[mpalmer]

There's nothing wrong with a Hamilton, but Sinn all the way and twice on Sunday...

 

[mleok]

Not to me. That Sinn is BOOORINGGGGG.

That's your prerogative, but it doesn't invalidate my point.

 

[khj94704]

Is nobody else bothered by the flat crystal of the 556? or the lack of a hardened case? I have a 356 and a non-utc 856, and if they made a 38.5mm hardened-cased with either the "A" or "I" 556 dial I'd buy it in a second.

Also, I've handled plenty of Hamiltons and think they're nice for the price. Sinn used to only use the top-grade ETA's but I think they're moving to Sellita now, is that right?

 

[Watchbreath]

Is nobody else bothered by the flat crystal of the 556? or the lack of a hardened case? I have a 356 and a non-utc 856, and if they made a 38.5mm hardened-cased with either the "A" or "I" 556 dial I'd buy it in a second.

Also, I've handled plenty of Hamiltons and think they're nice for the price. Sinn used to only use the top-grade ETA's but I think they're moving to Sellita now, is that right?

Moving to Sellita is no big deal.

 

[Gilby]

If I understand correctly they use the Sellita equivalent to Top grade.

 

[GlennO]

Is nobody else bothered by the flat crystal of the 556? or the lack of a hardened case? I have a 356 and a non-utc 856, and if they made a 38.5mm hardened-cased with either the "A" or "I" 556 dial I'd buy it in a second.

Flat or domed crystal is largely a matter of personal preference. I prefer a domed crystal myself but I would not choose an untreated one (other than acrylic) over a flat one with highly effective AR treatment. A hardened case might be desirable but would add to the price.

 

[coop]

Thanks so much, everyone. Based on the responses, I feel confident enough to start searching for the Sinn.

 

[il Pirati]

Not to hijack, but I've been considering the same two watches. Don't like the lack of a screwdown crown on the Hammy. Not huge on the Sinn's looks.
Is the Sinn "prettier" in person? It just looks very dull in photos. I need a tool/work watch, but I'd like something attractive.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

I'm going to give you a different perspective and some other points to consider.

The Sinn is a nicer watch for sure. It looks and feels more expensive in person and certainly sits a notch above. The finishing on the case and bracelet looks more expensive and feels good.

That said, as a field/utility/tool style watch, the Hamilton is a more practical watch IMO. The Sinn finish gets scratched very easily in my experience unless you get the better Tegimented stuff. The finish on the case and bracelet is not a traditional brush finish and hence if it gets scratched its not that easy to fix yourself and it shows clearly compared to marks on a normal brushed finish.

The crystal is AR coated on the outside and is a visible AR coating. While its a very effective coating for reflections, it also tends to get marks on the outer AR coating and is a fingerprint magnet which many dont mind, but I get quite annoyed by.

The hamilton has fewer things to bang up, no outer AR coating to put marks on. The brushed finish is traditional finish which you can easily fix for minor marks with a scratch pen or even Scotch brite. So it really depends on your use case and what you are particular about.

If you dont really care about these aspects, then go for the Sinn, its worth the extra money for the quality, but I personally sold mine because I had to baby it way too much and hardly enjoyed wearing it.

 

[elliswyatt]

The Sinn is a striking watch. A bit austere but that's what I like about it. For me, it's the perfect watch in a daily business or office setting. As the previous poster said, you may have to baby it a little to keep it looking nice but, in my case, an office environment doesn't put it in harm's way.

 

[ck1109]

Not to hijack, but I've been considering the same two watches. Don't like the lack of a screwdown crown on the Hammy. Not huge on the Sinn's looks.
Is the Sinn "prettier" in person? It just looks very dull in photos. I need a tool/work watch, but I'd like something attractive.

Look at Damasko's offerings - DA34, DA36 etc.

 

[itsajobar]

Sinn is a understated elegance. I get compliments from people all the time on it. Hamilton doesn't have a screw down crown and looks like something out of a ll bean catalogue. When I think of ll bean I think of that weird couple from the movie "dog show."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Citizen V]

Not to hijack, but I've been considering the same two watches. Don't like the lack of a screwdown crown on the Hammy. Not huge on the Sinn's looks.
Is the Sinn "prettier" in person? It just looks very dull in photos. I need a tool/work watch, but I'd like something attractive.

I'd recommend checking it out in person if you can. I love how it looks in (most) photos, in my watch box, on my desk, etc., but on my wrist, it looks rather dull. Many people love how it looks though so give it a try.

 

[bigvatch]

I think the Khaki field automatic is a very nice watch, but Sinn makes watches closer to premium standards, and their straps and bracelets are a lot nicer.

What sets it far apart to me is the design of the 556.......that's what is clearly worth it to me for the extra cost.

 

[Splinter Faction]

I like the Hamilton just because I love the dial design, and I'm not a big fan of the same on the Sinn. But . . . as a little side note, a 2824 and a 2824 top grade are not really the "same" movement. There is the obvious aesthetic angle, but there are also some parts and performance differences. I can't name them off the top of my head, but you can look it up. Again, I'm very fond of the Hammy, but the movement is just dull looking. I would be happy if it had a closed back. Funny though, mine is very accurate!

 

[mleok]

I like the Hamilton just because I love the dial design, and I'm not a big fan of the same on the Sinn. But . . . as a little side note, a 2824 and a 2824 top grade are not really the "same" movement. There is the obvious aesthetic angle, but there are also some parts and performance differences. I can't name them off the top of my head, but you can look it up. Again, I'm very fond of the Hammy, but the movement is just dull looking. I would be happy if it had a closed back. Funny though, mine is very accurate!

That's quite true, this is a description of the different grades of ETA movements.

The take home message is that the standard and elabore grades have the same movement components, and the top and chronometer grades have the same components, with differences in the mainspring, hairspring, and shocks, in addition to aesthetic embellishments.

 

[JanW]

My father owns a Hamilton Khaki and I always thought it looked much nicer than the cost would suggest. On the other hand, the Sinn 556 I've seen in the store seemed a bit underwhelming. I'd hold out for their higher level offerings, like the U1.

 

[Mike_Dowling]

The Hamilton Khaki Field was a nice watch for the price but just felt too unsubstantial for me. I didn't mind the 28mm dial, in fact I prefer it, but it was just too cheap feeling for me. Comparing it to the SARB017 the SARB while being 38mm was much more substantial, and felt of a higher quality when you compared the dial and case. I haven't felt the Sinn, but I imagine it feels of a substantially higher quality than the Khaki Field from Hamilton.

 

[jdptc]

Am in the exact same boat......trying to rationalize the price difference but it's true there are so few out there like the 556i look
Does anyone here know what it costs to service a 556 when the time comes?
I've seen other threads says here on you can take it to a CONUS shop since it's a time tested movement (2824) but I cannot find anything online from Sinn direct or Watchbuys quoting a full service price. Anyone with experience on this?
Thanks

 

[Watchbreath]

Must be an echo here.

Used to sell Hamilton and handled a few 556's, the "feel" of the Sinn was in a much higher league.