Discussion
After a long wait I've finally got hold of an EZM1, it's the LE version (which has outer AR, screwed bezel and the 'LE' numbering on the case over the original).
I have spent about a year saving and deciding and it came down to a U1000 or this, I finally came down in favour of the EZM as the functionality was more in line with what I use in practise and I'm not sure I could pull off a 44mm.
It's got the usual panaply of Sinn tech - dehumidifying capsule, argon filled, 300m water resistance, left hand pushers and subdued dark red date and writing that disappears unless you look for it making the legibility very good - it's titanium but with no special hardening so will be bound to pick up the odd dint but I'm fine with this, it's not intended to be a safe queen and I'm happy to let it do its job.
The movement is the Lemania 5100 which is quite old fashioned (and discontinued) but has a reputation of being very robust - the main thing being the centre minute and second chronograph hands, it times up to an hour (longer obviously but you have to keep track of the hours yourself) and the layout of the chrono is very intuitive and perfect for a quick glance time check.
Anyway, it's off the Ti bracelet (which was very comfy) and is now on a sharkskin.
Here's some really poor pics of a very fluffy watch - see, I told you it wasn't getting special treatment!!
I have spent about a year saving and deciding and it came down to a U1000 or this, I finally came down in favour of the EZM as the functionality was more in line with what I use in practise and I'm not sure I could pull off a 44mm.
It's got the usual panaply of Sinn tech - dehumidifying capsule, argon filled, 300m water resistance, left hand pushers and subdued dark red date and writing that disappears unless you look for it making the legibility very good - it's titanium but with no special hardening so will be bound to pick up the odd dint but I'm fine with this, it's not intended to be a safe queen and I'm happy to let it do its job.
The movement is the Lemania 5100 which is quite old fashioned (and discontinued) but has a reputation of being very robust - the main thing being the centre minute and second chronograph hands, it times up to an hour (longer obviously but you have to keep track of the hours yourself) and the layout of the chrono is very intuitive and perfect for a quick glance time check.
Anyway, it's off the Ti bracelet (which was very comfy) and is now on a sharkskin.
Here's some really poor pics of a very fluffy watch - see, I told you it wasn't getting special treatment!!
Edited by andy_s on Saturday 3rd October 12:12
Balmoral Green said:
Nice, but it confuses the hell out of me, like it's upside down or back to front 
I'm sending you to the round room so you can sit in the corner...The pushers and crown are on the left to stop them digging into your hand - more awkward for adjusting the time but better for the pushers imo.
The two chrono hands are the fine tip seconds and 'plane shaped minutes hand if that helps - most pics have the chrono at zero so I thought I'd get them running
Edited by andy_s on Saturday 3rd October 12:17
I really like that.
What's it like with the titanium bracelet? I've only ever seen them on rubber. I'm not keen on rubber or, TBH, the sharkskin strap you have... but I don't dive so it's purely an aesthetic, not a functional, item for me
(I shouldn't really be interested, I already have a tough titanium diver watch... but the EZM has a reputation and every time I look at Neil's (Chronomaster) website, I always think 'that one!' but it's sold out and always has been...)
What's it like with the titanium bracelet? I've only ever seen them on rubber. I'm not keen on rubber or, TBH, the sharkskin strap you have... but I don't dive so it's purely an aesthetic, not a functional, item for me
(I shouldn't really be interested, I already have a tough titanium diver watch... but the EZM has a reputation and every time I look at Neil's (Chronomaster) website, I always think 'that one!' but it's sold out and always has been...)
cyberface said:
I really like that.
What's it like with the titanium bracelet?
The bracelet was excellent - here's a quick 'n' dirty one....What's it like with the titanium bracelet?
The only thing with it is that it doesn't have solid end links - just the folded metal kind, which, to be honest, aren't 100% fitting (there's a small raised gap), but they are tight enough and don't rattle or anything. I really don't like shiney bits on bracelets, brushed is good and the bead blasted finish is excellent and fits well with the watch. As you know, Ti is really comfortable to wear - I wanted to try the shark and rubber as I have an Explorer II (white face) on bracelet and wanted this watch to be the diametric opposite of the Rolex, plus the wing commander needs convincing on the aesthetic front....
Here's a close up from the ad:
Blimey. I really like that. The killer feature is the 'invisible chronograph' - the chrono version of my IWC (rare in titanium, but available) uses a 7750 and has the busy tricompax layout, just like all 7750 based watches. I have a Sinn 356 II and didn't want another 7750 chrono, plus the crowns at 2 and 4 only on my Aquatimer look really cool.
But I *do* like having a chrono, even if just for short-ish period measurements like lap times or cooking food... the EZM1 has a chrono without looking like one (i.e. a simple face, no additional dials).
And it's titanium. And the bracelet looks good (though the IWC titanium bracelet is the best bracelet design I've ever seen, the pin adjustment is ingenious).
Are these *really* difficult and expensive to find on the used market? I know Sinn don't make any more and their new 'extreme' watches are far too big, as you pointed out.
If you get bored - I'll buy it off you!
Otherwise, I think I may be keeping an eye on the market. When I first saw these on the Chronomaster site I didn't realise that the extra hands were a chronograph... it's a million times more attractive to me now...
Damn... got watch lust again, I thought the IWC would satiate me for a few years
ETA - Bloody hell - looking on Google for potential watches for sale, there's an old advert selling one for $2900, and the owner was throwing in a Sea Gull chinese airforce reissue watch.... bugger that ad was from 2007!!! I'd have been all over that one, as the Chinese airforce reissue has the cool ST-19 (Venus 15) movement too... two birds with one stone... 
But I *do* like having a chrono, even if just for short-ish period measurements like lap times or cooking food... the EZM1 has a chrono without looking like one (i.e. a simple face, no additional dials).
And it's titanium. And the bracelet looks good (though the IWC titanium bracelet is the best bracelet design I've ever seen, the pin adjustment is ingenious).
Are these *really* difficult and expensive to find on the used market? I know Sinn don't make any more and their new 'extreme' watches are far too big, as you pointed out.
If you get bored - I'll buy it off you!
Otherwise, I think I may be keeping an eye on the market. When I first saw these on the Chronomaster site I didn't realise that the extra hands were a chronograph... it's a million times more attractive to me now...Damn... got watch lust again, I thought the IWC would satiate me for a few years
ETA - Bloody hell - looking on Google for potential watches for sale, there's an old advert selling one for $2900, and the owner was throwing in a Sea Gull chinese airforce reissue watch.... bugger that ad was from 2007!!!
I'd have been all over that one, as the Chinese airforce reissue has the cool ST-19 (Venus 15) movement too... two birds with one stone... Edited by cyberface on Saturday 3rd October 18:52
Cyber, never has it been truer that 'what goes round, comes round' - it was your copper faced 303 that got me looking at Sinns in the first place - you certainly have first dibs if ever the day comes.
I was looking for a month or two and a few came up in that time - mine was from watchuseek although I've seen a few on tz-uk and mwforum too, having said that, I've not seen another one for a few months now. The price is a bit mad, expect it to go for a few grand - which is quite expensive but resale value should hold well due to them discontinuing the movement and their niche appeal. The 5100 was used by people like Fortis, Lemania themselves (in their very cool swedish airforce watch for example), Sinn, Omega (I think the speedmaster IV used it) and Tutima, who still sell a 5100 based watch. It has pillar construction (hence the 16-17mm case hight) and even some plastic parts (well, nylon) but it's very robust and good enough for even Silberstein. The fully loaded 5100 is even busier than the 7750 - having day/date/mil time, secs, mins and hour totalisers - the Sinn is the most striped down version I've seen though and as you say, is the killer feature.
I was looking for a month or two and a few came up in that time - mine was from watchuseek although I've seen a few on tz-uk and mwforum too, having said that, I've not seen another one for a few months now. The price is a bit mad, expect it to go for a few grand - which is quite expensive but resale value should hold well due to them discontinuing the movement and their niche appeal. The 5100 was used by people like Fortis, Lemania themselves (in their very cool swedish airforce watch for example), Sinn, Omega (I think the speedmaster IV used it) and Tutima, who still sell a 5100 based watch. It has pillar construction (hence the 16-17mm case hight) and even some plastic parts (well, nylon) but it's very robust and good enough for even Silberstein. The fully loaded 5100 is even busier than the 7750 - having day/date/mil time, secs, mins and hour totalisers - the Sinn is the most striped down version I've seen though and as you say, is the killer feature.
andy_s said:
Cyber, never has it been truer that 'what goes round, comes round' - it was your copper faced 303 that got me looking at Sinns in the first place - you certainly have first dibs if ever the day comes.
Seriously???
That's cool. I won't say that I have particularly good taste in watches but you've taken one of mine and run with it - the EZM1 is so much cooler than I thought it was when I first saw it... how could I miss the complication? And that's what's so cool - it's missable, leaving a plain Sinn faced watch, perfectly readable - that also has enough chronograph function (that I ever need - I've hardly ever needed the hour totalisers on my tricompax chronographs).
I've done a quick web-blast search and yes, they're expensive for Sinn - but in the region of what I consider 'affordable' for a special watch. If it was Daytona money then I'd hesitate... but I know damn well what I'll be looking for regarding a Christmas present to myself this year (assuming I have a job after Christmas, of course....) - and that's assuming there's one for sale where I'm comfortable doing the deal (private deals from Singapore etc. get me slightly worried).
I presume, due to the nature and intention of the piece, that it has a solid titanium caseback, with no observation window for the movement?
The issue for me would be simply whether I need both the titanium IWC *and* an EZM1... would both get wrist time, or would I use the EZM1 all the time due to the usefulness of the chrono function?
Argh, I'm taking this train of thought *seriously* now... must stop drinking, go to bed and forget about it in the morning. I simply don't have £3-5k to spend *just* yet... though can think of some things I could sell to get it.... wonder if anyone fancies swapping an IWC aquatimer for one?
Best get my spare laptops on the classifieds, methinks, plus that spare iPhone 3GS I've got as a backup...cyberface said:
Seriously???
Absolutely, why not after all!cyberface said:
I presume, due to the nature and intention of the piece, that it has a solid titanium caseback, with no observation window for the movement?
The caseback is solid - here it is:
But interestingly, even if you can't see the movement you can hear it winding as the rotor rotates, a flick of the wrist gives a whirring winding sound - I don't know if this is normal on autos but haven't heard it on my other one.
The case back translates as 'Pure Titanium - Stoss (?) safely/reliably - antimagnetic - waterproof 30 bar', 'Einsatzzeitmesser' (EZM) meaning 'mission timer'.
I can confirm that it is waterproof to at least 1.8 metres after todays swim with the kids!
Edited by andy_s on Sunday 4th October 22:30
andy_s said:
But interestingly, even if you can't see the movement you can hear it winding as the rotor rotates, a flick of the wrist gives a whirring winding sound - I don't know if this is normal on autos but haven't heard it on my other one.
Yep, my 856 does that, as does my wife's Auto. Lovely watch by the way - quite fancy one of these.
I think it depends on whether the auto movement winds one way or both. If it winds both ways, then it'll have the resistance of the mainspring to fight against both ways, being the most efficient way to wind the spring.
If it only winds one way, then it'll freewheel the other - allowing you to make it 'whirr' round the case if you get it rotating against the 'winding' direction
My Omega Speedmaster (it's a reduced, but the 2000 'white' Schumacher limited edition and whilst I bought it in 2000 thinking it looked cool and nothing else, it's apparently more sought after now...) seems to only wind one way, and makes that cool whirring noise if you spin it the right way.
Most of my other autos wind in both directions and don't 'whirr' though.
The Lemania auto winding system must only go one way for this noise to happen, IMO. Happy to be proved wrong though.
And the more I see it, the more I want this watch. Must keep an eye out for one - I'm not a TZ-UK guy but if anyone here is a member and sees one up for sale, I'd really appreciate being notified here (cheeky, I know...)
If it only winds one way, then it'll freewheel the other - allowing you to make it 'whirr' round the case if you get it rotating against the 'winding' direction
My Omega Speedmaster (it's a reduced, but the 2000 'white' Schumacher limited edition and whilst I bought it in 2000 thinking it looked cool and nothing else, it's apparently more sought after now...) seems to only wind one way, and makes that cool whirring noise if you spin it the right way.
Most of my other autos wind in both directions and don't 'whirr' though.
The Lemania auto winding system must only go one way for this noise to happen, IMO. Happy to be proved wrong though.
And the more I see it, the more I want this watch. Must keep an eye out for one - I'm not a TZ-UK guy but if anyone here is a member and sees one up for sale, I'd really appreciate being notified here
(cheeky, I know...)Hi Mithra, unfortunately it's been worn since the day I got it pretty much permanently; have it on while I type.
Out of a dozen or so it would be the last to go, and I would then not have a watch at all.
There have been about 3 for sale in the past six months, I'll drop you a line if I see one about, especially an LE.
I can't recommend it highly enough - the movement has become my favourite and I've got about 6 so far with a 5100/5012...
Out of a dozen or so it would be the last to go, and I would then not have a watch at all.
There have been about 3 for sale in the past six months, I'll drop you a line if I see one about, especially an LE.
I can't recommend it highly enough - the movement has become my favourite and I've got about 6 so far with a 5100/5012...
mahamithra said:
Have been searching high and low for Le of the Sinn and wonder if you would consider parting with it?
mithra (at) westrock.eclipse.co.uk
FYImithra (at) westrock.eclipse.co.uk
no affiliation
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&go...
Ikemi said:
Does anyone know if Cyberface still lurks? He is still around? Elsewhere?
No idea if he lurks, but if he does he must be finding it pretty hard not to contribute seeing as he was quite a prolific contributor beforehand. Don't see him in the Lotus area either anymore. A shame, really. I thought he'd also had a clearout of his posts, looks like he may have missed some!Anyway, I don't really have a grail watch as such, but if I did the above watch would be it.
Absolutely bang on the money.
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