TigerShark 300M Diver: Classically Designed, Cost Conscious (Review with pix!)

[bobbysamd]

Introduction. Watch fora participants should be barred from posting new products! Someone posts a picture of a new watch, and I see it and want it. At that point I look at my bankbook and sigh. This was not the case with David Harrington’s TigerShark 300M Diver.

I learned about the TigerShark from this forum. I viewed it and it grabbed me. Its classic looks were the first attraction. As I reviewed the specs, they grabbed me. What finally grabbed me was the TigerShark’s affordability. It seemed to pack a great deal of value for a reasonable price. I needed to learn more.

Over a four-day period Dave and I exchanged several e-mails. Dave patiently and thoroughly answered my myriad of questions. I finally ordered a TigerShark on a Sunday. Dave’s service was excellent. The TigerShark was waiting in my mailbox on the next Wednesday. On the following Saturday, a thank-you card from Dave arrived. When was the last time a watch seller sent you a thank-you card? I cannot recall any seller, even a brick-and-mortar store, ever sending me a thank-you card. So many watch transactions boil down to slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am affairs. Dave gets an “A+” for service alone.

Packaging. Packaging is not fancy but is entirely straightforward and appropriate to the TigerShark’s price point. The TigerShark was well packed and arrived in a box within a box. A standard white box housed the red presentation box that housed the watch. The presentation box is fairly standard, but the engraved, gold-colored TigerShark medallion on top adds a nice touch. A comprehensive instruction folder and a watch inspection sheet were included. Two other nice touches were the rubber deployment strap and the Harrington Business Group pocketknife that accompanied the watch.

I popped open the box and the TigerShark greeted me.

Dial, Hands and Rotating Bezel. It’s hard to deny that the TigerShark shares styling cues with Rolex; after all, for many people Rolex is the classic dive watch. The TigerShark is billed as a “classic dive watch.” The TigerShark has a black dial with standard markings. So do other watches. It indeed sports Rolex-style hands, but so do many other watches. The TigerShark has a cyclops date magnifier, but, then, again, so do other watches.

Overall readability is excellent. The white hands and markings contrast nicely with the black dial. The date magnifies well through the cyclops. Trinite lumes the hands and is adequate. Unlike Rolex, the TigerShark sports no self-promoting printing on the dial. It simply says “TigerShark” between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock, and on separate lines between 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock, “PROFESSIONAL,” “300M,” and “AUTOMATIC.” Simple, direct and to the point.

The rotating bezel stands out. The bezel rotates positively throughout its 120 clicks. The teeth are nicely machined, sharp and easy to grip. The TigerShark bezel has to be one of the most grippable of the bezels on all my dive watches. I own other divers with which I struggle to rotate the bezel.

Casework and Bracelet. The TigerShark is 39.5 mm in diameter, excluding the crown, and 13 mm tall from caseback to crystal, the same as a Rolex GMT-Master. Crystal is sapphire. The lugs are not drilled, which I like. Lug width is 20 mm.

I like good casework, and the TigerShark satisfies. The watch feels solid and secure. The case is made of 316L stainless steel. Top and back are brushed. The sides are nicely milled and polished. The caseback screws in and, appropriately enough, is stamped with a TigerShark.

The screw-in crown contributes greatly to the secure feel. It is large but not oversized, and, like the rotating bezel, has nicely-cut, easily-grippable grooves. The crown screws in and out of the case positively, with the likelihood of cross-threading being minimal. A rubber O-ring for water resistance is embedded at the crown head. I like that. The crown is unsigned.

The TigerShark bracelet is superb. Very much unlike many bracelets at the TigerShark’s price point, which use push-pins to secure the links, double screw-head rods secure the brushed stainless-steel links. Tiny screws thread into the tapped ends of the rods and hold them in place. Although the instructions recommend taking the bracelet to a watchmaker for sizing, I decided to try sizing it. Using two Bergeon screwdrivers (and a lot of patience!), I unfastened the screws, removed the pins, subtracted links and reassembled the bracelet. In some respects sizing the TigerShark’s bracelet was easier than sizing push-pin bracelets, especially DOXA, where it is so easy to lose the securing collars.

Fine adjustment of the bracelet is available on the unsigned, double-secured clasp. For some reason I had trouble maneuvering the springbar up and down the clasp’s length, possibly because the springbar’s pin was hard to push in, but I succeeded. The clasp pivot is made of stamped stainless steel and has a wetsuit extension.

Movement. An ETA 2824-2 powers the TigerShark. Because the 2824-2 is used in so many watches, some people may find it tiresome. For me, it was an important selling point for a watch at the TigerShark’s price point. Apart from the 2824-2’s proven reliability, I was assured I could take the watch anywhere for service.

So far, after seven days, the TigerShark is averaging a respectable -6 seconds per day. I would expect accuracy to improve as the movement runs-in.

Comfort. I expected the TigerShark to be comfortable because it is the same size as my Rolex GMT-Master. I was not disappointed. Although I love my big watches and enjoy wearing them, the TigerShark, at 39.5 mm in diameter, definitely suits my 6½-inch wrist. The watch has a heft to it – very comparable to a DOXA 600T Sub, but not as hefty as Candino. The bracelet balances the watchhead well.

Conclusion. The TigerShark appeals on many levels. It has classic, elegant looks that are suitable for the office, and is an excellent diving and sports watch the rest of the time. The TigerShark is a quality product. It is solid, well built and has a proven, dependable movement. Dave Harrington clearly had watch enthusiasts in mind when he created the TigerShark.

Comparisons to Rolex products are inevitable, but after the styling and size similarities the comparisons must stop. The TigerShark cannot replace Rolex and I do not believe it is intended to. But why should it? The TigerShark stands on its own merit. And, for less than $300, one is purchasing a lot of merit. I recommend the TigerShark.