Sunday Morning Showdown: Sinn T50 Goldbronze Vs. Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown. Today, our editors go toe-to-toe with two watches of a similar persuasion. Expect no holds barred as these writers vie for your votes to be crowned the winner. In this fight, we have a duel between gold/bronze dive watches; the Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold and the recently introduced Sinn T50 Goldbronze. The Omega comes with a “Bronze Gold” case, while the new Sinn comes with a “Goldbronze” case. The gold and bronze names may be reversed UNO-card style, but there’s more to it than that. The clash of styles showcases the endless possibilities of the familiar dive watch configuration. But which watch will take the crown? Our writers are ready, so let’s get this battle going.
Today’s Showdown is an exciting clash of styles and materials. When we got the new Sinn T50 series in for review, the Goldbronze model stood out immediately. Who would have thought the German brand would enter the world of blingy watches? With the solid T50 dive watch as the platform, Sinn’s Goldbronze case is an overt juxtaposition. Meanwhile, the Omega Seamaster 300 similarly ups the bronze and gold quota. But which of these two watches will appear on top in this Showdown? It’s up to you to vote.
Last week on Sunday Morning Showdown…
But first, let’s take a look at last week’s battle. Daan’s Breguet Classique 5907 comfortably beat Robert-Jan’s Breguet Tradition 7027 in a Showdown of the classic Breguet models. The 5907 took 64% of the votes, whereas the 7027 took 36%. Despite that clear victory, many of you agreed that either Breguet could comfortably slot into your daily rotation or suit evening wear. Both watches’ classical style, beautiful movements, and exquisite finishing levels are a testament to Breguet’s grace and brilliance in watchmaking. Today’s battle will be much more straightforward with two dive watches. But despite that, the mix of unusual metal alloys offers an exciting twist—over to Ben and Jorg for the whole story.
Jorg: Sinn T50 Goldbronze
It wasn’t exactly love at first sight when seeing Sinn T50’s Goldbronze case. What came as a shock was seeing the stoic Sinn experiment with metal alloys, especially the gaudy bezel. The Frankfurt brand’s practical style mixed with a Goldbronze bezel seemed out of character. It’s why the regular full titanium and two-tone GDBR models seemed to make more sense. But after witnessing all three watches up close, this new T50 Goldbronze is the biggest surprise. It’s a stylish statement that no one probably would have expected. But as it’s Sinn, we all know there will be some functional benefits besides simply looking great.
As I explained in my review of the titanium model, I think it will be the most popular (of the three) for a bigger audience. But the already sold-out 300-piece limited edition is something exceptional. When discussing this match-up, we had to look for a watch that we could put up against the Sinn. And in that hunt, we could only recollect Omega’s Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold. That’s how unique the combo of materials is. And when you experience the watch from up close, you feel that. But before I run off into a world of superlatives, let’s summarize some facts and figures about the T50.
A great set of specs for the T50 Goldbronze
The Sinn T50 Goldbronze features a 41mm diameter, 12.3mm case height, a lug-to-lug of 47mm, a lug spacing of 20mm, and is water resistant up to 500 meters. Thanks to its flat sapphire crystal, the watch has a visually sleek profile that is a joy to watch and wear. You have the nylon strap with a pin buckle, which makes for a handsome modern dive watch. The big news is the Goldbronze case. Goldbronze 125 is a new alloy that Sinn developed. Bronze is a copper-tin alloy supplemented with a series of additives. But for the new material, Sinn ensured that additives like lead, cadmium, and nickel were below the detection limit of 0.002%.
This purity level leads to better compatibility with the skin and higher corrosion resistance in seawater. Additionally, the alloyed gold finish looks stunning. Although it will age and form a patina over time, it will not do so quickly as regular bronze, thanks to the gold component. As you would expect from Sinn, this is not just an aesthetic choice; the material has functional benefits over regular bronze. Inside the case, Sinn equips all T50 watches with the trusted automatic Sellita SW300-1 with a date feature. The movement operates at 28,800vph and comes with 42 hours of power reserve.
The T50 Goldbronze is stylistically simple but sophisticated
The T50 Goldbronze has a matte green dial with a “decorative grinding” texture and large white markers and text. The dagger-style hands are also white, and all the indications light up brightly in the dark. Also, the “Made in Germany” sign-off on both sides of the 6 o’clock marker is a nice little touch. The bezel features engraved black markings indicating every five minutes, whereas the minutes in between are white-filled markings, but only beyond the first 15 minutes. The combination ensures it is a stylish piece that profits from its colorful Goldbronze case for €4,980.
The magic of this new Sinn T50 Goldbronze can only be experienced if you experience it up close. The combination of colors and utilitarian style looks better in real life than in the pictures. It wears like a charm and features a functional Sinn-style dial design with a stylish presence that is instantly recognizable.
Overall, I think Sinn created a great line of watches with the T50. While the regular titanium model is the obvious way to go, the T50 GDBR is the true winner—I’ll get to that in a future review—and the T50 Goldbronze is an unexpected and great surprise. With its out-there combination, Sinn has created a unique diver as capable as any other Sinn watch. But add the handsome good looks; the brand has nailed it in style and function. What more could you want from a watch, Ben?
Ben: Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold
At first, conjuring a worthy competitor against the outspoken Sinn was hard. But then, the adversary became apparent in the form of the Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold. Now, I am no stranger to the Seamaster 300. I am still the happy owner of a 2021 Seamaster 300 in all-steel with a black bezel and dial combo. The watch sits comfortably on my wrist for everyday wear and accompanies me to various scenarios. But part of me wonders, “Would the Tyler Durden version of myself have gone for the Bronze Gold Seamaster 300 if I were more outgoing?” In case you’re unfamiliar with the 1999 drama Fight Club, Tyler Durden is the extroverted character that the introverted narrator aspires to be.
Even if I had more chutzpah, the steel version provides plenty of adaptability that’s tough to ignore. But occasionally, pairing a style with that tasty Bronze Gold Seamaster 300 case and that deep brown ceramic bezel would be excellent. The Sinn T50 in Goldbronze stood out to Jorg for the same reason. Having a twist on such an established dive watch aesthetic is incredibly intoxicating. That said, to match up to the Sinn, I had to compromise with a sticker price of nearly €10k over the Sinn at €14,100. This puts me at a disadvantage with the Omega, but the luxury touches and heritage style make up for the shortfall.
Master of the sea
I like Jorg’s pick of the Sinn T50, but it leans heavily on the tool watch aesthetic. Jorg may enjoy that juxtaposition with the gold-toned case, but I much prefer the heritage and flair of the Seamaster 300. The 300 fully embraces the Bronze Gold material and sells the combination with vintage styling. For the Omega, the Bronze Gold alloy consists of copper, 9-karat gold, silver, gallium, and palladium. This higher content of precious metals elevates the gold characteristics and explains the higher price point. In his review, Robert-Jan said, “The bronze gold is between the Moonshine and Sedna gold alloys, so it is slightly darker than yellow gold but not as red as rose (or pink) gold.” This in-between color blends beautifully with the brown sandwich dial and similarly hued ceramic bezel.
If you turn the watch around, the in-house developed caliber 8912 reveals itself to the world. Caliber 8912 operates at an unusual 3.5 Hz, which I only recently found out can be heard ticking on the Omega website under the movement specifications. The 60-hour power reserve is plenty to ensure it lasts the weekend rotation. Caliber 8912 is also Master Chronometer certified by METAS with an average daily performance of 0/+5 seconds. On top of that, it is anti-magnetic to at least 15,000 gauss. It’s a welcome update, and combined with the 300-meter water resistance, it ensures the Bronze Gold Seamaster 300 is equipped for exploring the deep.
Sized to perfection
The Seamaster 300 maintains consistent dimensions across the collection: a 41mm diameter, a height of 14.4mm, and a lug-to-lug of 48mm. The sizing is optimal for average wrists but can seem slightly extended on smaller wrists due to the broad lugs. Fans keep requesting a matching Bronze Gold bracelet to go the full “Miami vibe,” which I am all for, but I can’t say I could pull it off. Likewise, I would love to see the Sinn adopt a matching bracelet for its Goldbronze T50 case, especially if the bracelet matches the design of the titanium T50 bracelet on the GDBR model.
The brown leather strap is an excellent “off-the-shelf” option. But I would immediately replace the leather with a more adaptable material such as rubber or even take a leaf out of Sinn’s book with the nylon strap. Even with the higher barrier of entry and the ever-increasing pricing model from Omega, the Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold is the choice for me.
Time to vote!
There you have it, folks — another Sunday battle with two popular timepieces going toe-to-toe for the win! Will the Sinn T50 Goldbronze get your vote, or are you an Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold fan? Make sure to vote for your choice below, and also let us know why you picked it in the comments. See you next week for another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown!
