Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Sinn · U1
Sinn U1 41 mm Meteorite 18k
Reference 16278OR.87
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Sinn
- Collection
- U1
- Model
- Sinn U1 41 mm Meteorite 18k
- Reference number
- 16278OR.87
- Year / era
- 2009 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- Chronograph
- Movement
- Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Dial type
- Meteorite
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 30 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 41 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Bezel
- Fixed brushed titanium
- Crystal
- Box sapphire with AR coating
- Dial
- Meteorite
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 80B — Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Number of jewels
- 27 jewels
- Complications
- Chronograph
- Functions
- Chronograph, tachymeter, date
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2009 – 2019
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
Jörg Hysek
Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.
Historical significance
Sinn U1 41 mm Meteorite 18k sits within Sinn's U1 line, introduced in 2009. It carries the house codes established since 1961 — 18k yellow gold case, meteorite dial and automatic, 38-hour reserve — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
The House
Sinn
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1961
- Founder
- Helmut Sinn
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Tier
- Affordable & Tool Watches
- Major collections
- 556, 104, EZM, U1, 903, Hydro
- Signature technologies
- Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Shock-absorbing movement mounting
- Famous movements
- Automatic, 38-hour reserve · Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic COSC chronometer · Quartz
- Notable watches
- Sinn 556 42 mm Silvered 18k (1975) · Sinn 556 43 mm Slate Sapphire (1961) · Sinn 556 36 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k (1976) · Sinn 556 43 mm Ice 18k (1965)
Brand history
Sinn has spent more than 65 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's 556, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Helmut Sinn established Sinn in 1961, working from Germany at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Sinn calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1961
Helmut Sinn founds Sinn in Germany.
1969
The quartz era forces Sinn to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Sinn enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Sinn continues to produce 556, 104, EZM and other icons in limited numbers.