot Model 856 Serial 856.7XXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel TEGIMENT Dial Black (Matte) Millimeters 40 Strap Sinn black silicone with metal deployment clasp CASE & BRACELET The case of this Sinn 856 series is in like new condition. The watch will come supplied on a black factory Sinn silicone strap with a Sinn deployment clasp. DIAL & HANDS The dial and hands are in original factory condition. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)

Silicon components, connected watches, optical-lattice research clocks and a thriving independent scene.

Smartwatches became the world's best-selling watches, while mechanical watchmaking focuses on craft, innovation (silicon components, new escapements) and independent makers.

Read the period in the timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Mechanical Renaissance

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Mechanisms mentioned

Shock protection — Component

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryNot in source
MaterialsNot in source
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

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Sources & image rights

Record source: Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © Craft & Tailored — dealer photographs; permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Sinn Ref. 856 Pilot Watch (Box and Papers), 2016." Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles, Product 10563856590. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/sinn-ref-856-pilot-watch-box-and-papers-2016-0f557c.