Squale — a Swiss brand with an Italian name best known for its popular dive watches, is a brand that’s always had a cult following. With a history dating back to 1959, the brand was in the right place at the right time to capitalise on the explosion of interest around recreational divers that directly drove a booming market in colourful, accessible dive watches. Today, Sqaule continues to deliver on this mission, and its nostalgic divers are more popular than ever.

Squale 2001 Reverse Orange, Ref. 2001BKOR.AC

One of the brand’s most popular models is the Squale 2001, a design first born in the 1960s and defined by its large, cushion-like barrel case shape, with hidden lugs, crown at four and an impressive (for the time) 1000M of water resistance. It’s a watch with proper pedigree, too; the famed oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau gifted one to his friend, the first officer of the Calypso a Squale 2001, to mark a 1972 Antarctic expedition. Over the years, this remarkable design has served as the inspiration for evolutions like the Squale 2002 and 2003. Last year, Squale released a limited edition of the original 2001 as part of its 65th anniversary celebrations. It looked great, but as only 300 were made, it left a lot of fans wanting more.

Squale 2001 Sand, Ref. 2001BEBK.AC

Well, if the lack of the regular catalogue version of the Squale 2001 kept you awake at night, you can now rest easy, as Squale has given the 2001 a permanent spot in the roster. In fact, there are three new iterations of the original, with black, blue or orange dials. Proportions and designs are faithful to the original, with a 40mm diameter and a 43.6mm lug-to-lug length, which, when combined with the 13mm case height, adds up to a watch that is compact yet impactful. There are plenty of retro notes, too, like the sapphire bezel insert (a notable upgrade from the bakelite of the original), the crown at four, and, perhaps most notably, the ladder-like steel bracelet for pure nostalgic vibes. It’s also worth noting that the bezel features a ‘push to release’ safety system, requiring direct downward force before the bezel can move, a very secure design, even when compared to the typical unidirectional system.

The dials are perfectly chosen to highlight the style and versatility of the design. All three share the same hardware: blocky, chunky hands and markers are full of luminous material and offer plenty of legibility. The black and the blue also boast an unmissable orange hour hand, while the orange dial — sensibly enough — eschews that in favour of black. The black and orange dials are classical diver, while the blue feels a bit more contemporary, thanks to its graduated finish, which pairs nicely with the black bezel. Speaking of bezels, the black dial goes down the unusual route of offering us an aged, almost creamy white bezel with an orange pip, making this particular watch feel like the most vintage of the three. Of course, all three feature Squale’s charming double logo.

Squale 2001 Sunray Blue, Ref. 2001BKBL.AC

On the mechanical side of things there’s not huge surprises, the Squale 2001 uses the Sellita SW-200-1, which honestly is exactly what you want in a watch like this. It’s great to see Squale in the modern era go from strength to strength, and even greater to see the Squale 2001 earn a permanent place in the collection.

Tech Specs

Squale 2001 Dive Watch

Movement: Sellita SW 200-1, 38 hours of power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: Stainless steel, 40 x 13mm, rotating bezel with sapphire insert, water-resistant to 600M
Dial: Orange, blue or black
Strap: Stainless steel ladder-style bracelet
Price: CHF 1,490

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