Introducing: The Sinn EZM 12 ‘Einsatzzeitmesser’ (Live Pics & Pricing)

By Jason Heaton

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There very well might be no watch company more devoted to the creation of purpose-built tool watches than Frankfurt-based Sinn. And there are definitely no Sinn watches more purpose-built than those in the Einsatzzeitmesser series. Einsatzzeitmesser means “mission timer” in German, and Sinn has now devoted a dozen watches to timing various specific missions (fire rescue, SWAT teams, military divers, etc.), the latest being this year’s new EZM 12, which was designed to suit the very unique needs of air rescue professionals. I got to check it out at Baselworld last week, and boy was I impressed.

Let’s get the basic specs out of the way first. The EZM 12 has a 44mm x 14mm case made from Sinn’s famous hardened (“Tegimented”) steel with a black DLC-coated bi-directional bezel also made of hardened steel. Its ETA-based automatic movement is protected to 80,000 A/m of magnetism and the watch is water resistant to 200 meters. An inert gas dehumidifying system inside the case protects it from any humidity damage, while a copper sulfate capsule contained in one of the watch’s crowns changes color to indicate any moisture penetration. On its own, the EZM 12 is a very capable sports watch that would be suitable for diving, flying, or the combination of both. But the specific design features are what set this one apart.

The German Air Rescue service is on 24-hour standby to respond to car accidents on the country’s high-speed Autobahn road system. The rule of thumb for these helicopter paramedics is to get to the accident scene within 10 minutes of the emergency call, and to get the patient to a hospital within one hour. Therefore, Sinn demarcated the internal rotating ring to indicate this “platinum” ten minutes and the “golden hour,” providing quick reference for the first responders. The bi-directional outer bezel has a countdown scale on it for general use too.

A second specific design feature meant to aid the air rescue crew is the “PulsRotor.” This consists of a four-handed sweep seconds indicator that allows for quick read-off of a patient’s pulse using the pulsometer scale printed righton the dial. By using this four-hand rotor, the paramedic need only wait 14 seconds between pulse readings, eliminating the need for a chronograph, which would require a free …read more