Please, educate me about SQUALE

[kfallsrider]

Did Squale send you the info on the new watch? They mentioned it to me when I talked with them last week but did not offer to send more information. I plan to drive down to Milan in the next month of so to have a "look see". I am also interested in a group buy.

Ciao
Vince

[Poorman]

No, they only mentioned that they would send me info if requested. I will ask them to send me more info

Cheers,
Andy

[Nalu]

Andy, I'm also interested. I will also check to see if I have any mates currently in Vicenza. If so, we might be able to arrange even more favorable prices.

[Poorman]

Hi Colin,

That is great, the cheaper the better

Cheers,
Andy

[SPQR]

Group buy is excellent, add another one.

[sfglenrock]

Count me in as well. Thanks all.

[Kojikabuto]

70sWatchesGallery - Squale

PART I HISTORY





as promised, heres the info compiled about Squale watches:

Squale is a small familiar Italian company located in Milan that has been producing boxes and parts for watch companies since 1946.

Squale srl subacquei professionali Orologi





In this small watchmaking shop in the Italian Lombardia,
located in the Condominium of Via Santamaria Valle 4 in Milan between Via Torino and Via Stampa,
where there are never more than 3 people working, it all began..

Dedicated to the repair and manufacture of components for Watches
from the post-war era at mid-60´s began its legacy
as regards of diving watches

In 1967 this small factory is associated with
The Neuchâtel Von Büren SA.

As partners sponsors of
Maria y Giuliana 'Jolly' Treleani (triple world champion of apnea, 1965, 1966 y 1967),which become holder of the apnea freestyle record to -31 meters in 1965, beating Hedy Roessler, did so again to -35 meters in 1966 and to -45 meters again in 1967
Plusmarquistas de buceo Subacuatico

Unfortunately, Treleani was death in December 1971
in a car accident at the age of 26 years



http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...QdgHFfWqeBemRw

Even so her record of -45 meters free apnea was maintained for 15 years until Patrizia Maiorca beat it in 1982 to -50m (currently today its in-122m)

But also SQUALE Did sponsor the french team of "Chasse Sous-Marine",Tony Salvatori,France Champion in 1967,
of Spearfishing, and Jean Tapu as well.



and Cuba's national team of submarine fishing ...... Champions in 1967 and 1968

Again do not lose the videos of that event




in the first part of the video a shot can be seen of the pretty treleani fishing
but she could not compete, at that time women could not compete in that mode officially, it wasnt allowed.

After the championships

From 1967 to 1974 Dedicated themselves to the supply of cases and components together with C. Von Buren to numerus independent Swiss brands

la Neuchâtel Büren Watch Factory. Von Buren Watch company (and crowns marked as VON) designed and built the Case.



His trademark was Squale and allowed other companies to use the Case and its reputation,but with the obligation to show the Squale logo on the dial, with the mark up.

Earlier cases were pretty similar to the supercompresssor cases by Ervin piquerez (EPSA)

And The latter cases were made in the valley of the Jura, from la Manufacture de boîtes de montres MIP SA.



The great tradition of Swiss watchmaking precision, combined with the passion for the sea and scuba diving, were the two factors that led C. Von Büren, in the early '50s, to deal exclusively with the construction of professional diving watches.

Initially, the "shark" has appeared on the cases of Swiss watches of various brands, such as signature and symbol of quality manufacturing.
In Mid '60s, Von Büren began to produce watches that also reported the Shark on the dial, thus initiating the institutional history and Trademark.

The first sporting successes, such as the World Spearfishing Championships won by Cuba in 1967 '68, are linked to the name of products now legendary as the medium, Master 50 atm.

In the 70's was born the first "1000 meters" with SAPHIRRE glass and with a revolutionary bezel tha will only move under elastic pressure, rotating in both directions.

Sharks has continued to produce for other brands and has begun providing watches in a non official way to special corps of many armies including recall the paratroopers of the Folgore Italian Sub The Carabinieri, and the division of the Italian Navy.

This shark, for decades has become synonymous with quality and reference point of Watch diving worldwide.

Super, Master, Medium, and 1000M cases, were served to
brands such as [B] Altanus Genève, Arlon, Potens Prima, Prima Flic, Jean Perret Geneva, Ocean Diver / Blandford, Deman Watch, Margi, Berio, Eagle Star Genève, La Spirotechnique, Wertex, Carlson Tavernier Geneva or even Sinn! [/ B]

just to to name a few....

500m Cases with crown at 4
Were served to Brands like [B] Airin, Dodane, Blancpain, Tag Heuer, Doxa, Zeno and Auricoste [/ B]
Zeno Lately, but more in particular TagHeuer, Doxa And Auricoste in their Spirotechnique versions and Balncpain in the Bund 3h.

They gave Squale the international prestige in the early 70s







Thanks to that
the commercial success led the
Squale company in 1974 to decide to set up their own watches,
with their own Cases, and now alone with his name on the dial
so from that date, began with the manufacture of its own models

Between 1974 and 1984
besides the above mentioned models
they began to benchmark their cases with the Characteristic 4 digits
reference numbers they continued to produce the master medium and super
but their 500 meters models
were given the reference
professional 1521

That way the
1000m models recieved the ref # 2001 and 2002
to models 100atm and 101 atm respectively
the 500m Squale backlit bezel and beveled benz hands
rolex type # ref 2003, Corallo line were references 2006
and introduced the tiger in 1984
a self-designed and inspired by the Omega proplof as ref 2007

Apparently in 1989 they stopped manufacturing automatic models
for awhile to focus on quartz models (like Most everybody else thet time)
so the Rambo and the military 1535 models
came to life but the brand interest and the international boom Faded.


UNTILL NOW

The relaunch of The Squale Brand since February 2010 and its new production
in Grenchen in the Swiss Jura valley portend an exciting future for the brand

but we will see this later..

En sucesivos post veremos la evolucion de la marca atraves de sus modelos
mas clasicos para asi comprenderla mejor y aprender a conocerla.

in the next post, we will see the evolution of the brand Through its classic models to better understand and learn to know the brand.

[Kojikabuto]

PART II


SQUALE 1967-1974 EARLY YEARS


SQUALE VINTAGE - WERTEX
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...20WERTEX?ref=1

WERTEX SQUALE MASTER 600M (1920FT)




WERTEX SQUALE MEDIUM




SQUALE VINTAGE - VERYWATCH
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...ERYWATCH?ref=1

VERYWATCH CASE MASTER 301 (30ATA) 1972






SQUALE VINTAGE - VELESTER
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...VELESTER?ref=1

VELESTER CASE MASTER 100ATA (1000m)










SQUALE VINTAGE - TAVERNIER -SVE
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...AVERNIER?ref=1



TAVERNIER WATCH



TAVERNIER SUPERMATIC CASE TYPE COMPRESSOR 20ATA (200M)
(michaelwatch)




TAVERNIER SAPHIR 100ATA (1000m)



TAVERNIER MASTER 301 (30ATA)



SVE DIPPY 25ATA






SQUALE VINTAGE - PIMAX - POTENS
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...20POTENS?ref=1

PIMAX SQUALE CASE SUPER 20ATA





A Spanish SQUALE..

POTENS PRIMA SUPER 20ATA





SQUALE VINTAGE - OCTUS
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20OCTUS?ref=1

SQUALE CASE MASTER OCTUS 100ATA

a very rare version with double date at 6 and the caracteristic domed plexi.








SQUALE VINTAGE - NOBLEX - NILEG
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20NILEG?ref=1


SQUALE NOBLEX MASTER CARCASSA 301 (30ATA)




SQUALE NILEG SUPER ATA 20




SQUALE VINTAGE - MARGI
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20MARGI?ref=1

SQUALE MARGI CASE MASTER DOMED PLEXI (100ATA)





SQUALE MARGI CASE MEDIUM




SQUALE VINTAGE - KALOS - LORDAN
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...20LORDAN?ref=1

SQUALE KALOS SUPERMATIC (20ATA)







SQUALE KALOS 600



SQUALE LORDAN 500 PROFESSIONAL




SQUALE VINTAGE - HERODIA - HOSAM
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20HOSAM?ref=1

SQUALE HERODIA 1730 (30ATA)



SQUALE HOSAM 1537 (30ATA)









SQUALE VINTAGE - HAI
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...0-%20HAI?ref=1

SQUALE HAI SAPHIR 100ATA (1000M)








SQUALE VINTAGE - FELSERS - FISHER EXTRA
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20EXTRA?ref=1


SQUALE FELSERS 600M BLUE & ORANGE



SQUALE FISHER-EXTRA CASE SUPER 300M






SQUALE VINTAGE - EAGLE STAR GENEVE - ELECTRA - SINN
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...-%20SINN?ref=1

one of the most desired Squale models..

SQUALE EAGLE STAR GENEVA ATA 100







From my friend Rnublo





SQUALE EAGLE STAR GENEVE MEDIUM

the same in medium version



SQUALE EAGLE STAR GENEVE PROFESSIONAL 500M

you are watching one of the very first 500m professional units



SQUALE EAGLE STAR GENEVE SAPHIR EXTRA 1000M

and its lovely bezel





SQUALE SINN SAPHIR EXTRA 1000M

well.. looks like it really existed..ask Colin




SQUALE ELECTRA CAJA SUPER (30ATA)





SQUALE VINTAGE - DUWARD
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...20DUWARD?ref=1


DUWARD SQUALE SUPER 300M
(michaelwatch)




SQUALE VINTAGE - DEMAN WATCH
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20WATCH?ref=1

DEMAN WATCH SQUALE MEDIUM (20ATM)/(30ATM)





From my friend ERWIN





SQUALE DEMAN WATCH BUND





SQUALE DEMAN WATCH SUPER



SQUALE DEMAN WATCH MASTER SAPHIR 100ATA





SQUALE VINTAGE - DANWILL - DESOTOS
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...0DESOTOS?ref=1


SQUALE DANWILL SUPERMATIC



SQUALE DESOTOS SUPER




SQUALE VINTAGE - CORDIA - CARLSON
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...0CARLSON?ref=1
SQUALE CORDIA CITTA

SQUALE CORDIA CITTA





For comparison
The same model, once Squale started their own production.

SQUALE CITTA








SQUALE CARLSON 600M



SQUALE VINTAGE - BLANCPAIN - BRITSCARD - BERTHOUD
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...BERTHOUD?ref=1

BLANCPAIN Fifty Fathoms IN SQUALE 500M CASE



BRITSCARD SQUALE MASTER




BERTHOUD DE LUXE SQUALE SUPER







SQUALE VINTAGE - BLANDFORD SA
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...RD%20S.A?ref=1

Another of the most sought after Squale MODELS there is,

its the OCEAN DIVER English Batch, when Nigel Blandford (of Blandford SA) entered into collaboration for a short period of time around 1972, with the Von Buren Horlogerie of Neuchatel.

elusive, rare, Beautiful.


They really make you hold your breath...



SQUALE MASTER OCEAN DIVER BLANDFORD SA ATA100










SQUALE BLANDFORD SA OCEAN DIVER DEEP BLUE




SQUALE BLANDFORD SA OCEAN DIVER MASTER BLACK





Comparation with a rolex



SQUALE BLANDFORD SA OCEANDIVER MASTER BITONE BEZEL






SQUALE OCEAN DIVER BLANDFORD SA 1535 PROFUNDOUS
With oil inside TO MEASURE PRESSURE, like the AQUADIVE WATCH




SQUALE VINTAGE - BERIOS
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...20BERIOS?ref=1



BERIOS SQUALE MASTER










BERIOS SQUALE MASTER BITONE BEZEL




BERIOS SQUALE 600M
(michaelwatch)










BERIOS SQUALE SAPHIR ATA100










BERIOS SQUALE 1535 PROFUNDOUS




SQUALE VINTAGE - ANTARES -ARLON
Slideshow
http://cid-3998751f47d8540c.skydrive...%20ARLON?ref=1

ANTARES CASE SQUALE ATA 100



SQUALE ARLON MEDIUM





NEXT PART

SQUALE 1974-1989

[Nalu]

I think you missed one.









J/K - an incredible summary of the work the company has done in the past :thanks for posting it here, very helpful. Once you are done, I am going to split out your posts and put them in a separate thread in the reference section.

The question in my mind now, since I have a handful of the vintage ones and am aware of their quality, is how does the product from the current company compare? I think we all know highly-regarded dive watch companies from the 60s and 70s who have changed ownership and now can't hold a candle to their previous achievements.

[Poorman]

Hi All,

I have just heard from a relaible source that the new Squale watches vary in quality ranging from very nice to crap (uneven lume, short/undersized hands, wobbly crowns, etc.).

So I am going to take this a little slow, and get some more information. I don't want us get a bunch of crappy watches and have no recourse. I will even try to get a sample peice and pass it around to those who are going to order.

Cheers,
Andy