This High-Performance Tool Watch Resembles an Iconic German Chronograph

It’s got some Porsche Design vibes in an aviation package.

Close-up of a black metal wristwatch with a black dial, white markers, red second hand, and date display on a red background.

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By Brad Lanphear

Published April 8, 2026

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Updated April 9, 2026

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Porsche Design is credited with producing the first all-black watch, the Chronograph 1, in 1972. Ever since, the “stealthy” color scheme with white detailing and red hands has been copied countless times because it just looks so badass.

Another German watchmaker just released one of the coolest chronographs to follow that chromatic blueprint, but it isn’t really fair to call it a copy.

Black Sinn wristwatch with metal link band, black dial, white markers, two subdials, and red second hand on a dark surface. — The 936 S follows the same black, white and red motif established by Porsche Design in 1972.

Sinn is a serious tool watch brand, combining high-performance engineering with aesthetically pleasing minimalist design in a characteristically German way. Its reputation was established with pilot’s watches, but it makes elite divers, chronographs and general-purpose watches, as well.

One of the brand’s calling cards is a pragmatic dedication to black dials with white detailing, often with a pop of red or orange where it serves a distinct purpose. Sure, you’ll find the occasional blue, white or green dial in the catalog, but they are outliers.

The new 936 S extends Sinn’s default color scheme across the entire watch for a blacked-out look that, given the benefit of the doubt, just so happens to resemble the iconic Chronograph 1.

Black Sinn chronograph wristwatch with white markers and red second hand on a wrist wearing a green jacket. — The 936 S has a 43mm steel case with a DLC coating.

It’s an update to the standard 936 introduced in 2020 with the same 43mm steel case holding an identical dial, but the new black DLC coating completely changes the look.

While the large bicompax dial is laid out with no-nonsense clarity, it possesses hints at Sinn’s aeronautical heritage and offers an uncommon tweak that enhances the stopwatch complication.

Gone in 60 minutes

The 936 dial is loosely based on the classic Fleiger design and resembles Sinn’s more traditional pilot’s watches, like the 556, 836 and 856. It has the characteristic sword handset and a bold dash hour/minute track, but ditches the hour and minute numerals.

Black Sinn automatic chronograph watch with white hour markers, two subdials, and a red second hand. — The 936 dial is based on classic Flieger watches.

The simplified dial, with white markings printed on matte black, leaves plenty of room for two large subdials, each slightly sunken and with a snailed texture.

At 9:00 is your standard-issue small seconds, but sitting opposite it is a somewhat rare 60-minute totalizer. Most chronographs use a 30-minute scale to mark elapsed time.

Doubling the capacity not only allows for longer measurements, but it also creates a more intuitive interface because your brain doesn’t have to correct the 60-unit format it sees most of the time. It’s the type of small but impactful detail Sinn is known for.

Close-up of a black Sinn wristwatch dial with luminous green hour markers and hands, two subdials, and a red second hand. — The hour hand, minute hand, and hour track are coated in green-emitting lume.

The 60-minute totalizer allows for matching scales on both subdials, sporting numerals at 20, 40 and 60, creating pleasing symmetry. A discrete date window with white numerals on a black disc is centered at 6:00.

Both subdials use Flieger hands, with the only difference being red on the chronograph totalizer to match the red chronograph seconds hand, and white on the small seconds dial.

Nigh unscratchable

The 43mm 936 case is made from Sinn’s proprietary tegimented steel, which offers enhanced resistance to scratching and corrosion through the metal’s composition, not a coating. The new S model, which stands for Schwarz (German for “black”), doubles down on durability by adding a black DLC coating.

Brushed stainless steel watch back with engraved text including "Sinn," "EDELSTAHL," "TEGIMENT," and "100 von 100. — The tegimented steel screw-on caseback is the only part of the case without a DLC coating.

The case is also equipped with Sinn’s D3 system that creates a mechanical barrier between the crown and pushers and the movement, meaning the pushers can be activated underwater without compromising the 100m water resistance.

Powering this high-performance, badass chronograph is the Sinn Caliber SZ05 automatic movement. It is a highly customized Valjoux Caliber 7750 that beats at 4Hz and offers a 48-hour power reserve.

Availability and pricing

Sinn provides two straps with the 936 S, both of which complete the blacked-out color scheme. The one I would stick with is a tegimented steel H-link bracelet with a matching black DLC coating and a folding clasp. The other is a black leather strap with red stitching and a black DLC steel buckle.

The Sinn 936 S is available now for pre-order from Watchbuys, Sinn’s exclusive North American distributor, for $5,270. It is a limited edition production of 100 pieces.

Black Sinn automatic chronograph watch with black metal bracelet and white markers on the dial.

Sinn 936 S

Specs

Case Size	43mm
Movement	Sinn Caliber SZ05 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

$5,270 at Watchbuys

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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