Jose and Anita Salas of Santurce Collection on Trust, Culture, and Building Watch Community

About this episode

Ariel Adams interviews Jose and Anita Salas about their journey in building the Santurce Collection and the importance of community in watch collecting.

On this episode of Superlative, our host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams speaks with Jose and Anita Salas, founders of Santurce Collection, about their journey from passionate collectors in Puerto Rico to launching their own enthusiast driven watch brand. Drawing from years of experience attending boutique events and building community gatherings, they share how hospitality, trust, and belonging became the foundation of their philosophy. Together they dive into why watches are not inventory but stories, and how every sale is rooted in long term relationships rather than short term transactions. The conversation explores the rise of microbrands, the disconnect between large Swiss brands and collectors, and why community based accountability keeps smaller brands honest on pricing and quality. Jose and Anita also discuss the realities of self financing a watch company, designing from scratch, and building a brand identity tied to Santurce and Puerto Rican culture. It is an honest look at what it means to create watches for friends first and customers second, and why authentic connection remains the most powerful force in modern watch collecting. Follow the Santurce Collection…

People in this episode

Host: Ariel Adams

Guests: Jose Salas, Anita Salas

Topics covered

• watch community
• microbrands
• trust
• hospitality
• Puerto Rican culture
• brand identity
• long term relationships

Keywords

• watches
• community
• microbrands
• trust
• Puerto Rico
• Santurce Collection
• brand building

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Santurce Collection

Places: Puerto Rico, Santurce

More episodes of Superlative

• Charlotte and Peter Fiell on Watch Collecting, Curation, and Storytelling · May 4, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Jim Wirth of GiantMouse Knives on Why Knife and Watch Collecting Go Hand in Hand · April 27, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Cornelius Ye of CIGA Design on Story Driven Watches, Skeleton Innovation, and Global Growth · April 20, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Marine Lemonnier-Brennan of 289 Consulting on Connecting Brands, Media, and Collectors · April 13, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Alex Rosenfield of Urban Jürgensen on Reviving a Historic Brand for a New Generation · April 6, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Kuruvilla “Diny” Markose of Titan Watches on Engineering Value and Global Ambition · March 30, 2026 · 1h 4m