Flieger, or pilot, watches have seen their case sizes expanding and contracting like the waistlines of a yo-yo dieter in recent decades.
Right now the trend is for smaller timepieces, leading Sinn to trim its steel 356 Pilot Classic chronograph to a fashionable 38.5mm for a 25th anniversary limited edition of the Flieger.
Only 500 are being made, priced at €2990.
The Panda-style chronographs have anthracite electroplated dials with a central chronograph hand capable of timing anything to within a quarter of a second.
Matt silver subdials contrast with the black of the dial and its large hour markers.
It uses a Sellita SW510 automatic chronograph movement, visible via an exhibition case back.
The 356 PILOT Classic Anniversary watch is the latest iteration of an entire generation of successful watches from the 356 series that was first created for the Japanese market in 1996 as a slimmer version of Sinn’s 256 pilot and with the characteristic Flieger imprint on a matte black dial.
Success in Japan prompted Sinn to create a core collection Flieger chronograph in 1998, which has developed to become a bestseller for the German watchmaker thanks to its classic, clean and uncomplicated design.
“Whether it is the aesthetic appeal, technical finesse and the associated craft of watchmaking or the limited edition of 500 watches, the 356 Pilot Classic Anniversary embodies timekeeping in its own unique way – the ideal watch to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this model series,” Sinn says.
