Lothar Schmidt, chartered engineer and owner of Sinn Spezialuhren, is celebrating a special anniversary in September: he has successfully managed the company for 25 years, which under his supervision has developed a renowned reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality mechanical timepieces.
When Lothar Schmidt acquired the Helmut Sinn GmbH on 1st September 1994 a new calculation of time began for the SINN brand. Schmidt effectively re-established the company. His aim was to technologically and strategically reposition the company and thus prepare it for the future.
And he had the right qualifications and experience to do just that. During his time at IWC in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the mechanical engineer made a name for himself as a very innovative engineer, particularly when it comes to case design. Between 1990 and 1993, he was also in charge of the technical production development of the newly re-established A. Lange und Söhne GmbH, back then a subsidiary of IWC.
With Helmut Sinn GmbH, Lothar Schmidt had found a good foundation on which to develop his own ideas for technical watches and fulfil his desire for entrepreneurial independence. Lothar Schmidt expanded the range of models and added new touches by increasing the suitability for everyday use and usability of SINN watches, with a whole host of self-developed technologies. The first of his developments – the model 244 made from pure titanium with Magnetic Field Protection and freely oscillating suspended movement – demonstrated a penchant for innovation and laid the groundwork for the high-quality standards that all SINN watches now represent. This also applies to the diving watches made from German Submarine Steel, which Sinn Spezialuhren had tested and certified by Germanischer Lloyd in Hamburg (now DNV GL) in 2005 with a focus on pressure resistance and in accordance with the European EN205 diving device standard and the EN14143 standard. It was the first and yet only company in the industry to do so.
The Frankfurt Financial District Watches, which Lothar Schmidt developed in 1999 as an homage to the city in which his company is based, represents yet another extraordinary milestone during his time. These are traditional dress watches which display up to three times zone at a glance.
Thanks to his company management, Sinn Spezialuhren has established itself as a high-quality watch brand and is well equipped for future challenges. When Lothar Schmidt took over the company in 1994, which at that time was still based in “Im Füldchen in Frankfurt-Rödelheim”, there were just over a dozen employees joining the company. There are now a total of 120 employees at today’s headquarters in Frankfurt-Sossenheim, which were completed and moved into in September 2017. There are also around 45 employees at the affiliated companies SUG Glashütte (Sächsische Uhrentechnologie GmbH Glashütte) and S & S Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH.
About the company
The name Sinn Spezialuhren stands for highly functional mechanical timepieces used by pilots, divers, firefighters, emergency doctors, rescue workers, special units of the German police force such as the GSG 9, Germany’s commando frogman force KSM (Kommando Spezialkräfte der Marine) and the special unit of the German Central Customs Support Group ZUZ (Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll). In particular, it is with technologies like DIAPAL, Ar-Dehumidifying Technology, HYDRO, TEGIMENT and Magnetic Field Protection that SINN watches continually show their durability, longevity, quality and precision both in everyday life and in extreme situations. During the development process, Sinn Spezialuhren bases the design of its watches firmly on the required functionality.
You can read the review 6012 Rose Gold Anniversary here: Review: Sinn 6012 Rose Gold Anniversary
