Helmut Sinn is dead. The clock entrepreneur died at the age of 101 years in Frankfurt am Main. The picture shows the aviation watch pioneer with the very first Sinn watch. After a war, Helmut Sinn sold a dog with eyes as a pointer to GIs as a souvenir from occupied Germany. Thus he laid the foundation for aviator chronographs like the Sinn 142 S, which made it into space. (Photo: S. Schickedanz)

Aviation watch pioneer Helmut Sinn died at the age of 101 years

Stefan Schickedanz 15. Februar 2018

Helmut Sinn died. His highest goal was missed by the entrepreneur born in Alsace on the 3rd of September 1916: the aviator, aviator watch designer and rally driver died on 14.02.2018 at the age of 101 in Frankfurt / Main. Actually – as he had last publicly affirmed at the big event on his 100th birthday – he wanted to be 103 years and thus overtake his siblings. But even so few can show such a long, varied and successful life.Even with over 100 years Helmut Sinn did not think about giving up driving. Why?When he was in his mid-90s, he completed sophisticated driver training with fast evasive maneuvers and participated as a passenger in a vintage car rally.

Helmut Sinn: Active until old age

Entrepreneurial Helmut Sinn was still active until shortly before his 100th birthday, which was celebrated by Guinand with the special model HS 100 dedicated to him (we reported). The Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1865 had taken over meaning only in the mid-90s. Prior to that, the then almost 80-year-old sold the company Sinn Spezialuhren, founded by him after the Second World War in Frankfurt am Main, to the former IWC engineer Lothar Schmidt, who recently led her to a new size with over 100 employees , Sinn also had parted from Guinand shortly before his 100th birthday. The still based in Frankfurt watch brand is now being continued by Matthias Klüh .

Sinn died after a short illness, but he leaves behind a life’s work, which is already a firm place in the history of aviation watches as well as in the showcases of international watch collectors. These include legends such as the first automatic chronograph in space, the Sinn 142 S or the Guinand WZU 5 , a world time watch for five independent time zones powered by a single movement of the HS 81 caliber (based on Unitas 6497-1).

More about life and work by Helmut Sinn, 1916 – 2018, on LowBeats:
Guinand HS100: Anniversary watch for the 100th birthday of aviation legend Helmut Sinn
Guinand reloaded: Surprising comeback of a cult watch
The watch grandmother of the Apple Watch: Sinn 157, the clock for life

Read more in the net:
Report by Stefan Schickedanz about Helmut Sinn from Motor Klassik (leider nicht mehr Verfügbar)
Sinn special clocks to Frankfurt am Main (leider nicht mehr Verfügbar)
Guinand homepage

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