The Fast And The Fratelli: Sinn 144 St S Anniversary II Versus TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph
Are you fired up and ready to roll some coal? We’re back with another Fratello contest, and this time, chronographs are ready to light it up! Our team members have chosen racing-inspired watches to help get you into a track-worthy state of mind. Qualifying begins with a winner-take-all contest between a ’70s-inspired classic, the Sinn 144 St S Anniversary II, and a watch from the grandpappy of racing chronographs. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph is gassed up and ready to go. The fast and the Fratelli, 3,2,1 — ignition!
The goal is simple, and so is the race. Race fans, you will vote during The Fast And The Fratelli Grand Prix to decide the best racing chronograph of the past ten years. To make the grid, all watches need to track elapsed time for at least one minute. They also require a tachymeter scale as a pit pass. And there are some more rules.
It’s like IROC (mullets are allowed in your ’80s or ’90s Camaro)…
The competing watches must have been released in the last ten years, and they must be mechanical. That means limited editions are not excluded, and there is no price limit. On the track, anything goes in terms of availability and price! It’s like IROC (the International Race of Champions) — not something you see every day. Get ready to trade paint all the way down to the checkered flag!
The Fast And The Fratelli — Sinn 144 St S Anniversary II
The Fast And The Fratelli heat heads into Turn 1 with the Sinn 144 St S Anniversary II. Like a slick tire on a hot day, this watch just oozes racing. Frankfurt-based Sinn is known for its chronographs, but this just might be the best one for the track. The Anniversary II is a retro design that takes us back to 1974 when the original first debuted. That’s evident from the “lugless” design, clean bezel, and internal tachymeter. Plus, an all-black coating amps up the gritty era look.
Pole position qualifying specs
While a watch like the Sinn 144 St S looks somewhat vintage, it’s more in line with the current restomod craze that’s sweeping the auto world. I say that because this watch packs serious performance. A black coating often induces the fear of scratches, but Sinn brings its TEGIMENT technology to add case durability. Additionally, the Ar-dehumidifying capsule is embedded into the side of the case. Finally, should you dump your open-wheeler into the bay at Monaco, this chrono will gladly accompany you on a swim to the nearest yacht with 200 meters of water resistance.
Now, because the 41mm × 14.5mm Sinn hails from the ’70s, it uses a movement that originates from this period. The ETA 7750 is at work here and includes both a day and a date at 3:00. Sinn worked with Concepto on this 7750 and the result, visible via a display back, is a highly decorated movement. It adds a really nice touch, and the championship points keep coming, as this watch comes with both an H-link bracelet and fitted 20mm rubber strap.
The Sinn has clean looks reminiscent of a racing legend
It’s hard not to mention a Porsche 911 during The Fast And The Fratelli, but the dial of the Sinn 144 St S reminds me of the instrumentation from an air-cooled example. Black, red (OK, “not orange”), and white are the only colors at work here, and that makes for a truly stark, modern look. There’s little doubt as to where this watch came from country-wise, and I think that’s cool. This chronograph hit circuits in April with just 600 examples. At €3,250, some still seem to be available on the Sinn site.
The Fast And The Fratelli — TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph
A contest like The Fast And The Fratelli can’t race on without some TAG Heuer, and I’d argue that the Carrera is THE model. The original 1963 Carrera remains as one of the purest, racing-focused chronographs in history. Let’s forget the fact that most lacked a tachymeter in their earliest guises and focus on the fact that these watches were legible, had lovely cases, and set a standard. With today’s featured Carrera Chronograph, TAG kept some traits from the earliest models while bringing the watch into the modern era. As an aside, credit goes to site Horobox for their article on this watch and for some of the fantastic pics we’ve used here today.
To be clear, there are loads of TAG Heuer Carrera models available today, but the chronograph I’ve chosen is reference CV201AP.FC6429 (yikes!). I’ve chosen this model because, like the Sinn, this watch screams racing. It’s aggressive as far as color goes, with its opaline black dial, white sub-dials, orange touches, and aged lume. Plus, it comes with a perforated black leather strap, and as we know, nothing screams motoring competition like this style of strap.
Photo credit: Horobox.com
A former model, but still a great one
Now, the watch you see before you is no longer in production, but finding one shouldn’t be too tricky (it has since been replaced by the similar, but non-reverse panda CBM2110.FC6454). I like what TAG did with the last generation of Carrera, and this continues today. Touches like a wearable 41mm stainless case, a higher-end spec external ceramic tachymeter bezel, and applied indices make this watch look expensive. The highly chamfered, pincer-like lugs evoke the original ’60s model and still look great today. Somehow, this watch towers with a thickness of 16.45mm, so that is something to consider.
Photo credit: Horobox.com
Like the Sinn 144, this Carrera also uses an ETA 7750 (or the corresponding Sellita). In this instance, TAG chose to stick with just the date, and that’s probably a good idea on this highly-detailed dial. This model also has a more purposeful solid case back and comes with a useful 100 meters of water resistance. When new, this watch retailed for somewhere around €4,000, but used pieces now run below €3,000. I’d say that this is one of the cooler releases from TAG over the last decade. We’ll have to see if it can outpace the mighty Sinn!
The Fast And The Fratelli – Which watch will take the checkered flag?
Now it’s time for you to vote on who will spray the champagne at the end of this heat. Will it be the Sinn 144 St S Anniversary II or the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph?
