Ok chaps, after much deliberation and whittling down of which black dial tool watch I could wear on most occasions, interchange straps with etc (basically an Explorer alternative) I'm now really close to pulling the trigger on one of these two.

So in the red corner I have the Tudor Black Bay 36:



This was originally my final choice, the Sinn has made a late challenge after the 36 saw off all other contenders. The pro's, well there's the brand quality, the lovely simple symmetrical dial and the snowflake hands which I'm a big fan of. High spec ETA 2824, applied indices, great lume, slim profile, 150m WR, screw down crown. The machining of the bracelet is fantastic too.

The con's? Some reviews I've seen say it's very reflective having a glossy dial and minimal if any AR coating. But the main one for me is the size. I tried on the 41, clearly too big. Tried the 36 and it isn't bad but it does just feel a bit on the small side. If it was a 38/39 with 46mm lug length I don't think I'd even be hesitating. But when you're laying out £2k you don't want to compromise. Which I suppose brings me to the final con - the BB36 is roughly twice the price of the Sinn.

So, the opponent, the Sinn 556a.



I prefer the 'a' (for Arabic) version over the 'i' version aesthetically. Big pro is the size; 38.5mm with 11m height - that's the sweet spot for me. Love the understated design, the discreet date window between 4&5. It has 200m WR, I love the H design of the bracelet which also has screwed links, and the fact it has drilled lugs for easy changeability. Also has the ETA 2824, I'm not sure mod wise how what Sinn do compares to Tudor. The 556 also has a display back where you can see the decorated movement and gold signed rotor. Final pro is the price, at about half the cost.

Cons? Hmmm, well the indices are printed rather than applied, but I guess as a pilots watch it's the legibility that counts. The lume is apparently pretty average. And it has AR coating on both sides of the crystal, which again is great for legibility but I hear that makes it a scratch magnet.

If I'm being honest the Sinn has the Tudor on the ropes and is giving it a good pummelling. At a price of £1k vs £2k I'm struggling to find enough between them to justify spending double on the Tudor - in fact if they were both identical prices I'd still be edging toward the Sinn.

Any thoughts, opinions or indeed feedback from ownership?


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