A Very Deep Dive into the Squale 50 Atmos 1521

Above: The Squale 50 Atmos 1521. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

The Squale 50 Atmos (Ref. 1521) is a stunning dive watch with a pedigree that other brands could only dream of. Yet when it comes to known dive watch brands, Squale swims below the surface. It’s time to dive below the waves and take a good look at the iconic Squale 50 Atmos 1521.

My interest in watches began in my early 20s when I inherited my father’s Rolex GMT Master. It was a 1968 model—a couple of years older than me—and I wore it everywhere for about 20 years. But something always bugged me about that watch: it was a GMT Master, not a Submariner. I know, I know, I must be the only person on the planet to find fault with inheriting a Rolex. But I am an ocean person: a daily ocean swimmer, a surfer, a surf lifesaver, a ski paddler, sailor. My father spent a lot of time on the water too, but his first love was aviation. He had a GMT Master.

By my mid-30s I was having a serious identity crisis. I needed to forge my own path. And I needed to retire that Rolex. It made me feel like a fake. There was no way I could afford my own and walking around with some serious Rolex bling made me feel uncomfortable, to say the least. It was time to move on.

Above: The Rolex GMT Master from 1968. The watch that sparked my interest in dive watches. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

My love of the ocean meant that dive watches always appealed to me. My experience with Dad’s Rolex meant that automatics did too—that and because I am quite a luddite. I appreciate class over fashion; functional design that has stood the test of time. Classic lines, uncluttered dial, automatic movement, dive watch. Form follows function. I am not what one would call an ‘early adopter’ but rather personify the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality.

I’ve seen a lot of Submariners on the wrists of people I know never enter the water. I’ve seen big, blinged-up dive watches with helium escape valves on the wrists of guys who couldn’t tell you what a helium escape valve does or the first thing about saturation diving. The luxury brand thing has never been my game; I dislike status symbols—one reason why I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the Rolex GMT Master. My little identity crisis meant I needed to be very comfortable in my own skin and what was attached to it.

My search took me somewhere I wasn’t quite expecting but made perfect sense once I arrived there: Seiko. My work had started to involve photojournalism assignments to some fairly remote parts of the world. I needed something reliable, rugged, automatic, waterproof, classic, with a good pedigree and that wasn’t going to get stolen or draw too much attention. A military connection would be a bonus. Where I landed was on a Seiko SKX173. It cost me about $400.

Above: My Seiko SKX173. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

Seiko’s SKX series is a highly respected line of professional dive watches—I even had the head watch repairer at Rolex rave about them and the in-house Seiko 7s26 movement when he saw the SKX173 on my wrist when I dropped off my father’s GMT Master for a service. The SKX173 is also a direct descendent of the famed 6105—made particularly famous as the watch worn by Martin Sheen’s character in Apocalypse Now. My SKX173 has travelled the world with me several times.

The SKX173 is a fabulous tool watch, a wonderful beater. But as good as it is, I always knew I would add something a little higher up the food chain when the time was right. This obviously wasn’t going to be a Rolex or an Omega but something a level or two above the Seiko SKX line—something that could be wound and hacked for starters—and a watch that would allow me to dip my toe into the waters of the luxury watch market without having to dive in. Most importantly, it needed a strong history, an equally solid reputation among divers and ocean users, and it needed to meet all the other criteria that initially led me to the Seiko.

With my new-found love of Seiko, their Marine Master 300 sat out there like a huge carrot. But was still expensive by my standards, difficult to come by and then Seiko made a number of model and design changes that turned me away.

But, as my interest in dive watches grew and my knowledge increased, and the more I Googled dive watches and absorbed what I could, the more I noticed something else: there were numerous brands I’d never heard of, yet they were serious dive watches, and quite well-known and respected within dive circles.

Many had wonderful histories and a solid base of owners, collectors and admirers. And a number of these watches were issued to military units—particularly combat frogmen—or chosen by personnel themselves; some had become popular because of their repeated mention by authors and some were well known within a particular niche like freediving. All were used by people who made their living in or on the ocean. These were real watches for real people. Away from the major brands with their huge advertising budgets was a world where function, reliability and reputation meant everything.

There was one watch I fell in love with the moment I saw it—the Auricoste Spirotechnique. It ticked every box for me: the classic dial, it’s size (not too big, not too small), the polished chapter ring (the Seiko SKX chapter ring was always too busy for me), the ‘Mercedes’ hands which I had become used to with the GMT Master, the 4 o’clock crown, the exquisite case that seemed to wrap around the wrist, the coin-edge bezel, the (usual) mesh or jubilee bracelet—and that it looked equally at home on a Nato strap—the legendary ETA 2824-2 automatic movement that could be wound and hacked, even the little diver motif as part of the La Spirotechnique logo, and that it was issued for a time to the French Marine Nationale. Even that La Spirotechnique was a brand co-founded by Jacques Cousteau added to the mystique and overall ocean vibe. Put simply: the Auricoste Spirotechnique epitomised for me what a dive watch was and should be. It just looked right.

Above: A rose by another name: the Auricoste Spirotechnique. Photo: ScubaWatch

Further research revealed several similar watches to the Auricoste Spirotechnique. Very similar watches. Huer, Tag Heuer and Squale all manufactured a version for Spirotechnique. It was the age of co-branded watches and Squale, who had made their reputation supplying watch parts—particularly cases to the likes of Doxa, Blancpain and Tag Heuer—reigned supreme in this behind-the-scenes supply position while also building watches on behalf of other brands—their logo often prominent on the watch face as a mark of quality.

I’m not sure when I first came across Squale as a brand, but it must have been through my many searches of the Auricoste Spirotechnique. But, regardless, their name kept coming up. And with it, the name of their founder, Charles Von Büren—the ‘Von Büren case’ exemplifies what a dive watch case is and should be and why Von Büren was so sought after as a case provider. Squale was a brand that those in the know knew about; it was a brand that was very well respected yet had gone quiet. But Squale was starting to make some noise again. 

One Squale in particular stood out: the 50 Atmos (Ref. 1521). It was a classically styled dive watch that looked extraordinarily familiar. The 50 Atmos is essentially an Auricoste Spirotechnique albeit with different hands. And while the Auricoste was rated to 200m, the Squale, as its name suggests, is rated to 500m.

With such similarity, the 50 Atmos ticked the same boxes for me as the Auricoste did. But unlike the Auricoste, the Squale could also be bought new—some even included NOS parts (Auricoste has released a new version of the Spirotechnique but, in my opinion, it pales in significance to their previous model). As such, it was always a matter of when I would own a Squale 50 Atmos, not if.

History

Surprisingly few people know Squale, at least down here in Australia. That actually ticks a big box for me right there, but for the brand it is, it is still rather surprising. Lots can be read on Squale’s website and elsewhere, so I won’t rehash the same info, but, in brief: back in the 1940s Charles Von Büren made watch cases and parts; by the late 50s he was producing his own watches under the Squale brand name. They became very well respected, particularly the aforementioned case design; and by the 60s and 70s many leading manufacturers (Blancpain, Doxa, Auricoste, Huer et al) were turning to Von Büren when they needed something specific, or, in the case of Blancpain, an ‘upgrade’ to their iconic Fifty Fathoms dive watch for use by German military combat divers. It must be a nice feeling when the likes of Blancpain knock on your door!

Von Büren himself was an amateur diver, along with his family, which led to his interest in dive watches. While Von Büren’s Squale watches were popular with divers, Squale seemed to find their place in the burgeoning sport/lifestyle of freediving, most likely due to their support of freediving events and that legendary freedivers Jacques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca—made particularly famous thanks to the classic 1988 film The Big Blue—subsequently wore Squale watches and had become close friends of the Von Büren family. Both men were about as close to brand ambassadors as Squale got.

Above: A well-known image of Jacques Mayol holding a Squale and the 76m tag from his world record dive in Japan, 1970. The photograph is autographed by Mayol thanking Squale. Photo: Squale Australia

The 1521

The 50 Atmos 1521 is arguably the hallmark Squale watch. This is similar to what the Submariner is to Rolex—there is the 50 Atmos, and then there are their other watches. If you’re going to get a Squale, this is where you start—and possibly finish.

Adding to the 1521 vibe is their one-time use by the Marina Militare’s (Italian Navy) and their elite frogman unit the COMSUBIN (or Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori). Anything that meets the criteria of an elite frogman unit like the COMSUBIN will most likely survive my daily ocean swimming ritual. So, where the Auricoste Spirotechnique was issued to the French Marine Nationale, Squale found a home within the Marina Militare (and also the Italian Airforce’s elite parachute unit, the Folgore Brigade Italian and the Italian Police Dive Unit).

Above: A Squale 50 Atmos 1521, Marina Militare version. ‘Marina Militare’ written simply underneath the Von Büren motif and Squale typeface logo. Photo: The Subdial

Above: A PVD version of the Squale 50 Atmos 1521. Marina Militare clearly in place of the usual Von Büren motif and Squale typeface logo. Photo: The Subdial

What I like

The Squale 50 Atmos is clean. I mean, really clean. Everything is where you want it—nothing is overdone, overstated, blinged-up, or, conversely, underdone. The moment you see a Squale 50 Atmos, you know it is a watch designed for a working diver or someone who needs an ‘at a glance’ result.

Here’s what I mean: I wake up very early each morning to get down to the beach for my pre-work daily ocean swim. I am also a light sleeper and often wake up two or three times during the night. When I do, I check the time in case it is getting close to when I need to get up. I usually grab the watch that is closest to me on my bed-side table: an ani-digi dive watch I use for an alarm. It has no light function and I find the lume on the hands impossible to read in the middle of the night. I always try but never succeed. So I reach for the Squale so I can actually tell the time!

Now, onto more serious examples. Imagine you’re diving. Imagine it’s the 80s and dive computers either don’t exist or are prohibitively expensive and unreliable. The legibility and reliability of your dive watch takes on significant importance. Now imagine you are a combat frogman in the elite Marina Militare COMSUBIN unit, diving at night. Being able to check the time, your elapsed time, at-a-glance suddenly becomes critical. Clean, uncluttered, legible.

The term ‘form follows function’ keeps going through my mind but, while absolutely functional as a tool watch, the form i.e. the style and design of the 1521, runs parallel with Squale. Yes, the 50 Atmos is a tool watch but it simply oozes class, or, as part of my desired criteria, classic design. In researching for this post, I twice came across how Squale continually reference their own core values: reliability, elegant design, uniqueness, affordability and, ease of service. Elegant design is of paramount importance to Squale, yet all values are all apparent with the 50 Atmos.

Interestingly, within a few weeks of putting the Squale on my wrist, I had two people ask me at what it was. Both were Omega wearers, and both had spotted my Squale. I have since had others including a random Breitling wearer in an elevator ask me what it was. He assumed it was a Breitling. The Squale stands out.

The watch

The 50 Atmos wears much smaller than its 42mm diameter suggests. This has to do with that eloquently designed ‘Von Büren case’ which holds the watch dimensions in rather than protruding them. It is hard to mention Squale or Von Büren without mentioning the ‘Von Büren case’. It is what Charles Von Büren was known for and deservedly so. The Squale 50 Atmos 1521 is quite simply the most comfortable watch I have ever put on my seven-inch wrist. It just sits beautifully, hugging the wrist as opposed to sitting on it; the Squale simply becomes part of you.

Underneath, you find a screw down case back and all the information you need: Stainless Steel / Sapphire Crystal / Swiss Made / Automatic roll around an inner circle of a subtle wave pattern along with the Squale shark logo and 50 Atmos / Professional in central position. The serial number is etched on the outer smooth area.

Some brands spend time and effort on the case back, others don’t. I think it adds a little extra to the watch (Seiko’s wave motif on their SKX line is legendary) and I am glad Squale chose to provide some added style in this area.

Above: Appropriate case back detail telling you everything you need to know—with style. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

The coin bezel sits ever so slightly over the case, enough to give your fingers a good grip. The bezel action itself tells you that you have definitely stepped up a level or two – especially from the Seiko SKX whose bezels are notoriously misaligned and clunky. The Squale’s 60-click uni-directional bezel is smooth; it is precise, even and clearly machined to perfection. Four grub screws through the edge hold the bezel securely in place and give the watch a subtle utilitarian character. 

The Von Büren-branded 4 o’clock crown is quite recessed—designed to avoid unnecessary knocks or it catching while diving. Again, this aspect of the case design holds the case dimensions in and adds to the smaller look and feel of the watch. The crown is still visible and readily accessible although somewhat finicky. Those with thicker fingers may find it a tad troublesome but I have fairly average sized fingers and it is fine.

But what really gives the 1521 its classic charm is the polished, no markings, chapter ring. As I mentioned earlier, I always found the SKX chapter ring too busy but the clean chapter ring of the Auricoste Spirotechnique greatly added to its appeal. The Squale follows suit. The highly polished chapter ring does wonders with light, creating pleasing enhancements to the indices when looking straight on, and creating a brilliant and ever-changing colour palette around the dial when viewed from an angle. Depending on what is being reflected, this can be quite mesmerising. In practice, this means the ‘look’ of the watch is always changing, albeit subtly, which keeps it interesting.

Above: Squale 50 Atmos 1521 on Squale’s 'rubber ‘New Tropic’ strap at Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia. The highly polished chapter ring adds a constantly changing, dazzling display of colour—depending on what is being reflected. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

The sapphire crystal is exquisite. Completely flat with no cyclops over the date window. In certain light, the sapphire crystal also reflects a blue light onto surrounding walls and a blue sheen occasionally appears across the dial at various angles, contrasting the dial against the black bezel. Like the chapter ring, it means there are subtle differences depending on where you are. It may sound like something you don’t want but, trust me, you do! A little hint of blue in a dive watch? Yes please! 

The other splash of colour is the orange minute hand – it makes the dial pop. White hand, black dial, black bezel watches are classic, but a touch of colour can go a long way. The orange, while not necessarily subtle, is not overbearing and is enough to add significant interest to the dial, particularly as the Squale logo and other writing on the dial is white. There is also the safety factor of having a minute hand easily distinguishable from the hour hand on a dive watch.

I’ve mentioned that the Squale 50 Atmos is ‘clean’ and this is no more apparent than on the dial. It is uncluttered, the right amount of round Superluminova at most indices; thin rectangle indices at the 6 and 9 o’clock compliment the hands, an elongated upside-down isosceles triangle emphasises the 12 o’clock and there is a simple date window at the 3 o’clock. The Von Büren motif and Squale typeface sit below the 12 o’clock position; the Squale shark logo (Squale, by the way, means shark in French; Squalo is Italian) with the words 50 Atmos and Professional sit above the 6 o’clock mark. It is classic dive watch dial design. In an era of busyness, the simplicity of the dial is refreshing and functional; like the rest of the Squale 50 Atmos, it is all class. 

The bezel too maintains an elegant simplicity. The only adornment is an applied lume pip within the 12 o’clock mark – a circle within a triangle. Nice.

Like any watch, the band or strap or bracelet can dress it up or down and completely change the look and feel of the watch. I bought all three bands: black rubber, tan leather and mesh. Rubber because I planned on swimming with it—a lot; leather for a day in the office or a night on the town; and mesh because classic dive watches that invoke the 60s and 70s just need to be on mesh.

Above: Squale 50 Atmos strap collection: mesh, ‘new tropic’ and vintage leather in tan. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

The rubber has that lovely vanilla smell and is supremely comfortable. Squale call it their ‘New Tropic’ strap and its two holes and perforations are certainly reminiscent of Tropic straps of old [please note that Squale also make a ‘Millefori Tropic’ strap which is slightly different]. The rubber gives it a tool watch feel; dressing it down and making the 50 Atmos wholly at home for a day in the ocean.

The leather is wearing in well, will patina nicely and is so light and comfortable that I often forget I’m wearing a watch. It is the strap I wear the least, only because I am in the water every day and currently working from home due to COVID-19. But if I am heading out anywhere special, it is the strap I reach for.

Above: On leather. Dive watches on leather have a certain eloquence. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

The mesh is outstanding. Squale have an ingenious way of using a few small links of mesh which can be removed when sizing the bracelet. Other brands do this too but the joins are large and obvious. Conversely, at any distance beyond a metre it is impossible to tell that the Squale bracelet isn’t completely mesh all around [please note that this is only for the 20mm mesh bracelet. The 22mm mesh for watches like the 60 Atmos Squale Matic, has solid non-mesh sizing links. The difference in the mesh bracelets isn’t always apparent on websites]. The double-locking clasp has the usual fine tune size adjustment.

Above: On the mesh. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

Above: The ‘semi’ hidden removable links on the Squale 20mm mesh bracelet. Photo: ©Matthew Smeal

Conclusion

It is hard to get past just how elegant and timeless the Squale 50 Atmos is. It is also hard to get past just how comfortable the Von Büren case is. The lugs bend slightly downwards, already directing the strap around the wrist and allowing the watch to become part of the wearer and helping the watch wear a bit smaller than its 42mm would suggest. Apart from the Rolex GMT Master and Seiko SKX173, I also own two other Seikos: an SKX171, and an SNZH53; and two Citizens: a JP1010 and the legendary JP2000-08e. All are sensational watches but the Squale beats them all in terms of comfort.

The 25 jewel ETA 2824–2 automatic movement is an industry workhorse that drives many known watch brands including Tudor, Hamilton, Sinn, Doxa and still, Auricoste. It is remarkably accurate—mine runs at within +/– 1 second/day! I actually set this so seldom that I can’t remember if it runs fast or slow. I set it yesterday to get a good reading for this post and 24 hours later, it is bang on. It usually takes a few days before I see any discernible difference.

With its beautiful classic 60s and 70s European style, the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2 movement, a 500m water resistance rating, a heritage as long as your arm and that case, the Squale 50 Atmos 1521 is an obvious choice for a ‘step-up’ dive watch—something equally at home diving the ocean or diving a desk.

But two things surprise me: the price (I paid approximately AUD$1200, about USD$900) and how ‘unknown’ Squale remains. Perhaps if James Bond wore a Squale instead of a Rolex or an Omega; or if Squale chose celebrity ambassadors and pushed hard with their advertising; or if they chose to sponsor international yacht races, motorsports, or horse racing instead of supporting niche sports like freediving, things might be different. But I for one am glad they don’t. One gets the feeling that Squale don’t want to, either. This small family-run company (which is now run by the Maggi family (long-time Squale distributers and friends of the Von Büren family) seem perfectly happy with the way things are.

Squale made their reputation by working behind the scenes, manufacturing quality parts and eventually their own watches and watches for others. The emphasis was always on quality and dependability and Squale’s reputation had many high-end brands knocking on their door needing their assistance. There must have been temptations to go bigger and compete with the bigger brands but Squale remained true to themselves—they only make dive watches—survived the ‘quartz crisis’—which many didn’t—and is still here today.

While my knowledge of the brand is limited (and I apologise for any inaccuracies in anything I have written), I sense certain parallels with two entities that regularly come up when researching the company: the Marina Militare’s COMSUBIN and freediving.

The COMSUBIN motto is: “Better few and excellent than many but only good.” The COMSUBIN are also renowned for silence, for not seeking glory or honours but quietly getting on with the job and doing it with integrity. That motto, from what I can tell, could easily be Squale’s.

Meanwhile freediving is a sport and lifestyle that exudes commitment, patience and a lack of pretentiousness. It is a pursuit where the most successful are those who work in synergy with the ocean; where those who reach the sport’s highest rungs find that it is not about records or competition but about something altogether different—it is about purity. Freediving, at least on the surface, needs to be simple and uncluttered.

Squale knows this. Their values—particularly reliability, elegant design, and affordability—exemplify this. There is a purity about the 50 Atmos 1521. There is simplicity and reliability. Meanwhile, just like freediving, it is down in the depths where the magic happens.