Finland is a country one might not immediately associate with watchmaking, yet the small Scandinavian country is home to some outstanding watchmakers, including Kari Voutilainen and Stepan Sarpaneva. Sarpaneva Uhrenfabrik Helsinki, or S.U.F Helsinki, was founded by Sarpaneva as a relatively affordable alternative to his eponymous brand. The idea was to offer Sarpaneva’s style and design, albeit with standard movements and typically less intricate dials and finishing, and a lower price point. When S.U.F Helsinki decided to bring back its long-discontinued dive watch, I was anxious to get one in for review. And here it is: the S.U.F Helsinki Vetehinen, a 300m water-resistant, 42mm diver with some of the coolest hands in the business.
S.U.F takes its Scandinavian heritage seriously and naming its dive watch was no exception. A vetehinen is a kind of water spirit in Finnish folklore, which works as a fitting name for a dive watch. However, that name was also given to a 500-ton submarine piloted by the Finnish Navy during WWII. Among its many exploits, in an appropriately Finnish maneuver in 1942, the Vetehinen was engaged with a Soviet submarine in the Sea of Åland. After its torpedoes missed their target, and determined not to let the enemy sub escape, the Vetehinen’s captain decided to dive after the escaping Soviet sub and simply ram it, ultimately sinking the Soviet sub and escaping with just a minor leak. Finnish sisu, indeed.
The Vetehinen is a classic example of Scandinavian minimalist design, stripped back to just necessities, yet still managing to ooze style and panache. The first thing you notice upon looking at the Vetehinen is the bezel. It’s a 120-click dive bezel with a luminous pip …and that’s about it. The steel bezel has no other markings aside from the pip; however, the design of the bezel, which flares out every five minutes, is surprisingly functional as a timing bezel. It’s never going to be as easy to read as a traditional dive bezel, but it still works for timing burgers on the grill.
The downside to the broad, brushed bezel is that it will inevitably pick up scratches. Depending on how you wear your watches, or how particular you are, this may or may not be an issue. However, one of my first thoughts was how visible a scratch will be after clumsily banging the watch into a door frame (something I was rather paranoid about while borrowing the Vetehinen for the review). The same can be said for any bezel, but there’s a lot of real estate here waiting for something to go wrong. As mentioned, the bezel is surprisingly functional and the grip and bezel action are superb.
The watch measures 42mm in diameter yet stays slim at 11.45mm in thickness. The lug-to-lug distance is 51mm, but the lug width is only 20mm, which is somewhat unexpected as 22mm would seem the obvious choice for a watch with these dimensions. As someone who prefers 20mm straps, I was pleasantly surprised. The watch is made from Outokumpu stainless steel, which is produced domestically in Finland. I doubt I could pick it out from any other stainless steel, but it’s a nice addition to the S.U.F story.
On the wrist, the watch is large and solid without being cumbersome. The lugs slope down ergonomically so there’s no movement on the wrist, and it fits nicely on my 6.75” wrist despite the lug-to-lug distance being relatively long. That said, the comfort is marred slightly by the large screw-down crown. The Sarpaneva crown is visually lovely and complements the bezel and overall look of the watch. The downside, for me anyway, is occasional rubbing on the back of the hand. It’s not a deal-breaker but something to note. The Vetehinen is offered in four dial colors: white, black, blue, and salmon, each limited to just 26 pieces. The licorice-black dial, reviewed here, is a classic, timeless choice, and with the simplicity of the design, it’s a watch that will always look good. The salmon dial is also lovely, particularly when paired with a heat-blued handset. If you’re after more of a statement piece, that’s the one to pick.
Like all good Scandinavian design, the beauty of the dial is in its simplicity. Upon the inky black dial are large, luminous indices, each partially surrounded by silver semi-circles. The silver surrounds are a simple touch, but they give the dial a unique character. Text is kept to a bare minimum, with only the brand and model printed on the dial. The dial is by no means groundbreaking, but it’s clean and legible, and it allows the rest of the elements of the watch to shine. But now we get to my absolute favorite part of the watch: the handset. Typically, I’m rather agnostic about hands unless they detract from the style of the watch or the proportions are off. But these hands — I love these hands! They easily rank up there with my top all-time handsets on any watch. There’s just something about them that I absolutely adore. Whether it’s the shape of the arrows, the contrasting finishing, or the almost rocket ship-style counterweights, whatever it is, it works for me.
To power the watch, S.U.F decided to go with the Swiss Soprod A-10 automatic caliber. Hidden behind a solid caseback, the movement is rhodium-plated and has perlage and Côtes de Genève finishing. It beats at 28.8kbph and houses a 42-hour power reserve. Admittedly, the 42-hour power reserve is a bit of a letdown at this price point, as 72-hour is becoming the norm. While you’re not getting an in-house movement, each movement does get checked, oiled, and regulated at S.U.F’s Helsinki workshop, so you should expect excellent time-keeping. Speaking of S.U.F’s workshop, every watch gets hand-assembled in-house.
S.U.F Helsinki delivers each Vetehinen in a Finnish black leather pouch and mounted on a handmade black salmon leather strap and the package also includes an Erika’s Originals MN strap. The salmon strap is nice and soft and provides a unique look, though the MN strap was my strap of choice. I wore the watch on a burgundy MN strap that S.U.F included, along with grey and green MN straps that I already owned. In the end, my preference was for my go-to green with black stripe MN strap. But hey, this is a black dial diver and it’s going to look good on just about any strap you choose. While there’s no bracelet currently available for the Vetehinen, a German-made mesh strap with divers extension and a branded buckle is on the way. S.U.F. Helsinki is also working on a few other options, including rubber straps, so those should be available shortly.
The biggest downside to this watch, unfortunately, is the price. At €4,750 EUR including taxes, there’s no getting around the fact that the price is steep. If you’re looking at the price objectively, a stainless steel dive watch running a Soprod A-10 movement (and no bracelet) is expensive. If you’re simply spec-shopping, the Vetehinen will likely be a hard pass. However, if you’re focused on design and execution, that’s where you’ll find value in the S.U.F Vetehinen. People looking to buy the S.U.F Vetehinen will do so not because they’re looking for the best bang for the buck but because they resonate with Sarpaneva’s sense of design and this watch scratches that particular itch.
After spending a few weeks with the Vetehinen, I began to think of it as the anti-Sinn. While the German brand’s ethos is all about function and technology and creating watches to accomplish mission-focused objectives, the S.U.F Vetehinen clearly acknowledges that most of us aren’t rescuing stranded vessels in the storm-ravaged North Sea. Rather, they seem to be aiming at watch enthusiasts interested in the artistic side of watchmaking, yet still seeking a watch that’s durable, water resistant, and allows them to time the occasional non-life-threatening event. The value in S.U.F Helsinki watches is the design and artistry rather than technology and specifications. Whether these values align with your own will determine the value you find in the Vetehinen. Each of the four dial colors is limited to 26 pieces and priced at €4,750 EUR including taxes (note: at the time of writing, the sunburst blue dial is already sold out). For more information on S.U.F Helsinki and the Vetehinen, please visit the brand’s website.
Necessary Data
>Brand: S.U.F Helsinki
>Model: Vetehinen
>Price: €4,750 EUR including VAT
>Size: 42mm diameter, 51mm lug-to-lug, 11.45mm thickness, 20mm lug width.
>When reviewer would personally wear it: The Vetehinen would make an excellent daily wear, dressing up easily on the salmon leather strap or down with a more casual look on an MN strap.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Stylish fans of mid-century Modern and Scandinavian design looking for a dive watch they’re not going to see on any other wrists.
>Best characteristic of watch: The handset; absolutely gorgeous.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Expensive; some crown rub.
