Sinn 142st: quick look

Here's the Sinn 142st which is a most enjoyable watch and I think it is one of the most legible automatic chronographs on the market.

Designed as a pilot watch, legibility is one of the most important design factors.

It may not seem apparently obvious, as there is a great deal of information on the seemingly busy dial, but real time and elapsed time can be instantly read or differentiated at a glance. All things red pertain to the chronograph and all things white pertain to real time. The central axis minute totalizer of the Lemania 5100 is simply one of the most legible chronograph layouts


The case is entirely bead-blasted and its design is extremely simple. There is no bezel and the crystal is fit directly into the case. Shown below is the crown at 10 o’clock that rotates the inner chapter ring.


The bracelet is very comfortable and flexible with a sturdy clasp and clasp wings. The links are held together by screws and as can be seen below, the lugs are extremely short and square. I am not too fond of the bracelet at all, as it does not balance the watch very well and the clasp has opened accidentally a couple of times.


Even at an awkward angle, both real time and elapsed can still be read. The crystal is a flat sapphire that sits ever so slightly above the case and it is coated with anti-reflective material on the inside.


The beefy pushers make operating the chronograph relatively easy, although the Lemania requires quite a bit of force to activate. I find the screw-down crown quite unnecessary, as the pushers and the bezel crown do not screw down and this watch shouldn’t be in water anyways.


This watch’s claim to fame, as indicated on the case-back, came from being the first automatic chronograph (the Omega Speedmaster was manual wind) worn in space by the German astronaut Reinhard Furrer in 1985.


The Lemania 5100 movement in this watch has now ceased production. The calibre 5100 was known for its extreme ruggedness and is heralded as one of the most durable chronograph movements ever produced. With the discontinuation of the Lemania 5100, Sinn, Tutima and other users of the movement are developing substitutes, mainly derived from ETA piggybacks which I dislike. There will not be an adequate replacement for the calibre 5100 which is complete with cost saving, yet efficient pillar construction, nylon parts and a vertical clutch for extra durability and smoother chronograph operation. Morever, there is yet to be another automatic chronograph movement that looks as ugly as the Lemania 5100!!
The picture of the Lemania 5100 below was taken by Sergio Lorenzon.