Sinn Updates its Ultra-Engineered EZM Concept with the New EZM 13.1 Diving Chrono

As a company founded by a flight instructor and pilot in 1961 – Herr Helmut Sinn –  you can expect highly engineered watches built with functionality, reliability, and endurance in mind. And, for most of the models available in Sinn Spezialuhren’s portfolio, it’s the case. And even more so when it comes to the emblematic Einsatzzeitmesser series of watches or EZM – a concept referring to Mission Timer watches and launched in 1997. Since then, we’ve seen several models under this acronym, the latest being the EZM 13 of 2014. Discontinued for a while, the signature, overly tested, ultra-engineered diving chrono with a 60-minute display and left-handed look is back with the brand new Sinn EZM 13.1 Diving Chronograph. 

Sinn’s Einsatzzeitmesser, a collector’s favourite

The EZM watch by Sinn – which stands for Einsatzzeitmesser and can be translated into mission timer – is, together with the U1 dive watch and the 104 pilot’s watch, one of the most respected and sought-after watches produced by the Frankfurt-based manufacturer. Born in the late 1990s, this veritable tool watch fused the idea of a dive watch with a chronograph in an ultra-clear and functional look.

The EZM 1, the original one of 1997, was the cleanest of them all, using two central chronograph hands (for the seconds and minutes) and no sub-counters. It had a 60-minute pilot’s countdown bezel, a titanium case, and a left-sided profile with a crown and pushers at 9 o’clock. Inside was a Lemania 5100, and following the end of its production, the watch was discontinued in the late 2000s. It was originally designed for special German Customs Forces and later became available to the general public. Since then, the brand released the EZM 3, a more classic (no chronograph) dive watch, and the EZM 13 in 2014. We’ve missed the latter for a while, but it’s back in 2022 with minor updates all around.

The new Sinn EZM 13.1 Diving Chronograph

First of all, rest reassured… The original concept of the Einsatzzeitmesser watch is still well alive. Second, the new EZM 13.1 is not that far away from the previous generation and takes on all the classic (and beloved) elements, adding a few updates – but we’re talking minimal ones.

As you can see above, the new Sinn EZM 13.1 Diving Chronograph is only marginally different from the old EZM 13. As you can guess by the name of this new edition, we’re talking mid-life cycle update, sort of a facelift that primarily focuses on dial legibility. The basics – diver x chronograph, bezel, destro case, movement, and style – are all present.

The case of the EZM 13.1 retains the original proportions of a 41mm diameter and a 15mm height – not too large actually for an automatic chronograph with 500m water-resistance. The stainless steel is bead-blasted for a matte, anti-reflective look, and the watch retains the same specifications: sapphire crystal with double-sided AR coating; left-positioned screw-down crown and pushers with D3-System; screwed caseback; rotating bezel with black aluminium insert and 60-minute scale; and 50-bar pressure resistance. And because it’s a Sinn watch made for action and special forces, the list of standards and requirements it meets and of technologies used is long, like really long. We even had to create two new sections in the specifications at the end of the article specifically for this watch. It’s all about resistance to pressure, temperature, fogging, magnetic fields, according to tests by DNV and norms by DIN. Fully packed is the most accurate thing I can say about this watch.

The main update concerning this new Sinn EZM 13.1 Diving Chronograph is the dial, which eliminates the Arabic numerals on the 12h scale and now only features classic markers for the hours. Otherwise, the display remains the same, with central hours and minutes, a small seconds at 3 o’clock, a red date at 4:30, a small AR logo (a military reference) at 9 o’clock and the main specificity, a 60-minute sub-counter for the chronograph – instead of a 30-minute counter on most 7750-based watches. All elements are highly contrasting and coated in luminous material.

Under the steel caseback is the Sinn chronograph movement SZ02, a modified automatic Valjoux 7750 with 26 jewels, a 4Hz frequency and about 45 hours of power reserve. The Sinn EZM 13.1 will be available on a bead-blasted steel bracelet with a folding clasp, on a black rubber strap, or a leather strap (multiple options available).

Availability & Price

The Sinn EZM 13.1 Diving Chronograph will be available from May 2022 and can now be pre-ordered on the brand’s website. Prices range from EUR 2,650 on straps to EUR 2,850 on a steel bracelet. Not per se a cheap watch, but considering the level of engineering that goes into this watch, the modified movement, the somewhat quirky look, and the sheer cult status of the EZM series of watches, it remains quite a fair price, in my opinion, for what is one of the brand’s ultimate instrument watches!

For more details and orders, please visit www.sinn.de.