Squale 65th Anniversary: 1521 Marina Militare

Here we are! The second stage of the 65th anniversary is finally revealed and Squale honours its long tradition of collaboration with the Marina Militare by producing a new and very limited (of only 500 pieces worldwide) edition of the iconic 1521 model. 

In the deep and indissoluble connection between man and sea lies the strength of Squale, a Swiss brand with an Italian heart that is one of the leading players in the  watchmaking. Founded in 1959 in Neuchâtel by Charles and Helene Von Büren, it soon became a reference for the professional divers segment and over the years also played the role of supplier, starting to produce cases for brands such as: Blancpain, Tag Heuer and Doxa in their respective Fifty Fhantoms, Spirotechnique and Sub 250 Sharkhunter (still identifiable today by the iconic shark printed at 6 o’clock on the dial or visible on the case back).

The connection with the diving world remained solid and extended into the 1980s, when Squale twice in a row won the contract to supply watches for the La Spezia Diving Group. After forty years, the partnership with the Marina Militare is renewed and materialised through the creation of two special limited editions: Squale Master for the Marina Militare, made in 2022 and produced in only 300 pieces, and Squale Master for the Comsubin divers. The latter, introduced last year and also produced in a limited edition (500 pieces), deserves special mention as it’s the Swiss brand’s first Grade 5 Titanium watch. Both timepieces reinterpret the “Master” the iconic model presented in 1965 with a 42x49mm case, oversized compared to both the 1521 line and the Matic, which is carefully designed with a thick sapphire crystal and a helium valve on the case middle at 9 o’clock.

In 2024, a particularly significant year for the Marina Militare, which celebrates its underwater activities, Squale continues this “tradition” and presents the new 1521 Marina Militare. An edition of only 500 pieces in the world, symbolic (since the first model supplied to the Navy was indeed a 1521), historical and rare (because of the first 1521 models supplied to the Navy in the 1980s, only a few have survived to this day, and one of them is preserved in the G.O.S. museum in La Spezia).

HISTORY CONTINUES: SQUALE 1521 MARINA MILITARE

To mark the anniversary, Squale chooses to pay tribute to the world’s best-known asymmetrical case design: the “Von Büren Case”, with its crown at 4 o’clock, straight lugs and square right side.

The timepiece reinterprets the “1521” series, the iconic collection introduced in the mid-1970s, with a 42mm x 12.5mm 316L steel case crafted with a brushed finish and polished bevels. The 120 click unidirectional bezel with aluminium insert, flat sapphire crystal and screw-down crown at 4 o’clock complete the watch and make it capable of withstanding all diving activities up to 50 atmospheres (500 metres).

The watch has a distinctive orange Super-Luminova® luminescent coating both on the bezel (at the first quarter) and inside the unprecedented white-rimmed minute sphere. The dial is black, with a brossé finish and polished steel applied hour markers that render, through skillful play of light, thickness and three-dimensionality. Also on the dial, in chromatic assonance with the first quarter of the bezel insert, we find the end of the seconds sphere, the minute track and the Marina Militare logo.

The color orange, which plays the role of “narrator” in this timepiece, pays homage to the graphic-stylistic tradition of both Squale and the Marina Militare.

The final details that draw our attention are found on the case back. The case back faithfully displays the watch’s technical specifications, the Marina Militare crest adorned with a naval crown and a shield with four sectors, each occupied by the crest of a maritime republic (Venice, Genoa, Amalfi, Pisa), and the progressive number 500 of this limited edition.

CONCLUSION AND PRICE

The automatic movement inside is the trusty Sellita SW 200-1 Elaboré grade and the set includes both a black micro-fibre strap with orange stitching and an additional black natural rubber strap, both with a buckle bearing the Squale logo. The price of this Squale x Marina Militare limited edition is €1,590 (VAT included). 

Today only the first batch of 250/500 watches is available so community of enthusiasts, collectors and Squale fans don’t miss out on Squale’s most historic, symbolic and rare limited edition! 

By Luca Barone