What Is a Destro Watch? Meet the QM39M136 Left-Handed Chronograph

What Is a Destro Watch? Meet the QM39M136 Left-Handed Chronograph

What Is a Destro Watch? Meet the QM39M136 Left-Handed Chronograph

The QM39M136 is a destro chronograph. Its crown and pushers sit on the left side of the case, so it wears naturally on the right wrist and stays clear of your hand on the left. Two registers, a date at 4:30 and a black-and-white dial keep it simple.

It's one of two watches we built around Sinn's 356 Euro Flieger series. Its sibling, the three-register QM39M135, follows the 2022 Euro Flieger III. The QM39M136 goes back to the 2000 original, minus the yellow.

Milifortic QM39M136 destro chronograph on a steel bracelet with a black and white dial

What Is a Destro Watch?

Destro is Italian for "right." A destro watch is designed for the right wrist, so its crown sits at 9 o'clock instead of 3. On a destro chronograph, the pushers move to the left as well.

Panerai has offered destro models for decades, and Rolex brought the idea to a much wider audience with its left-handed GMT-Master II in 2022. Sinn, the Frankfurt maker behind the Euro Flieger, has made more destros than most.

A destro suits three kinds of wearers:

  • Left-handers. On the right wrist, the crown and pushers face your hand, and your dominant left hand does the setting and timing.
  • Right-handers tired of crown bite. On the left wrist, the hardware faces your elbow and leaves the back of your hand alone.
  • Collectors after something different. Left-hand crowns are still uncommon, especially on chronographs.

One trade-off: on the left wrist, the crown and pushers sit on the elbow side, so setting the time and starting the chronograph take a little getting used to.

QM39M136 left-handed chronograph with crown and pushers at 9 o'clock

The Inspiration: The Original 2000 Sinn 356 Euro Flieger

The first Euro Flieger arrived in 2000, followed by the Euro Flieger II in 2007 and the Euro Flieger III in 2022. The series takes its yellow hands and markers from the onboard clocks Sinn built for Eurocopter helicopters in NATO service.

The original was a compact automatic chronograph with its crown on the left and two oversized registers, one counting 30 minutes and the other 12 hours. A black date disc sat at 4:30, and there was no small-seconds display.

What We Changed

We kept the layout: crown on the left, two large registers at 12 and 6, and a date at 4:30. Here is where the QM39M136 goes its own way.

Sinn 356 Euro Flieger (2000) Milifortic QM39M136
Colors Black dial, yellow hands and markers Black and white, pale green lume
Date White on black, at 4:30 Black on white, at 4:30
Registers 30-minute and 12-hour counters 60-minute counter and small seconds
Chronograph Up to 12 hours Up to 60 minutes, in 1/4-second steps
Movement Automatic Miyota 6S11 quartz
Case 38.5 mm 39 mm, 11.7 mm thick
Crystal Reinforced acrylic Domed sapphire, AR-coated

Black and white. Yellow is the original's signature, and its loudest detail. We dropped it for a quieter, simpler dial.

A white date. We flipped the date to black numerals on a white disc, which stands out clearly against the black dial.

Different timing. The original timed up to 12 hours but had no small seconds. Ours times up to 60 minutes, with a central hand that steps four times a second, and adds small seconds so you can see the watch is running.

Quartz and sapphire. The Miyota 6S11 never needs winding. The domed sapphire crystal keeps the vintage curve of the original's acrylic while resisting scratches far better.

Design Details

Two recessed registers sit at 12 and 6 on a matte black dial, with lumed baton markers and a fine minute track around the edge. Broad hour and minute hands are filled with pale green lume that reads almost white by day, while the thin white central hand is reserved for the chronograph.

Black two-register chronograph dial with date at 4:30 and lume-filled hands

The case is brushed 316L steel: 39 mm wide, 45.7 mm lug to lug and 11.7 mm tall with the crystal. An anti-reflective coating keeps the domed sapphire clear, and the crown and caseback both screw down for 50 m of water resistance.

Screw-down stainless steel caseback of the QM39M136

Leather Strap or Steel Bracelet

  • M136A: a black genuine leather strap, stitched in off-white, on a steel pin buckle. Around 65 g in all.
  • M136B: a brushed steel bracelet closing with a double push-button folding clasp and etched logo. Around 148 g.

With a 20 mm lug width, it also takes most aftermarket straps.

QM39M136 on black leather strap (M136A) QM39M136 on stainless steel bracelet (M136B)

Specifications

Versions M136A (leather strap), M136B (steel bracelet)
Movement Miyota 6S11 quartz chronograph
Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds, date; chronograph up to 60 minutes in 1/4-second steps
Case 316L stainless steel; crown and pushers on the left
Diameter 39 mm (42.5 mm including crown)
Lug to lug 45.7 mm
Thickness Approx. 11.7 mm including crystal
Lug width 20 mm
Dial Black, two registers, date window at 4:30
Crystal Domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Hands Flat, lacquered, filled with lume
Lume Pale green
Crown Screw-down
Pushers Stainless steel
Caseback Screw-down stainless steel
Strap / bracelet Black genuine leather (M136A) or stainless steel bracelet (M136B)
Clasp Steel pin buckle (M136A) or double push-button folding clasp with etched logo (M136B)
Water resistance 50 m (5 ATM / 165 ft)
Weight Approx. 65 g (M136A) / 148 g (M136B)

FAQ

What does destro mean on a watch?

Destro is Italian for "right." It describes a watch made to be worn on the right wrist, with the crown on the left side of the case, along with the pushers on a chronograph.

Do I have to be left-handed to wear a destro watch?

No. Plenty of right-handed people wear one on the left wrist for comfort, since the crown sits away from the hand.

Is the QM39M136 a Sinn homage?

It's our tribute to the original 2000 Sinn 356 Euro Flieger, sharing its left-hand crown, two-register layout and date at 4:30. The colors, chronograph functions, movement and crystal differ from the original.

How is it different from the QM39M135?

The QM39M135 follows the Euro Flieger III: three registers, a warm yellow lumed sub-dial, 1/20-second timing and no date. The QM39M136 follows the original: two registers, a date and a black-and-white dial.

Is it quartz?

Yes. The Japanese Miyota 6S11 is rated at ±20 seconds a month, and its chronograph runs up to 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

Get the QM39M136

QM39M136 destro chronograph resting on a yellow leather glove

The QM39M136 starts at $158, on black leather or steel. Shop the QM39M136, or see its three-register sibling, the QM39M135.

Milifortic is an independent brand and is not affiliated with Sinn Spezialuhren. All product names mentioned belong to their respective owners.

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