LONGCHAMPS MASTER 1521
Another blue 100-atmos beauty that again belongs to Jim (check out @tesladriver on Instagram to see his other watches). Is this guy trying to corner the blue bezel Master market or what?!
This one looks so fresh it could have been made last year; hard to imagine its nearly 40 years old. The story goes that the previous owner had purchased it to use as a dive watch, but that they never used it (not even once). So there it sat all safe and warm in a drawer until Jim got a chance to buy it.
The 'Longchamps' branding is a bit of a mystery. It is not the famous fashion house, as their brand has no 's' at the end. A search for the logo brings up a close match, if you excuse the pun, as the most similar logo is that linked to a striking matches company. But that seems an unlikely pairing.
Most probable option is that Longchamps was a jewellery store in Italy that had Squale build dive watches for them with their own branding on. It was quite common for Squale to do this in the 70's and 80's.
As opposed to his other beautiful blue Master, this one is a slightly earlier iteration, and as such, still runs the lollypop seconds hand and has its serial number between the 1521's drooping lugs.
SQUALE MASTER 100 ATMOS
This blue beauty belongs to Jim (or @tesladriver if you want to reach out on Instagram). He purchased it from Geneva, Switzerland, where it had spent its life with a police officer who enjoyed using his free time for lake diving.
Jim says he has been into Squale for around ten years or so, but that this was his first vintage 1521. I mean; it's one hell of a watch to have kicked off his collection with, right. And as you can imagine, he is already saying it won't be his last.
This example seems to be all original. It's plexi crystal is stamped with the Von crown (his being a later version with the stamp on the inside). And there is a Von crown on the crown (which is always nice to see - although some extremely late variants did not feature this).
Another thing that highlights this as a late Master is that it wears its serial stamp on the case flank (not between the lugs like those before it). Oh... and check the seconds hand, which features a paddle instead of the earlier lollypop design.
Jim says the ETA2783 desperately needs a service (which he will get round to soon). And boy is it worth it... that electric blue dial and glossy acrylic bezel are just stunning!
I have no doubt we will see more from Jim real soon...
BEAMS PVD 1521
This PVD coated 1521 belongs to Valentino Ravlic (you can check him out on Insta). As his interest in watches grew, he became focused on dive watches; and that is when he discovered the beauty of Squale watches.
He quickly fell in love with the brand, and started aching for a 1521. So when he happened upon this one on ebay... looking a little battle scared and with Militare vibes... he made the purchase.
While it was sold in 2017, this piece is constructed from some much older parts. The case itself, for example, is early 90s old stock. Note how the bezel has no fixing screws like other 1521 from the period.
But it is not all old stock parts...
The caseback is modern and, being made for a Japanese company - BEAMS - it features a bi-colour aluminium insert and a domed sapphire crystal.
While it is not a truely vintage piece yet... in another 10 years these BEAMS 1521 will be hunted by the collector.
SQUALE MASTER 100 ATMOS
This stunning piece is Oscar's second Squale. What makes this one such a jaw dropper is that while it was made around 1968, it is the first example of the 1521 case. Sure, its crown is at 3, but this is where the 1521 was born - and you can see it in the chamfered lugs that droop steeply downward to follow the curve of the wist.
Interestingly, while these 100 Atmos Masters have a lower serial number than the 1000m Master, they were actually released slightly later. And while the 1000m bezel is basic bi-directional friction, these feature a uni-direction bezel with 60 point click stops.
To me, the 1000m is probably the most beautiful Squale, but these early 100 Atmos 1521 are the most desirable for a hardcore collector. Oscar certainly believes this is the ultimate Squale.
The 100 Atmos Masters are increadibly well built. They were first to feature the now iconic orange minute hand, and some examples even feature bezels with lumed numeral markers.
This one is an early transitional piece, and as such retains the stunning acrylic bezel insert that is set with chrome markers.
Along with Oscar, I am lucky enough to own an example of this model... but I am seeking one more... the elusive bi-colour black/orange bezel variant.
PIERFA GENEVE Y1545 SUB
This rare Sub belongs to Oscar, a surgen from Madrid, and is a little more than just your average Squale 1545. I digitally bumped into him on Instagram (search: kendosalamanca) and we had a nice chat. He is bang into his vintage divers and, like us, feels Squale sits on the top tier within this niche.
First up from his collection is this Y1545 sub. Now, most folk assume that the1545 is a modern thing; but Squale have been making this case since the late 60's
They are most commonly found with the brand 'Blandford S.A.' on the dial. But can also be seen with dials that read 'Blancpain'... yes, really. And, probably just as rare, this here Pierfa... a watch Squale made for the Italian jeweller, Piero Fagioli.
These pieces are only 37mm, so are quite small compared to the other watches in Squale's catalogue. But this is a size that will probably become more popular again in the coming years as fashion slowly pulls back away from larger cases. Hell... perhaps the Squale Medium will become desirable again?
TECHNISUB 2002 HEV
There are so many hard-to-find vintage Squale that the term 'rare' becomes somewhat irrelevant... all Squale made before 1995 are now super rare. But when it comes to modern Squale, the story changes. The Limited Edition Galeazzi had 500 copies released, and there are often more than four for sale on ebay at any one time. The Bund 1521's are harder to come by, but the Diver Down hit with 200 copies... so you would need to wait 40-years before that became 'rare'. I suppose the Polipetto Tribute, with just 30 signed examples made (in 2021), is officially rare. But if you seek that jaw-on-the-floor rare modern Squale, you will need to look toward the 2002 HEV.
Not the 2002a with a flush escape valve at 9. No... the ultra rare 2002A with crazy protruding HEV at 10. And if you think that is rare... imagine how you would feel seeing this bad-boy that belongs to Cyril Philippe; a 2002A HEV Technisub!
Cyril purchased this watch with a warranty card that was stamped 2021, but his research via the dealer correctly suggested that this piece was born in 2009. It was in this year that an Italian company, called Horus, was helping Squale rebuild itself into a bouyant dive watch manufacturer.
Many of the watches they built together in the first few years were built from, or used many, NOS parts left over from the 80s and 90s. And this here piece, while using a Technisub dial from a project that was never realised, features an all new case with Helium escape valve; Squale's first new case variant after reopening in 2007.
There were said to be 100 of these 'valve at 10' 2002, but this is only the second Technisub I have ever seen. And while I don't personally know how many were made, Cyril was told there were just 11.
BLANDFORD O.D. MASTER
This here Squale-Collector Gallery entry belongs to John Barron. And when he posted it up on Instagram (search user 'j.bjr') it instantly grabbed my attention. You see, Blandford was a British brand, and the chap who ran the company (that was linked to a Sub Aqua club) had a real flare when choosing dial designs with Squale. His Ocean Diver Master watches tend to have one comon factor; stunning heat-treated fumoso dials with beautiful high-gloss sun-ray finishes in colours that seem to flip depending on how the light hits them. But not this example. No. This Blandie wasn't beautiful; it was a matt black 'bad ass' beast.
It features many small details that one (and by 'one', I mean; us nerdy Squale collectors) would normally associate with a Bund. Very few skinny case Master Squale feature a PVD case. Let alone the 'fat' hand set associated with the quartz Bund 'Militare'. And then that buff silver bezel. It really is quite special.
When John found this piece, he feared it had been built out of parts. But the owner (a professional diver, not a collector) confirmed it was purchased in this format. And with this confidence, the watch was sold.
Further research over time has revealed other examples. But each of these feature small detail differences to each other. And this has led John to believe that these early PVD coated skinny case Masters may have been part of a small batch test for Blandford to see how popular a PVD coated model might be in the British market, and what format was most popular.
VERIWATCH SQUALE FF96
There are some collectors who like their dive watches crusty... they love battered bezels, matte case finishes from millions of hard-earned micro scratches, lume that has failed, and dials that have tropicalised. But that ain't me. No. I prefer to hunt down examples that have led a less exciting life; Squale that were purchased, worn a few times, then ended up in a drawer... only to be found many years later, close to the condition they were sold in.
So, you can imagine how I felt when Mauro (motowatch on Instagram) reached out to show me his latest find... a super rare FF96 for VeriWatch. These chunky monkeys are normally heavily beaten from years of professional use. But not this beauty; the bezel is perfect; there is no sign of peeling or chipping on the PVD finish; the crown looks unused; and even the caseback has its sticker still in place.
VeriWatch were an Italian brand that made some iconic watches in the 60's and 70's, and these are now sought after by collectors. A friend of mine actually owns the VeriWatch brand now and is releasing modern versions of some of the best vintage VeriWatch designs... check out 'veriwatch1956' on insta.
Mauro found this FF in the town of Bari, where VeriWatch was founded. An amazing find that should be worn, but also treasured for the future.
PREMIER 20 ATMOS RADIUM
This gallery entry was one of those unexpected ones. You see, I had reached out to a chap on Instagram about featuring his early crown-at-3 Master 1521, and we ended up discussing another of his watches. And that discussion ended up with him showing me this piece as an example relevant to the topic being debated. But it instantly became the main event.
You see, what we have here is very close to a watch I own. And while I'm nerdalicious enough to know what it is, most 'normal' people would have no idea that it's actually an early Squale.
The owner and Insta user, Oscar Sanchez, sent through a bunch of pics for me to publish. I will post the Master next week. But for now, let's focus on this 38mm Premier.
Now, none of these watches carry a Squale logo. I mean; Squale did not exist at the time, right. So you need to look for clues. The first and most obvious is the 'Von' (Buren) crown on the crown. The logo will be most familiar with you, but you may be confused at how short the crown looks... and that is because this is pre 'screw down' technology.
Next up is the hand set. All tend to have a long sword mins and a dagger hour hand. Some with lolly pop seconds, others, like Oscar's, have no 'pop'.
And finally, all have the same dial. Classic Squale 'buckshot' dot-lume style but with a real stubby triangle at 12. And, notably; the single word 'Swiss' under the 6 marker. There is no 'Swiss Made' and certainly no 'T' marks, as these are pre Tritium. Indeed, the Radium lume used normally degrades pretty bad and changes to a deep orange (like on my example) and even turns the crystal yellow. But Oscar's has clearly sat safe in a drawer for a long time, as it is pretty much perfect.
BERIOS SQUALE 2003
This bold and beautiful Berios belongs to American collector Peter Taubman, who purchased it over 12 years ago from a German friend and fellow collector.
It is a rare Squale quartz 2003 50 Atmos; a beefy 43mm watch that few people seem to know about ( so you can, on occasion, bag yourself a bargain).
Peter's example is particularly attractive, as it features all of the best options that were available on tis model. You see, the most common 2003 comes in PVD with gold accents - and while this has its own charm, it certainly doesn't deliver the high quality look of this steel version. Many 2003 also featured fugly gold Mercedes hands, but here we find painted hands off the fat FF96. The fumoso blue dial is simply perfect. As is the acrylic bezel insert (which is, unfortunately, cracked on many 2003).
As always with vintage Squale, the case design is well thought out. And while this certainly is a 'chunky monkey', it actually wears really well; the curved lugs hugging it to the wrist and the bezel not riding too high as, without an HEV (too often found on modern Squale) the case is quite skinny.
It's a beauty for sure. If you find one like this... bag it... before I do.
MARGI 250 SUPERMATIC
This rare beast belongs to Vincent from France (search for memoria_watches on insta); a collector who quickly realised that everything we love about an old dive watch is always found in a Squale. He mentions loving their intrepid look that combines poetry with purpose. Highlights for him are the acrylic bezels packed with vintage charisma and the creamy tritium lume, always weakened by humidity intrusions, that constantly reminds us these watches have been used for the purpose they were designed for.
The 250 Supermatic were sold across a 10 year period, and this is a later one, probably made in the early 70's, but still early enough to pack the reliable Felsa 4007 auto inside. The asymmetric case on these 250 Supermatic pieces are beautiful, and his Margi is in stellar condition, with hardly a scratch in sight.
Vincent says that when he wears these watches, they occasionally arouse curiosity and sometimes benevolent fascination. But most of the time, they seem to generate total disinterest and you probably already know why... because there is no 'big brand' printed on the dial. But that just makes Squale all the more attractive.
SPIDER 301 30-ATMOS
Another rare Squale that belongs to Vincent is this here 301 30-atmos. But I can't call is a beast, as the 301 is similar in dimensions to the Medium. So, I'll call it a 'cheeky little number' instead.
As said earlier, Vincent feels that Squale Watches bring together all the ingredients that collectors love in a watch... but he feels that most leave them aside because they look for the 'security' of buying vintage watches (or not) with a 'big' brand on the dial. The ROLEX, the OMEGA, the BLAA BLAA BLAA. And, from personal experience, knows that when you explore this universe; you quickly understand that watchmaking is, above all, a story of the supplier. And it was only after 10 years that he was finally able to appreciate a Squale with any brand printed on its dial. Because he realised that they are not 'Margi' or 'Spider'… they are Squale!
His two Squale are very different. And, unlike the obviously 'serious' Supermatic, this cheeky little blue number, due to its modest size and funky finish, makes him think that it was probably developed for fun use (even if it does claim a capability of 300m).
Production of the 301 nerfs into the late 80s, and as such, it is equipped with an ETA 2452 movement. Of all the brands that employed Squale to make watches for them, 'Spider' is one of those on the 'rarely seen' list.
1521 MARINA MILITARE
I meet a lot of nice Squale collectors, especially on Instagram. And that's where I bumped into Lorenzo. You can look him up by searching for user 'Nicewatchsonly'.
He is a collector and dealer of vintage Italian watches, and many beautiful timepieces pass through his hands. As a rule, he doesn’t get too passionate about them, as most are purchased to be sold on. It's his business not just a hobby. He only keeps about ten watches for himself, but there is occasionally something that comes his way that makes him instantly fall in love, and he can’t help but keep them in his small collection. This here is a prime example; the Professional 1521 Marina Militare. A rare beast that was found in the condition you see it in here; ugly, dirty and beaten.
Seeing this navy watch, with its Tritium all bruised and crumbled out, and its case all dinged up, gave Lorenzo the sensation of a watch actually used by a professional diver.
It sits on a splendid bracelet with a Squale wet suit clasp extension that he had never seen before.
It was one of 'those' pieces... he couldn’t help but keep it with him.
DIMA WATCH 100-ATMOS
This special piece also belongs to Lorenzo, who you can check out on Insta by searching for user 'Nicewatchsonly'.
He's had several Squale 1000metre Master watches pass through his hands, which he openly acknowledges are beautiful watches. He has had several of them... all quickly sold. But... when he spotted this one; it was love at first sight!
He had never seen a Master with this steel bezel (and subsequently not found another example on the web) it had really fascinated him; even though the dial under the domed plexi could not really be seen due to thousands of tiny micro scratches it had.
Through this milky crystal, and in bad light, all he could glimpse is what looked like a brown dial. But once the scratches were polished out of the plexi, he could finally see the iridescent coca-cola coloured dial.
Once all the scratches were polished out of the plexi, he could finally see this splendid iridescent coca-cola coloured dial.
He instantly got that feeling that he was lucky to have found such a stunning piece, and he couldn’t help but keep it with him.
This Dima truly is one of the most beautiful, and rare, Supermatic 1000m Masters you would be lucky enough to find.
SQUALE SUB39 ABISSO 2
While a great lover of vintage Squale, Davide (aka the_wandering_watch on Insta) can also see an attraction to modern pieces too; like this limited edition Sub39.
There have been two Abisso models, both designed in Italy by Bludimelo. The first, limited to 40 pieces, featured a light grey dial, the second version (the one featured here) was limited to 50 pieces and features a darker dial; both textured (using a process known as 'grainée') to mimic the skin of a shark.
It features a 39mm steel case, 120-click bezel with sapphire inlay, a domed sapphire crystal for that vintage vibe, and a 'love it or hate it' fancy crown.
Being a modern Squale, it runs a Swiss Sellita SW200 auto movement and one of Squale's microfibre straps. It's definitely one of the more interesting Squale released in the last few years.
DIVING FF96 100-ATMOS
Let's face it; when it comes to collecting vintage Squale... they are all rare. Am I right or am I right? You see, these things were expensive fifty years ago. Few people who didn't need a watch capable of 100-Atmos would be able to invest such money into one. Meaning those that did were actual divers; and the vast majority were used as intended or abused as a tool. But this here FF96 Diving owned by Niclas Lindberg really is rare.
At the same time as Blancpain were making a watch for the German Kampfshwimmer Unit using a Squale made FF96 case, it seems Squale also had a special order in for an elite unit of Swedish divers. While no records survive informing of the actual order, it is thought no more than 25 would have been produced, and that makes it even more rare than a grail BUND.
Unlike the Blancpain Bund, this Diving FF wears a luminous acrylic insert (a bit like the one found in the latter Blancpain 'civilian').
The case lacks the drilled lugs, but all chamfers are the same. As is the deep coin edge bezel. And there is no mistaking the 'militaire' style dial design either. This version is quartz, but there are automatic versions out there too... somewhere...
BLANDFORD S.A. MASTER
We Squale collectors are all different. Some like their watches to be factory fresh, while others like their Squale's to tell a story. Davide (aka the_wandering_watch on Insta) definitely fits in the latter group. The Squale that reside in his collection are old, used, and bare the battle scars only ever honoured to a watch that has been used for the purpose it was made.
This here is his bi-colour Blandford 100-Atmos Master. Its beautiful orange and black acrylic bezel insert is cracked; a common occurrence in a watch frequently submerged in salt water. The stunning dial, once dark and colour rich, has burned in the summer sun, turning a beautiful pale grey. And what Tritium remains on the hour markers has turned cream with age and, due to exposure from water... started to darken on its way to becoming a moody black.
Davide's Master is also showing its age with failing lume in the hands. But what all this adds up to, is character... truck loads of it.
However, this is not a safe queen. With its Von Buren designed case and serviced ETA2783; this beast will go on for another fifty years of service (albeit at a more sedate pace than its first 50 years of use).
SQUALE 1545-YG 18K
If you have searched for a new Squale, you will on your Google search travels have happened upon Singapore-based retailer, Gnomon. Love or loath some of Limited Editions and specials Gnomon create with Squale, they are rarely boring.
Take for instance their 'Lab1' spin on a 1521... pure out-there craziness. And many out there in forum-world said this very thing when in 2019 an email dropped in their box promoting a 20-piece solid gold 1545 Limited Edition.
Yes; you read that right. They took what is kindly considered as a homage to the Rolex Sub, one that sells due to its cracking value in comparison to the Sub it mimics, and tossed out the cheap steel in favour of one of our planet's most expensive metals... GOLD. Not so cheap any more, eh... or is it?
Well, lets think about that. You see, the Rolex version of this piece on eBay will set you back over £30,000. Enough to make you choke on your coffee. But this here 18k 1545 that belongs to Jake Dinsmore cost just over £4,000 when launched four years ago. Amazing value. You won't find one for that sort of money now, mind you!
OSCAR COMPRESSOR
If you ask a normal person (someone that's not a Squale addict, er, I mean collector) to think of a 1970's dive watch... the picture that pops into many heads is one of a 'compressor' style watch. These were hugely popular, and had a design that could be spotted a mile off due to the dual crowns.
Now ask a Squale collector, and they would probably say a Supematic 250 or Master with an acrylic bezel (the most desirable being the black/orange variant).
Now combine the two ideas... and that is what David Luque has here; a very pretty Oscar branded Squale compressor Supermatic.
With its dual crowns and double bezels, it's like no other Squale. But the usual signs are there; most notably that fat orange minute hand.
Another interesting nod to Squale brand values is the hour markers, in neat squares like the lume on a mk.1 Master - but here it fills applied box markers.
The only question I have is what use having two bezels might be?
AUSAL SUPERMATIC 250
Back in the 1960's, Squale predominantly made dive watch cases that were sold to various watch brands who marketed the watches as their own. Ausal was one of their many Swiss based clients.
Ausal made high grade watches and had a great reputation, but like so many small Swiss brands that retailed their watches at high prices, the company died after the launch of cheap quartz technology.
The Supermatic range came in three flavours, the cheap and basic 200, the pricey and beautiful 250 and the pro spec 300. This 250 features the asymmetric 38mm case, a Von signed crown, a beautiful grey sunburst dial with square tritium plots, and a gorgeous bi-colour acrylic bezel insert.
This Ausal, for a 1960s dive watch, is very close to mint condition. And, as you would be officially classed as 'bonkers' to go diving with such a rare and immaculate vintage piece these days, the Supermatic Squale Watches make for very wearable and ultra stylish desk divers.
OSCAR MK.2 MASTER
Squale's history is littered with many ground breaking watches, so it is difficult to say with confidence what is possibly their most iconic diver. But this here Oscar 100 Atmos, owned by Dane from WatchVault, has to be up there for consideration.
It features the absolute classic crown-at-4 Mk.2 Master case that was the genesis for the modern 1521. And that stunning bi-colour acrylic bezel, a feature now seared into Squale brand values.
Along with those two killer features, this mid 70's piece also features the much coveted 'fat minutes' hand (a feature many would like to see return to the 1521) and 'lollypop' seconds hand.
As if this watch needed any other features to elevate its status, it is coupled with a stunning heat-treated fumoso dial.
PVD SQUALE FF96
The FF96 case was born after Squale created the BUND for Blancpain. And in 1973 Squale started production of civilian versions. Marc Steinhauer happened upon this particular model lurking on an auction site back in 2017.
The black PVD finish (by Italian arms manufacturer, Beretta), remains in excellent condition. Only the crown bares witness to wear. The black surface of the 'Nude' dial, (so called as it never received its branding print), turns towards a lighter brownish colour. If inspected with a loupe, sloppy 70's hand-applied lume application can be seen. The acrylic bezel insert remains in great shape (and once charged with sunlight, it glows intensely in dark conditions).
Adding to the this piece's mystery, is the absence of a serial number. Squale watches were all individually numbered between the lugs (or later down the side of the case) until around the end of the 1980's. So with this watch missing a serial and branding on the dial, a mystery has yet to be resolved.
MELPIER MK.1 MASTER
Courtesy of Steven Mogford in the UK; we have here a stunning Mk.1 'basic dial' Master 100 Atmos. Note the beautifully aged silver/grey acrylic bezel insert and creamy tritium lume on the silver sun-ray dial that has started to go blonde from exposure to the summer sun over 50 years.
Very little is known about Melpier. As with many of the brands that used to purchase cases from Squale... they went bust after Quartz technology hit the market, and their history is lost to time.
MILANO NOS 1521
After three decades creating world beating dive watches, like so many Swiss mechanical watch brands, Squale went bust in the late 80's due to the Quartz crisis. The staff downed tools, and the factory was locked up. But the story did not end there, as in 2005 the Maggi Family decided to relaunch the famous brand. One of the first watches released was the so called 'Milano NOS' back in 2009.
These special 1521 are easily identified. They run polished cases pulled out of the old stock room, fitted with Tritium 'buckshot' dials and so called 'skinny hands' from the 80's (note the tiny paddle on the seconds hand and the thin hour). The things that most identify this piece is the bezel insert that features a green inset lume pip and the black cerakote chapter ring. Squale Whale found this one at auction in its original box.
SQUALE TIGER CITY 200m
Courtesy of Jeroen in the Holland; we have here a rarely seen 'City' line Tiger 200m, that is one of the many watches sold in the early days of Squale's relaunch and made up of NOS parts found in the factory store rooms and parts draws, paired with an ETA 2824-2.
The bezel is enamel, and the crystal is mineral. It runs at a vintage 38mm and with a very wearable 11mm max height. And, along with this black variant, Jeroen says you used to see blue dial variants for sale too.
There are many historic Squale models where information is sadly lacking, but this here Tiger City is one of those pieces we have yet to find any solid data on. So we can't even confirm if the '50/05' number on the case-back here suggests that the piece was a Limited Edition.
TITANIUM 1515 MEDIUM
If you asked someone to stop and think about a rare Squale watch, they would probably conjure up an image of a Bund LE 1521. But the truth is; there are Squale out there that are so rare they make 1521 Bunds look common.
Take Danieli's titanium cased Squale Y1515 here as an example. It's so rare, that like the Mk.3 metal bezel Master or the acrylic bezel Y1522, most people don't even know they exist or, if they do, don't believe they are real factory productions. But they are.
This, like the mk.3 Master, features a milled steel bezel linked to a blasted titanium case with matching bracelet. And one of the nicest hand and dial combinations I have ever seen on a Medium.
If you enjoy wearing a smaller cased watch, this (as with other Mediums) being 35mm, then what you see here could be the vintage star of your collection, as Danieli has it for sale on eBay... here. I doubt one of these will be seen for sale again in a very long time.
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