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sunjeezy23

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Hi all, I'm looking for an everyday watch with a clean face and came across the aforementioned. I'm a novice in the watch game and wanted some technical opinions/advice/recommendations from the experienced. I'm looking to spend no more than $1,500 USD

Thanks in advance!
 
For me LLD by far (no date), and this comes from a big Sinn fan. The design of the LLD is impeccable, finishing is great for the price, and works in both formal and casual situations. I'd only get the Sinn here if you are planning on giving it heavy beater duties (eg. Tinkering with your car engine while wearing a watch)
 
LLD is 2300 bucks. Not sure if you are looking for used or new, but I doubt you can find one new for 1500. I'd pick the LLD over the Sinn, as nice as 556 is, IMO the LLD is a better watch, the styling is superb, the curved crystal, lacquered dial, superb detailing, rhodium hands are real winners on the LLD IMO. The 556 is no slouch with a supremely legible dial that just pops in person, but for me, if it had to be one or the other, I;d pick the LLD.
 
The LLD is pretty big. 42mm, all dial, long-ish lugs, so you'd better have a decently sized wrist. That said, it's thin, so it lays low. I have a 7-1/2" wrist and it was a perfect size. Dressy AND awesome water resistance. The rotor is kinda noisy, and the lume is basically nonexistent. I flipped it because I don't like fake vintage yellow - the date version has brighter white (but still slightly yellow) markings. The hands aren't terribly visible. It's funky and artsy because of the design and fonts - definitely an eye-catcher. Looks expensive.

The Sinn is smaller, and looks great on a bracelet. I think it needs a smaller wrist to pull off, like 7" and below. It's substantial, not overly heavy, and the bracelet is excellent. The clarity of the face is amazing, the lume is decent but a bit blotchy, it's on the sporty side but looks good with a suit. I'd call it the German Explorer I or Aqua Terra - the small, go-anywhere, do-anything dressy-ish watch. it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of most of Sinn's lineup, but that makes it a lot less expensive. It should fly under the radar. I prefer the one with no numbers, it's a more versatile watch that way.
 
For me LLD by far (no date), and this comes from a big Sinn fan. The design of the LLD is impeccable, finishing is great for the price, and works in both formal and casual situations. I'd only get the Sinn here if you are planning on giving it heavy beater duties (eg. Tinkering with your car engine while wearing a watch)
As a Sinn 556i owner, I would never use it for tinkering with machines. That job is best suited for a G-shock. Unlike the more expensive models, the Sinn 556i's case is not tegimented, which is Sinn's proprietary additional layer of hardened steel. The 556i case has a satinized finish that will pick up micro scratches from wear. After a year of ownership and occasional wear, mine looks pretty good.



This is an older picture, from when I had it new.

I have it on bracelet, which I think is the best combo for this watch, but it can work with NATOs and leather.

Ultimately, it comes down to the watch that speaks to you more as they are very different stylistically. A clean minimalist and versatile watch vs a retro-classic diver.
 
Both look great visually, one has an internal bezel the other doesn't. Over-all i find the Sinn 556 to be simpler and cleaner in the looks department. It is also IMO more versatile then the LLD. The Sinn will go well with bracelet, leather, rubber or zulu/nato for a variety of situations and being quite a fair bit cheaper also helps in nudging me towards the 556.
 
I really want to like the LLD, but I find all of those minute markers way too busy. If its between those two I'd pick the Sinn, which I have seriously considered in the past, but while I love the clean look when I run across a photo of one online, I worry that the simplicity would get boring day in and day out. For a $1500 Sinn I'd likely go with the new 104. If you're up for other suggestions IMHO a classic flieger or marine chronometer has a cleaner look than the LLD even with all of the Arabic hour markers. Check out Stowa. Another cool, different choice would be a Junghans Max Bill.
 
I like the Longines Legend Diver, but it has an extremely long lug-to-lug length, and just looked odd on my relatively flat 6.75" wrist. If your wrist is on the smaller side, I strongly suggest you give it a try before committing to it.
 
I found the 556I 38.5mm case a little too small for my 7" flat wrist, and my wife wears it now, quite happily on her 5.5" wrist.

I went to the EZM3, and I think it's a cool watch - destro, 500m WR, Milgauss A/M, stable through a crazy temperature range, and a nice size at 40mm.

 
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