Reply With QuoteCongratulations on your new watch & a nice little write up of your impressions, making me want to get one myself now.
Cheers.
Yesterday I went to Jurawatches to pick up my first nice watch I've bought brand new. It came in a nice bag:
The service was very good, I was in email contact before hand and they answered all my questions and when I went to pick it up the lady was very nice, made me very aware that they'd be there for any problems I may have and they'll do little things like swapping straps, punching new holes in straps etc free of charge while I wait. So top marks for customer service.
So what did I buy?
I bought a Sinn 556. After so many complicated watches, Precista PRS17C, Sinn 103 etc... I was seduced by its simplicity and timeless looks. Also, for some reason the UK AD's have it for much cheaper than some of the others around the world. So much so, if I was to sell it on right now I'd get all my money back! So I broke my rule of never buying an expensive watch brand new.
As usual for Sinn, it comes with the warranty card, instructions, instructions CD, spring bar tool and a little pot of some liquid... cyanide?
Its hard to appreciate with my rubbish camera phone photos but it looks great in person. The deep black dial and stark white hands and markers look great. The brushed steel case feels and looks solid. The date is perfectly centered and changes at midnight, the hands are all lined up correctly relative to each other and there are no visible flaws on the dial. And now for the back:
An ETA 2824 ticks away in there. There's been some confusion over the movements in these watches. I believe originally Sinn prided themselves on using "Top" grade movements in all of there watches, which use the same components as the very best "Chronometer" grade but are just not regulated as stringently and certified. However, at some point, probably to increase profits, they fitted there cheapest models e.g. the 556 with "Elaborie" grade movements which had some lesser quality components and were regulated to worse tolerances leading to greater "out the box" inaccuracy. From emailing Sinn directly, it turns out they now fit the 556 with "Top" grade again.
To add to the confusion, some movements have no decoration, some have more e.g. whirls, stripes etc and some, like mine, are only slightly decorated with blue screws and some light striping.
At the moment its running around +8 secs/day, but bearing in mind its brand new it will hopefully settle down in the coming weeks. I'd be happy with anthing around +5 or less.
Anyway, off the very nice leather strap and onto one of Eddies NATO's:
It sits on the NATO brilliantly and makes it look like a simple, workmans watch... I guess in keeping with the fleiger style. On the strap it looks very dressy, and would look great with a suit (Saville Row is next to Jura... perhaps I should have popped down there!).
I'm planning on picking up a second hand bracelet for it too very shortly.
I'm not a fan of big watches, hence I've just sold my Seamaster which felt huge at 41mm. At 38mm this is perfect. Its a little thicker than I'd like, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I could always put it on a Zulu or conventional strap to bring the wrist height down a little.
When night fell I took the obligatory lume photo. The camera lets it down but it glows well, and was visible throughout the night
There is one more thing... I tried to haggle Jura down, but they said they couldn't as Sinn have told them not to for the time being. Instead they offered me a "goodwill gesture"
A toolkit!
When they said they'd give me a toolkit I was expecting yet another a spring bar tool and maybe some little screwdrivers, but this thing has the lot, except for a loupe, but I can't complain as it was free. I'm very pleased with it.
Neil at chronomaster offered me a little money off, but due to the convenience of Jura being located nearby and the toolkit I went with them.
So first impressions are pretty good, I have no deal breaker complaints. The fact that I sold a watch double the price for this and feel no regret speaks for itself.
Any criticisms, well possibly the thickness is a little more than I'd like but its no more than my Precista and hopefully it will run-in over the coming weeks to run a little more accurately. It'd be nice if it had the antimagnetic properties of the 656 too.
If I have time I'll put up a proper review after a few weeks of ownership.
Thanks for reading.
Congratulations on your new watch & a nice little write up of your impressions, making me want to get one myself now.
Cheers.
A nice watch and a good report about buying it. I enjoyed reading your post.
regards,
Nick
Great write up on the buying experience and a lovely watch. The tool kit is an excellent bonus too!
Really nice watch and I'm glad your first "buy new from a dealer" experience was a good one. Hope it gives you lots of pleasure.
Thanks for all the good feedback.
I really couldn't be happier with it. I had an epiphany that my phone and the timer on the oven basically made chronographs and timer bezels redundant. It was that which released me to look for something that I just liked rather than something which had the features I thought I needed.
Plus the money left over from selling my seamaster will pay for my boiler to be fixed!
Very nice, toolkit isn't half bad either :D
"I looked with pity not untinged with scorn upon these trivial-minded passers-by"
Very nice watch, congratulations, and a good write up!
Congratulations on a great watch and one of my all time favourites. A very worthy watch as a first new "nice" watch IMO.
I have always liked the no-numbers dial - sooo clean.
Said it before and will say it again; Less IS more!
Very clear dial on the Sinn, elegantly simple.
The toolkit is quite a freebie as well.
Ooohh boy, mr1973 is going to tear into you for that one :shock: :roll:Originally Posted by deus1066
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Only thing missing, as you say:
The antimagnetic feature of the 656, is about the only feature, I miss in this watch.
A 656 with the dial of the 556 would be nice. As close to perfect as possible in an imperfect world.
I wonder if anyone has tried a 656 case back on a 556? I know it wouldn't provide all of the anti-mag protection, but would offer some.
:D Very nice, the simplicity of that one really does appeal to me, but those lovely Sinn's are currently out of my budget.
Toolkit is a really nice freebie as well 8)
Congrats, that's a beautiful watch. It's definitely one of the cleanest looking watches out there.
Apparently they'll give the toolkit to anyone who asks for a discount but they're not authorised to give... or at least that's what the lady said.
Turns out its £25 to buy it:
http://www.jurawatches.co.uk/watch.asp?productid=16017
Great, good ol Jura :hello1:
very nice,good choice! :wink:
I have recently bought the Sinn 556, great watch for the money and it is so nice to wear due to its size and weight, I usually like my large divers but this is a refreshing change.
I bought mine from Neil at chronomaster, I didnt have the offer of any money off but he didnt charge me the postage which was good, I feel the watch is such a good price I didnt want to take the micky by asking for a discount.
I had mine on the black leather Sinn strap with black stitch which would cost £85 if bought seperatly, I really dont know how they justify charging that much! its ok, feels good quality but not £85 worth.
The bottle of juice you have is threadlock, only supplied with a bracelet usually, perhaps they only had stock of the 556 with bracelet at that time and swapped it over to the leather strap to make the sale and left it in there?
Anyway, my favorite feature is the gloss black dial and of course the simplicity of the design, great stuff.
Heres mine on a fudge Toshi with emerald stitch (quick pics)
Definitely on my "might buy next" list....
Absolutely bombproof. I love mine. Enjoy on leather or rubber. The bracelet can wait :wink: .
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:Ooohh boy, mr1973 is going to tear into you for that one :shock: :roll:
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
...and that one! :shock:
I mean, WTF? :lol:
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
:laughing6: :laughing6: :laughing6:
I usually fold the tongue under the strap myself when using a NATO.
............if that is what you refer to.
Good boy... have a cracker. :lol::laughing6: :laughing6: :laughing6:
I usually fold the tongue under the strap myself when using a NATO.
............if that is what you refer to.
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
That is Polly to you
:evil4:
Now now lads..we've all had a drink. :mrgreen:
That would make sense as according to the website they didn't have mine in stock but they did have the bracelet version. However the instructions are for the watch on a strap too.
Yeah I'd just taken it off my Precista and put the 556 on it for the photo. I usually snip of the overhang and melt the end to seal it. I just haven't got round to it yet.
Posting Permissions
