Squale X Galeazzi Watch Review

Squale and Drass Galeazzi partner up to create the new limited-to-500 pieces Squale Galeazzi watch – a 500-meter water-resistant tool that combines Galeazzi’s specialist sub-sea technology and Squale’s avant-garde approach to dive watch precision.

Two of Italy’s historic brands collaborate together on a limited edition watch that conveys the spirit of the sub-sea technology manufacturer and the prestigious watchmaker. The new Squale Galeazzi 50 Atmos watch is a blend of expert dive watch materials, impeccable precision and vintage-inspired details. The watch is aimed at luxury watch enthusiasts and professional divers and shares this next step of Squale’s journey in developing boundary-pushing dive watches.

What is Squale renowned for?

Squale is now an Italian family-owned watch company renowned for its expert dive watches. Its story began when husband and wife Charles and Helene von Buren founded the company, Von Buren SA in Neuchatel, Switzerland. The company’s first dive watches were produced and subject to a stringent set of tests carried out by Helena and Charles’ daughter – a marine biologist. These tests determined whether the tools could withstand impressive water depths and hold up under challenging conditions likely to be experienced by diving experts. When the first patent was developed in 1959, it went under the new Squale trademark name. Squale’s unique use of materials and horological expertise caught the eye of many Swiss luxury brands such as Doxa, TAG Heuer and Blancpain who drew from the brand’s specialist approach to making rugged tools, taking inspiration from Squale’s carefully designed cases.

Famous divers like Jacques Mayol broke immersion records wearing one of the company’s watches and Squale has also sponsored many international sports competitions. It has also reached some important milestones, like its first 1000 meter water-resistant watch during the 1960s – the 101 Atmos watch. Squale has also specialized in creating some vintage dive watches inspired by the 1950s, 60s and 70s, as well as models for the Italian Police Dive Unit. Even more interesting is the fact that its innovative 101 Atmos watch was created before a time when screw-down casebacks and rubber gaskets were even a thing. Yet the manufacturer created an ingenious feature to render it a capable dive watch – a ring lock system that secured a threaded metal ring with the caseback.

Why Drass Galeazzi?

Now it’s time for Squale to present something refreshing, daring and new to loyal wrists, as well as those new to the brand’s diverse range of aquatic-ready models. The chosen company to collaborate with Squale is Galeazzi, which shares many of the same values with the watchmaker in its specialist field of sub-sea technology. In 1926 it acquired a patent that enabled the manufacture to create lightweight structures capable of withstanding extreme pressure. This understandably transformed the future of technology in diving instruments, allowing the company to innovate submersion helmets, lamps, knives and boots. In addition to specializing in this equipment, it also developed the Atmospheric Diving Suit (a patented mechanic hinged dive suit) and the Butoscopic Turret that assisted with the recovery of a hoard of ancient gold from an Egypt shipwreck. By the 1960s Galeazzi was manufacturing the majority of the world’s certified commercial diving systems.

To celebrate these unique affinities with sub-sea technology, Squale and Galeazzi present the new limited edition Galeazzi dive watch, equipped with an impressive 500-meter water resistance and a remarkably thick, strong 4mm sapphire crystal glass front. Now… here’s where it gets interesting. The highly-polished stainless steel case of the new Squale Galeazzi watch borrows the same over-engineered case design Squale developed over 50 years ago when it created the Fifty Fathoms 3H bund for Blancpain in the 1970s. This innovation, also known as the “Von Buren* case, features a 4 o’clock screw-down crown, cleverly tucked underneath the case to reduce the risk of snagging. It also features a helium escape valve at 9 o’clock that discharges built-up pressure during decompression diving.

The case of the new Squale Drass Galeazzi dive watch measures a gratifying size of 42mm on the wrist. Importantly, this deems the watch suitable for wearing on a day-to-day basis as well as for underwater exploration. A black calf leather strap leading from the lugs secures comfortably and stylishly to the wrist thanks to its tone-on-tone black stitching and robust steel fastening. An additional carbon fibre grained strap with a leather backing is also supplied. To assist with the easy measuring of elapsed time underwater, the new Squale Galeazzi watch also features a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with a sapphire insert. Each marker on the bezel is treated with “Old Radium”-style Super-LumiNova that not only creates a bright glow during the night but adds to the charm of the watch under normal daylight hours.

The new Squale Galeazzi watch features a matte black dial with square-shaped batons and pencil style hands. A vibrant orange minute hand helps the watch to overcome a lack of light experienced underwater thanks to a generous coating of the same luminous material used for the bezel. The Squale logo at 12 o’clock is balanced out by the Drass Galeazzi logo at 6 o’clock – the latter of which is accompanied by a depiction of a divers helmet. Furthermore, the 3 o’clock location is home to a date aperture. Lastly, the heart of the new Squale dive watch is where the Sellita SW 200 movement sits, offering a power reserve of 38 hours and a performance of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The 26-jewel movement features hand-winding and hacking capabilities.

To complete the whole package, the Squale Drass Galeazzi watch is presented in a sturdy IP67 travel case equipped with an automatic pressurization valve. This packaging is specially designed for the transportation and the protection of sensitive equipment. Shielded from dust, moisture, debris and shock impact, the presentation case has clearly been chosen by experts at Squale and Galeazzi to enhance the wearer’s experience of owning one of these 500 special limited edition pieces.

More details on the new Squale Galeazzi 50 Atmos watch can be discovered here at Jura Watches, or why not call a member of our team to discuss availability and finance options today on 01335 453453

Technical specifications of the new limited edition Squale Galeazzi watch

• Case: 42mm – stainless steel – 500-meter water resistance- 4mm sapphire crystal glass front with anti-reflective properties – screw-down crown at 4 o’clock – helium escape valve at 9 o’clock – screw-in caseback – 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with sapphire insert with “Old Radium”-style Super-LumiNova markers
• Dial: Matte black - “Old Radium”-style Super-LumiNova pencil style hands - “Old Radium”-style Super-LumiNova square and triangular indexes – date window at 3 o’clock – Squale lettering as 12H – Drass Galeazzi lettering at 6H
• Movement: Sellita SW 200 – self-winding automatic – 28,800 v.p.h – 38-hour power reserve – 26 jewels – hours, minutes, seconds and date function
• Strap: Black leather strap / black carbon fiber grained strap – stainless steel fastening
• Price: £1,100
• Reference: VONDSSGZZ
• Availability: Limited to 500 pieces worldwide