I don't own a Rolex, but my wife does.

I own three Sinn 103s, one Sinn U2 Meisterbund III, and one Sinn U1P.

I think the manufacturing quality is comparable. As far as value, Sinn wins without a doubt.

 

Great to hear that you appreciate your sinns

Is there a bezel slop ( play) in the bezel of your u1P ?
Does it have solid firm clicks?
Is the crown of the u1 comparable to the crown of your wife's rolex?

 

The price difference between the two is very substantial. The Rolex has moved from its primary function as a dive watch into the area of (perceived) high prestige and instant recognisability. The Sinn U1 is still a workhorse and less recognisable to the general public. I seldom mention resale value because I don't consider this important but in this case I do, although this as well is rather subjective. Rolex produces every part themselves (manufacture) and to many this is considered a sign of quality. But so doe Seiko with a number of their models.

Because I have owned a Sub but not a Sinn it's difficult to comment on build quality and a watches' weight is no direct measure for quality. What remains is you own preference and budget. There really is no real comparison to be made because apart from being dive watches they have very little in common as I see it.

 

The comparison will be in the quality of the parts of each watch i.e :
The gaskets used in each watch.
The quality of the threads of the crown tube of each watch.the more the threads are fine ,the more the threads are subjected to being stripped.
The quality of the sapphire crystal used and how it is assembled inside the watch.
Does the movement used any type of spacer to be mounted inside the middle case?
How is the quality of the bezel mechanism ?
How thick is the crown stem and is there any wobble in the crown stem while adjusting the time.

These are the points in comparison between the 2 watches

Cheers

 

I own a Rolex Sub, a 16610 to be exact, it resides in a safety deposit box for my oldest son when I croak. I also owned a Sinn U1.

To compare the two is akin to comparing a Porsche to an M1-A 1 Abrams battle tank.

If you want a "real" dive watch that is literally built like a tank (uses German Sub Steel) pick the Sinn or do you want highly polished, status symbol wrist jewelry that is today's Rolex?

Choice is yours, Sinn for actual diving, Rolex for status symbol desk diving.

In the questions you posed above about the different features of the watch, I can state that the Sinn is a better (Tool) watch in all regards except perhaps the movement and the lume.

Sub Steel is much more scratch and salt water resistant then 904L stainless Rolex uses. Gaskets and crown stem and crystal on the Sinn are just a good, if not better then the Rolex, considering the U1 is rated to 1,000m WR (with no need for helium escape valve) while the Rolex is only 300m

Bezel on the Rolex is very nice, and feels smoother then the Sinn which has a floating bezel that does feel a bit sloppy, but is yet very secure.

Basically, the Rolex is built for "Show" while the Sinn is built for "Go"!

The original Subs used to be built as "Tool" watches (original Bond types Subs) but they have marketed themselves and morphed into Luxury status to the point where almost no diver would even consider wearing his Rolex on an actual Scuba dive.

Bottom line is this, if I were given a choice of one watch to wear, and the choice was between these two, I would chose the Rolex, it truly is a watch that can be used in almost any situation, boardroom, to bedroom, to Bar Mitzvah to Beach. The Sinn will only look like it is not out of place in a couple of those situations.

P.S. I have owned three different Sinn watches, the 556i the 856, and the U1, all very well made watches, I ended up flipping them because they were just a little too much "Tool" looking for my tastes. But that's just me!

 

Thanks
That is the answer i am seeking for .

 

If I was going to spend what you would pay for a Rolex sub but was conflicted, I would probably get the Sinn as a tool diver and with the money you have left pick up a Tudor Black Bay for social occasions. This way you have all scenarios covered.