Sinn 856 Vs 556 Whats the difference

Big Thank You to Rowland at First Class Watches on 01926 298499

Striking form, sparse dial design, superior readability – characteristic SINN features which highlight the similarities between the 556 series and our pilot and navigation cockpit clocks.

The accentuation of the hours, minutes, seconds and the date plus the satinized stainless steel case are what give the watches their sporty yet elegant appearance. The crystal of the 556 watches is made from sapphire crystal, as is the transparent back which provides an intriguing insight into the filigree mechanical movement inside.

Just how functional can a watch be? This is a question we've been asking ourselves since founding the company. And the answer? Our cockpit navigation clocks. Conceived for the instrument panels of aeroplanes and helicopters, and optimised to provide rapid and clear readability, they are specifically designed to offer time measurement in its purest form.

And they have now inspired us to create a watch with these same characteristics as well as Magnetic Field Protection of up to 80,000 A/m to complement our range of instrumental chronographs.

The dial design ensures especially clear readability: Maximum contrast of the hands, indices and numerals against the glare-free black dial. — Extremely large numerals for intuitive orientation even in low light levels. — Striking hand profiles. — Special long-lasting, luminous paint on the minute and hour hands and indices to ensure accurate reading even in adverse conditions.

[megasoid]

Sinn is one of many brands which are not featured enough on watch channels. Thanks for this segment.

[laramie]

I've had a 556i for a few years now and it's still one of my favorites. The simplicity of design and quality of materials are hard to beat.

[stuartmckee]

I bought my Sinn 104 St Sa, from first class watches, it was a great experience, the staff were superb, they were very polite and took the time to help me choose the right strap and watch combination. Thoroughly recommend them and of course Sinn.

[Centurion-ywky]

Love my 856 with a tan leather Toshi strap. 4 years old, not a scratch on it. Good everyday watch. Look good on my 17cm smallish wrist. Prices have risen substantially but what hasn't. Great review.

[adamn]

Great review as always! As I have said before...bring back the 656! 856 too big for my small wrists

[zackmezera]

Thanks for this, I’m wearing my 856i right now, but I’ve always wondered what the two looked like side by side

[BoozewithNick]

This is superb Sinn-related content- very informative. Thank you for doing it.

[swanney]

The small sounding extra 2mm in size makes a massive difference to the look, the 856 in my opinion definitely has the better size and the date window is far less intrusive too - winner! It’s really worth the extra money when you see the two side by side and go through the specs. Nice review mate 👍

[EdmundPorter-jukd]

Thanks. I really appreciated this explanation. I live in US and, therefore, can only see these in pictures.

[het_gele_teken]

I have the 556 and the 856UTC, both great watches. A normal 856 would easily be mistaken for a 556 to the casual observer as they're so similar. Hence my choice for the 856UTC to go with the 556 I already had. Still wondering if a 857 would suit me, I haven't got a thick wrist to match its size I think... Great review as always, thanks!

[soultandpepper]

Amazing comparison, Barry. I have the 556i RS with the H Link & the Red Rubber Sinn Strap with a new clasp. Pros of the 556 for me are the brushed case (and ease to remove scratches), the shine, the exhibition case back. The dark metal of the 856 puts me a bit off and if it scratches it cannot be fixed like the brushed finish.

[colinyuhl]

I sold my 856utc fully tegimented few days ago after several years of wear. Never had a scratch on it, only the clasp of the bracelet. Great size. Fun watch. The lume is pretty meh, and the crown sits very proudly and did dig into my wrist most days. A great traveler and can go swimming no problem. Ultimately I found the crown too uncomfortable and the look too austere as an everyday watch but still had a positive experience with it.

[greggusan]

Thanks, I very much wanted to see a side by side comparisons of these 2 watches. Think I'm strongly in camp 556!

[dutch]

Well, thank you. Two fine watches and one fine comparison. My EZM 3F is the only thing keeping from buying the 856.

[andrewderiugin]

Great comparison. I wish Sinn could offer the 856 in the size of the 556, same with the 358 features in the size of the 356. Especially as the prices for those models increase, getting the higher end versions of them would make more sense but only if they were the same size as the originals.

[tempuslatro]

Wonderful review. I have the 857 UTC VFR with the lumed seconds hand. It is a nice touch. I have heard for some extra $$$, and the service time it takes, you can request a lumed seconds hand.

[matthewfranklin]

Great review! I've had my 857 UTC for 15 years now, unblemished thanks to the Tegimented case... Just come back from it's second service, swapped the crystal for a new one as the AR got contaminated with sunscreen. Currently running -1s/day

[ajh]

If I could make my perfect mashup of these two. I’d make the 856 the size of the 556 and drop the case hardening

[K.J.H_]

What a treat! I like the proportions of the 856 better, but the brush work does pop better on the 556, aiding its versatility.

Really like the look of the new 856 rs, especially the black model, but there's no pictures of them other than the stock images just yet. Also not sure the new clasps have reached the 856 yet.

[cylentone]

Great watches both, thanks for the comparison. They are a bit of a contradiction - they have the dials of Flieger watches but more the size of field watches. Original field watches were 31-35mm and Flieger were not allowed to be under 45mm. What many enthusiasts don't know - Flieger were worn by co-pilots and crew, pilots needed chronographs to do their calculations.