HISTORY OF THE SQUALE WATCH
History of The
Squale Watch
If you have a genuine love of interesting timepieces, you will know that there is a lot out there to admire. Military watches, chronograph watches, pilot watches and of course, there are dive watches…
History of Squale
Squale was founded by Charles Von Buren in 1959, but the history of the brand dates back to 1948 when Charles supplied cases and watch components to iconic Swiss brands under his own name.
In the late 1950s, diving emerged as a popular sport and waterproof watches were sought-after because they were needed by divers to track their time underwater. Charles developed a keen interest in the sport and took to diving in the chilly waters of nearby Lake Neuchatel.
In 1959, he started trading under the name "Squale" ("squall-uh"), which derives from the word "shark" in Italian and added a trademark logo in the shape of a curved shark on the dial. This logo became synonymous with quality because of Squale’s relationship with high-end brands. The brand soon developed into a large watch case manufacturer and supplier and became the big dive watch case-maker of the 1960s and 1970s. It would be the 50 Atmos case, with its unusual 4:00 crown position and used by brands like (TAG) Heuer and Blancpain, that launched Squale’s reputation as a high-quality supplier of Swiss-made watch components.
Despite remaining fairly low key, Squale timepieces are highly sought after. The cases are made from Swiss 316L steel. All the essential parts are Swiss-built, and the timepieces can endure high water pressure and withstand saltwater.
The list of their watches is not exhaustive, but each one delivers on style, practicality and top-notch quality.
Popular Squale Watches
Squale 50 Atmos
The Squale 50 Atmos is the most famous of all their timepieces. The case design is called the “Von Buren case”, and it is resistant up to 500 metres. It’s a handsome piece with luminous hour and minute hands, and a screw-down crown located at the 4 o'clock position to avoid water damage. It also has a selection of watch straps to choose from, including a rather smart Italian handmade leather strap. The case contains a large flat sapphire crystal and a unique engraved serial number.
Squale 30 Atmos
This is a more recent model and its design reflects the vintage models of the 1960s. It is water-resistant up to 300 metres, has a scratch-resistant, two-tone ceramic bezel with 120 clicks uni-directional rotation. Overall, it’s a magnificent timepiece with a glow in the dark radium SuperLuminova coating on the bezel, and a 2.5 times magnification for superb underwater readability.
Squale 20 Atmos
The Squale 20 Atmos looks very similar to the Rolex Submariner but it is uniquely different. It features deeper grooves on its crown which makes it superbly durable, especially when diving. The watch is capable of 200 metres of water resistance and features a strong steel bracelet with screw links.
The Vintage Master
These timepieces are a limited edition of only 60 watches made from vintage NOS bezels. There are 3 styles; silver/black, azure blue/black and all-black, and there are only 20 of each design. They come complete with a watch roll made by a Savile Row tailor, two watch straps, and a pocketknife crafted from one of the UK’s best-known makers. If you really have to wear it when diving, it is also guaranteed to 250 metres.
