There’s a certain confidence in a dive watch that doesn’t ask to be admired. No overwrought flourishes. Just a mind set on prioritizing legibility, reliability and proportions that make sense when it’s not about mirror selfies, but the task at hand.

With the new SUB-37, Squale leans into a simple premise: dive watches were designed to work, not to impress.

At 37mm across (or 38.5mm with the bezel), the SUB-37 returns to 1960s and early 1970s dive watch proportions — small enough to stay unobtrusive under a sleeve, yet still easy to read at a glance. It’s for those who value the basics done properly: dial clarity, a no-date layout and dive-ready specs.

The irony, of course, is that Squale’s SUB-37 does come with a story worth telling, because the brand’s credibility comes from the same world that shaped the modern dive watch.

With the new SUB-37, Squale leans into a simple premise: dive watches were designed to work, not to impress.

A Name Steeped in Diving History

Squale’s history is that of a specialist: professional dive watches since 1959, tied to the sea and the demands that come with it.

That focus also sits neatly alongside the brand’s founder, Charles von Büren, who is widely associated with the era when Swiss dive-watch making matured into professional-grade instruments, where cases, seals and real-world testing mattered as much as movements and marketing. In the mid-century boom years for dive watches, accounts often point to Squale’s behind-the-scenes role as a case maker, supplying components that helped shape the broader dive watch landscape. That legacy isn’t just historical trivia either. Iconic references like the 1521 and the Master series are proof of how consistently Squale has stayed in its lane as makers of purpose-built divers, first and foremost.

Squale’s founder, Charles von Büren, is widely associated with the era when Swiss dive-watch making matured into professional-grade instruments.

And then there’s the testing culture led by von Büren — the practical side of dive watch development that matters in use. His involvement in establishing CREDE (Centre de Recherches et d’Essais Dynamiques d’Etanchéité) in 1967 helped create an official facility to offer standardized and practical waterproofing tests for Swiss dive watches; working with real divers rather than pure lab conditions. CREDE also helped to fund the new dive base, the Maison du Plongeur (completed in 1968) on Lake Neuchâtel.

It’s the kind of detail that matters, underlining what Squale has always wanted to be associated with: tools you can trust, proven in use. 

The SUB-37: Contained, Precise, and Unapologetically Functional

The SUB-37 is built around a polished 37mm case that sits cleanly and naturally on the wrist. Its specifications remain properly robust with 300 meters of water resistance, designed and assembled in Switzerland, with the ability to handle pressure, salt and time.

The SUB-37 features a matte black dial with printed old-radium toned indexes, Squale’s vintage-style logo and an old-radium Super-LumiNova.

The double-domed sapphire crystal adds depth to the dial, echoing the nostalgia of vintage plexiglass while delivering modern clarity and scratch resistance. A matte black dial with printed old-radium toned indexes, Squale’s vintage-style logo and an old-radium Super-LumiNova sets the tone for a purposeful and legible look. The bezel follows suit, featuring 120 clicks with a glossy black insert and lume that provides actual low-light utility. At the heart is the Sellita SW200, modified to remove the date, keeping the layout pure and free of distractions.

The SUB-37 comes on a strap that suits the purpose: black rubber, made in Italy, ready for water without needing a second thought.

A Tool Watch, Without the Theatrics

Squale describes its new watch as “faithful to the era when dive watches were designed to work, not to impress.”

The SUB-37 comes on a black rubber strap made in Italy.

Indeed, the SUB-37 is not trying to win as the loudest heritage reissue, but as a complete package that’s coherent and where everything points back to function. It’s a calm reminder of where dive watches come from, and why Squale has long had a seat at that table. Its aesthetic is simply what happens when you take that seriously.

Tech Specs

Squale SUB-37

Movement Self-winding Sellita Caliber SW200 (modified to remove the date); 38-hour power reserve

Functions Hours, minutes and seconds

Case 37mm × 10.7mm; polished stainless steel with glossy black insert; water resistant to 300m

Dial Matte black; printed old-radium toned hour markers with luminescent coating

Strap Black rubber, made in Italy

Price 1,380 CHF / 1,650 EUR / 1,750 USD/ 1,460 £.