The Squale Matic is a watch you may not have encountered before – Squale is a small Swiss watchmaker that previously made watch cases under license for Heuer and Blancpain, it was founded by Charles Von Büren in Neuchâtel, Switzerland back in 1959.
From its earliest years Squale was largely focused on the design and development of diving watches, in fact they obtained their first patent for sub-aquatic watch design the same year the company was founded.
The Squale Matic has classic dive watch proportions, with a 316 L stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, and a Swiss automatic movement.
Early on in the company’s history they became known for the stylized “shark” logo at the 6 o’clock position on the dial of their watches, and for the fact their watch designs were typically rated for significantly deeper depths than many of their competitors – both of these features persist on modern Squale watches.
When Italian freediver Enzo Maiorca set the world diving record of 67 meters in 1965, he had a Squale on his wrist. Five years later when Jacques Mayol set a new world diving record in Japan, reaching a depth of 67 meters, he was also wearing a Squale.
Later in the 1970s, Squale became the official watch supplier of the Italian Navy and for the “Folgore” Special Forces Paratroopers Brigade. Decades later in 2017 the revived company would become the official watch supplier to the Italian State Police Divers Unit.
The Squale Matic
The watch you see here is the Squale Matic, it’s the modern version of the Squale dive watches of old and much like its forebears it has an impressive water-resistance rating of 600 meters or 1,968 feet – far deeper than any human can dive without the benefit of a specialized submarine around them.
The Squale Matic is powered by the Swiss Sellita Caliber SW200-1, an automatic mechanical movement with a 38 hour power reserve, 26 jewels, and 28,800 bph. The watch has a 316 L stainless steel case and back, with a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal up top.
The Matic features an impressive dive rating of 600 meters or 1,968 feet/60 ATM.
Superluminova lume is applied to the dial markers and hands, and the watch has a diameter of 44mm with a case thickness of 16mm, and a lug width of 22mm. The version of the Squale Matic you see here is the light blue version, but the model does come in a range of other colorways – this one includes an Italian leather strap and it retails for CHF 1,245 or approximately $1,394 USD.
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