Watch I Love: Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL

Revolution editors take turns to reveal their favorite watch. Here, Revolution’s global online editor dishes on his daily beater, the Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL.

Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL (Image © Revolution)
The Basics

The Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL is a 41mm bead blasted titanium timepiece, powered by a GMT version of the Valjoux 7750. This of course also means that the watch sports a chronograph. In this instance, the watch has a central chronograph hand, paired with a 30-minute (9 o’clock) and 12-hour totalizer (6 o’clock).

Other than the watch just being a cool, grey stealth power house of a timepiece, the 103 Ti DIAPAL holds a lot of Sinn’s technological knowhow.

Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL (Image © Revolution)
DIAPAL

In 1995, Sinn started to experiment with using diamond for the crystal used in their pallet forks instead of traditional synthetic ruby crystals. The idea there was that the brand wanted to create a pallet fork system that would not require lubrication in order to remain functional over an extended period of time.

In 2000, the conclusion that the brand came to is that a lubricant still had to be used with the diamond crystals but the combination of the solution that was devised, was able to maintain a consistent chronometry curve for longer when compared to the traditional ruby fitted pallet forks.

Comparison of Swiss anchor escapements: Without oil, they work for no longer than three months. Use of standard oil results in a considerable loss of amplitude after about three to five years. Over the same period, the escapement with DIAPAL-Technology worked flawlessly. Source: Sinn.
Comparison of Swiss anchor escapements: Without oil, they work for no longer than three months. Use of standard oil results in a considerable loss of amplitude after about three to five years. Over the same period, the escapement with DIAPAL-Technology worked flawlessly. Source: Sinn.

Then in 2005, the brand went further to create diamond coated pallet forks and escape wheels, which allowed for the two to function unlubricated. Therefore, completely taking out the aging effect that lubricants otherwise have.

With the technology now firmly in place, Sinn watches that bear the word DIAPAL on their dials, are all backed up with a warranty period of 5 years.

Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL (Image © Revolution)
Ar-Dehumidifying Technology

To ensure that moisture ingress over time, does not affect the chronometry of the movement, certain Sinn watches, including the103 Ti DIAPAL, are equipped with the Ar-Dehumidifying Technology.

The idea is that moisture trapped in the watch head, at the point that it is sealed at the manufacture, or even moisture that diffuses into the watch case over its lifetime, causes lubricants used across the movement to age and cause chronometric degradation. Preventing moisture ingress, and even drying out present moisture in the watch, would result in prolonging the period of time that a watch movement is viable to maintain consistent time keeping.

Sinn Ar-Dehumidifying Technology uses three components to achieve this: a drying capsule, EDR seals and protective gas filling. The drying capsule is the most important the system. It’s filled with copper sulfate, which acts to absorb moisture from air inside the case and binds it permanently. Copper sulfate turns increasingly blue as it absorbs more water. The capsule, therefore, also serves as an indicator for how saturated it has become. The capsule is mounted to the side of the case next to one of lugs, with a sapphire crystal glass over it so that the watch can be monitored.

From left: Drying capsule made of titanium, EDR seal
From left: Drying capsule made of titanium, EDR seal

Next, Extreme Diffusion-Reducing (EDR) seals are used to minimize moisture from air outside of the case interfering with what is already inside. Sinn states that ERD seals reduce moisture ingress into the case “to as little as 25% of the value permitted by conventional case seals made of nitrile rubber (NBR).”

Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL (Image © Revolution)

The last measure is the gas that is used to fill up the inside of the case. This creates ideal internal conditions for the first two components of the Ar-Dehumidifying Technology to function optimally. No prizes for guessing what gas is used, it’s in there in the name: Argon, a chemically inert gas.

More than Meets the Eye

Now, why put ourselves through the pain of the physics lesson that’s required in understanding DIAPAL and Ar-Dehumidifying Technology? To make this simple point. That if you thought, just the fact of it being a chronograph, GMT and titanium case watch is enough to make the Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL a feature-rich tool watch that presents great value. Then you should know that there’s more to it than meets the eye, which IMHO, makes the Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL a watch of ludicrous value.

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