The relationships between the JB*-triple structure of a complex spin factor S and the structure of the Hilbert space H associated to S are discussed. Every surjective linear isometry L of S can be uniquely represented in the form L(x) = mu.U(x) for some conjugation commuting unitary operator U on H and some mu belonging to C, |mu|=1. Automorphisms of S are characterized as those linear maps (continuity not assumed) that preserve minimal tripotents in S and the orthogonality relations among them.