Conceived as an extremely functional pilot’s watch, the EZM 3F was just introduced at Baselworld 2015, becoming the latest addition to the series of no-nonsense watches originally developed for elite police units.

An variation of the EZM 3 diver’s watch, the EZM 3F (the suffix stands for flieger) offers a cleaner dial and more discrete date window, while preserving the trademark military look of the EZM watches. Naturally it is also endowed with the Sinn‘s inventions conceived for tool watches, like an integrated dehumidifier. The watch that started the series was the EZM 1, developed in the nineties for the German customs service commandos. EZM stands for einsatz zeitmesser, or “mission timer”. Like the original EZM 1, the new EZM 3F has its crown on the left of the case, originally conceived to prevent it from pressing into the wrist when handling a gun.

The EZM 3F has a 41 mm steel case filled with Argon to keep moisture out (hence the “Ar” logo on the dial), and fitted with a copper sulphate capsule (visible on the lug below) to absorb any moisture that does get in. Both the case back and crown are screw down, for a water resistance of 200 m. 

Because the escapement is lubricated with Sinn’s own oils designed for temperature resistance, the watch is guaranteed to function between temperatures of –45 °C and +80 °C. And an inner soft iron cage protects the movement (an ETA 2824) from magnetic fields of up to 80,000 A/m.

Pricing starts at €1490 for the EZM 3F on a leather or silicone strap, while the steel bracelet model costs €1625.

Seiko has announced a pair of limited edition Prospex Marinemaster 1000 m “tuna” dive watches with shrouds made of cermet, a ceramic-metal composite used for the first time on a Seiko dive watch.

Alongside the Marinemaster Hi-Beat and “Emperor Tuna” in rose gold recently unveiled at Baselworld 2015, Seiko also revealed a pair of limited edition cermet “tuna” dive watches to mark the 50th anniversary of the Seiko diver’s watch. The first is the quartz SBBN029 with a silver cermet shroud, and the second is the automatic SBDX016 with a copper-coloured cermet shroud. Cermet is a ceramic and metal composite that has the properties of both its constituent materials. Cermet has the scratch resistance of ceramic, but also the malleability and elasticity of metal. And cermet also possesses the colour range and mirror-polished surface of metal. Traditionally Seiko has used pure ceramic for the shrouds of its professional dive watches, which are screwed onto the inner titanium case for additional protection. Ridges on the rim of the ceramic shroud also protect the bezel from accidental rotation. It is the shape of the shroud that led to the “tuna” nickname for Seiko’s shrouded diver’s watches. Cermet’s properties make it suited for a shroud, since it is hard but also less vulnerable to cracks and chips caused by sharp impacts. And unlike the traditional matte ceramic “tuna” shroud, the cermet shrouds have a glossy finish just like a metal alloy. The Marinemaster 1000 m quartz “tuna” SBBN029 has a 49.4 mm case (including the shroud) and stands 15.3 mm high. Inside is the 7C46 calibre that keeps time to within +/- 15 seconds a month and has a five year battery life. The shroud is silver-tone cermet, and the strap is white silicone. This is priced at ¥291,600.

The Marinemaster 1000 m “Emperor Tuna” SBDX016 has the same dimensions as the SBDX014, 48.2 mm wide and 17.4 mm high. It’s powered by the 8L35 automatic movement with a 50 hour power reserve that’s based on the Grand Seiko calibre 9S55. 

The shroud is what Seiko calls “pink gold” cermet, matched with a mocha dial and strap. This will cost ¥432,000. Both are limited to 700 pieces with deliveries starting in July 2015.

Sinn‘s trademark line of dive watches all have cases made of a corrosion resistant steel alloy used for German navy submarines. Just introduced at Baselworld 2015, the latest model in this line-up is the U212 S E, featuring the largest case Sinn makes for its dive watches at 47 mm in diameter.

Surface hardened with Sinn’s proprietary Tegiment process, the submarine steel case is also PVD coated with a black ceramic layer for exceptional scratch resistance.

As with many of Sinn’s other tool watches, the Sinn U212 S E is tested by DNV GL to industrial standards for diving equipment. DNV GL is a German testing and certification firm whose business includes setting safety standards for ships and oil rigs, meaning its 1000 m water resistance rating is independently verified and dependable.

The U212 S E is also equipped with Sinn’s Ar Dehumidifying technology. The case is filled with an inert argon gas to keep moisture out, and also fitted with a capsule containing copper sulphate powder, functioning as a dehumidifier by absorbing moisture from inside the case. This prevents fogging on the crystal, and also the minor rusting and corrosion that can happen when water vapour seeps into the case, due to old gaskets or improper screwing of the crown.

Matte black with ivory Super-Luminova for the vintage look that is fashionable today, the dial shows the copper sulphate capsule through a tiny window at six o’clock as well as the “Ar” logo at nine.

The Sinn U212 S E is a large watch, with a case diameter is 47 mm and a thickness of 14.5 mm. And it is also heavy, weighing some 135 g, or 4.7 oz, without the strap, in part due to the density of submarine steel.

The movement inside is the SW 300, the Sellita clone of the ETA 2892. Sellita is a low-cost movement supplier that makes copies of ETA calibres, since the patents have expired on the decades old ETA movements. It is automatic with a 48 hour power reserve.

Limited to 300 pieces with each individually numbered, the U212 S E will cost €2360 with a leather band (shown at bottom), and €2590 with a rubber strap fitted to a Tegiment treated and black coated diving clasp.