by Vincent Deschamps
To spec or not to spec
There is an intra-community battle between those who believe that we need ultra-spec’ed divers and those who don’t. On the one hand, many of us feel that we need good dive watches for our day-to-day life, whether we actually dive or don’t, and many of us still who are convinced that we will never make good use of the incredible specifications underwater exploration tool watches are endowed with and that we just like the idea of owning a professional tool watch. For the longest time I was in the second camp even though I adore divers, because I thought that I looked at this question from an objective (and realistic) point of view: only professional and commercial divers need more than 100 meters of water resistance, excellent lume, and a dive bezel. I am a recreational diver and I know for a fact that I don’t need any of the above to cruise in a perfect state of buyancy 20 meters below the surface.
But I want to have it though.
Then I strapped the Santurce Collection El Tiburón onto my skinny French wrist to string the words that will eventually make up this review and I had an epiphany: why not have an over-engineered and over-spec’ed dive watch even if the watch will never make contact with salt water? I was thinking about those who buy Ferrari’s to pick up some bread around the corner (or pull in front of the valet at the Ritz Carlton) and those who buy military-grade flashlights to find a spring-bar that made a run for it in their office late at night (or to smoke a criminal out of hideout during a raid)—for one reason or another which are highly personal to them, they just like getting the highest spec’ed and over engineered versions of each item. So why not us with watches? What kind of harm are we causing to each other? None, obviously. Then something another thought came up: it’s also a matter of culture and more importantly, of our environment.
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Key Features of the Santurce Collection El Tiburón
Who or what is the Santurce Collection?
To make sense of the latest statement we ought to talk about who Santurce Collection is and what it does. Santurce is both a brand which curates unique collections of over-spec’ed and reasonably priced watches as well as a horological community based in Puerto Rico. The founders of Santurce Collection, Jose and Anita, organize meet-ups and run limited collaborations with popular brands and for the past few years have been putting together a suite of solid and distinct-looking tool watches such as the El Tiburón, or The Shark. The latter is one of the most robust and legible and attainable dive watches I’ve had the pleasure of sporting on my French wrist, as it comes with all the specs a “proper” diver needs to have. It is also a watch which makes perfect sense for an enthusiast living on a carribean island to wear, as not only it is mechanically sound and reliable, but also because it matches Puerto Rico’s climate, landscapes, and all of the adventures it prompts us enthusiasts to embark on.
In other words: it is an adventure watch, a tool watch, not only a dive watch.
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Specs
As such it is equipped with 300 meters of water resistance thanks to a screw-down case-back and a massive and intensively knurled 7.7mm screw-down crown. The 316L case measures 39mm in diameter, 45.7mm lug-to-lug, 12.3mm thick, and comes with a 20mm lug width, as well as a matte steel bezel insert and military-grade knurling on the bezel assembly. Operating a crown and bezel have rarely been as satisfying as it has been with the El Tiburón because the bezel action is further smooth and crisp and deprived of any backplay. On the large hands, printed hour markers, and all bezel markings, Santurce added copious amount of blue-glowing SuperLuminova (the picture of the brand’s website shows an older version of the bezel which was not entirely lumed) which appear white during the day— therefore this diver is extremely legible at any hour. Moreover, the brand opted for a no-date Sellita SW200-B calibre (4Hz/38 hours of power reserve) which is a proven workhorse of a calibre.
Of Interest
I live in a land-locked village in the French countryside and I dream everyday of having easy access to the sea (the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, not the cold ones of the Atlantic Ocean, of course) and I can easily imagine myself sporting the El Tibuón on a daily basis if I were to live in these types of climates and environments. Should I be living in such a warm corner of the Earth I would feel inclined to spend more time in nature and make full usage of the Santurce’s incredible specifications, because the watch would match the place. Through its technical specifications therefore the El Tiburón is the perfect tool and adventure watch and visually it is also a compelling piece of watchmaking to wear everyday even for those who, like me, only see the ocean once in blue moon. Because beyond what it is made out of and what he could inspire us to do, this diver represents not only a specific lifestyle, but more importantly a distinct mindset we can all have regardless of where we live and what we do.
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Maybe I am saying all of this to reassure myself that my years of adventuring around the globe aren’t over, but I do feel this: wearing the El Tiburón makes me think of the adventures behind me and those in front of me, as living is often a tough adventure in and of itself regardless of where we live—in a French village, a Japanese urban jungle, or a Caribbean island. Thus I am deeply attracted to this diver’s design which was partially inspired by a vintage Blancpain Barakuda (a civilian version of the brand’s military divers) in the large dual-finished printed hour markers, simple minute track, and fully graduated dive bezel. Santurce paired a gorgeous blue sunburst dial visible through a sapphire crystal white and gray tones on the plongeur-style handset made of large quantities of lume and gray surrounds, as well as the aforementioned hour markers. The dial is therefore extremely easy on the eye and easy to read, and paired with a fully brushed and muscular case, crown, and bezel assembly.
Visually therefore, the El Tiburón can also inspire us to embody the spirit of the adventurer.
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SPECS
| Case | 316L Brushed Stainless Steel 39mm Diameter 45.7mm Lug to Lug 12.3mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Case Back & Crown 300m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Matte Dial Printed Indexes Sword Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Sellita SW 200-B 26 Jewels 28 800vph 38-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | NATO Strap |
Santurce Collection El Tiburón
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Final Thoughts & Pricing
Perhaps you will now want to know how much this seemingly perfect diver will set you back? Well, it’s $949 USD–which to me is a reasonable price to ask for the specs you get and the balanced and effective dial and case design it is endowed with. For a long time I’ve been reading articles and seeing posts and watched videos about time-only dives and how they embody the ultimate form of the perfect tool watch for many enthusiasts. And I longed to find one which would make me feel it could be it. Well, the Santurce Collection El Tiburón is this type of diver and I’m glad I was able to tell you about it today. Perhaps you will also feel compelled to treat your inner-adventurer with a good piece of horological equipment whether you’re adventuring tomorrow or next year.
Vincent Deschamps is a museum professional, originally from France, with more than 10 years experience as a researcher, producing visitor experiences for national and international organizations. He is also the founder of mainspring.watch. You can follow Vincent on Instagram.
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