Mark, CEO of ZULUTIMEZONE - your one stop shop for excellent watches - informed me of a highly popular brand of watches which were selling like hot cakes. So I decided to do a bit of research on my own - trying to determine the mark of popularity. I discovered Vintage Squale Diving Watches are so coveted, they barely skim the list before being snatched up. "Squale watch forums" boasting newly purchased Squale Watches are spreading around the net like wildfire.
After looking into Squale Watches I could see what all the fuss is about. Squale are Professional Diving Watches which have proved their reliability, accuracy and resilience beneath the ocean. There heyday began back in the sixties and seventies when world champion divers and spear fishers donned the watches at the 1967 Cuban Spearfishing Championships using the watches to keep track of time beneath the ocean.
Squales foundation began in the early 1950's. Charles and Hélène Von
Büren established the watchmaking company, von Buren SA in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Charles Von
Bürenhad loves diving and the sea. He realized there were no watches companies exclusively dedicated to professional diving. He produced the watches under the Squale Brand - The name means "Shark" His daughter ,Monique, was one of his most valued watch testers and she became an excellent diver and a marine biologist. Van Buren registers Squale as its company trademark and receives its first patent for the construction of a diving watch case. In the 1960's the Squale logo appeared on more and more of the watches he produced. In 1967 Squale Watches became synonymous with Von Buren. ( The "VON" logo is still emblazoned on the screw down crown of the current models of the Saquale watches).
Squale and Von Buren sponsored many sporting events. They were the main sponsoring partner for Maria Giuliana 'Jolly' Treleani
(triple record holder and apnea world champion in 1965/1966/1967).
As a further testament to their reliability in adverse conditions they were purveyors in the 80s/90s for the paratroopers of the Folgore Italian Sub as well as the Italian Navy.
At the end of the 1960's, Squale introduced the first 1000 meter divers watch which did not require a Helium Valve. This new innovation was released just a few years after Rolex introduced the Helium Valve to the market.
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| Squale 1000 M Blue Professional Swiss Automatic Divers Watch |
The helium valve enables divers who operate at great depths and spend prolonged hours under extreme pressure breathing a mix like trimix containing gases such as helium (tiny molecules) or hydrogen (smallest molecules found in nature) to release the helium molecules that have worked their way through the o-rings or other seals. The helium and hydrogen molecules cause no damage when the watch is at great depths under pressure but as soon as the diver resurfaces, a pressure difference occurs between the trapped gas(es) inside the watch case and the surrounding air. This can cause the crystal to pop off damaging the watch thus the helium valve is a crucial edition to diving watches enabling the diver to release the gas build up and restore equilibrium. However the Helium valve requires the construction of a extra hole in the case which may, if damaged, can significantly decrease water resistance.
Squale Watches invented a double flexible gasket for the crystal which eradicated the need for the Heluim Valve as the double flexible gasket evened out the pressure. This system ensured that there were no trapped Helium molecules trapped beneath the crystal and no danger of the glass popping off once the diver resurfaces. In addition the double gasket ensures excellent water resistance.
One can still purchase a Squale Diving Watch with this technique at ZULUTIMEZONE.COM in the current 101 Atm (2002 series) models. The incredibly successful double flexible gasket proves to be better than the Helium valve as there is no hole built into the case.
In addition the scratch resistant sapphire crystal at 3.5 mm is extra thick
Squale Professional Divers Watch was used by record setting 100 meter free diver, Jacques Mayol. He set many world records including a 105 meter free dive at 56 years old. He was an intriguing person who pushed the limits of human capabilities with intense physiological and mental training through utter relaxation and yoga. A French national born on April 1st, 1927 Shanghai China, Jacques Mayol, developed a passion for the ocean and a fascination with dolphins. He became quite attached to Clown, a female dolphin, he met while working as a commercial diver at an aquarium in Miami Florida. He imitated her and learned how best to maneuver beneath the water. He contributed immeasurably to the free-diving or apnea sport - diving on a single breath without the use of any sort of breathing equipment. His life is documented in a wonderful film, The Big Blue, directed by award winning French film director, writer and producer - Luc Besson. Squale watches are highly featured in this movie as they are known for their superior resilience in adverse environmental conditions.
Since timing is an issue of life and death in apnea sport, a reliable divers watch is a critical necessity. Squale Diving Watches boast many features specifically designed to stand up to the pressure and adverse conditions of a sub aquatic environment. Most Squale Professional Diving Models sport the features below. To verify if a particular model suits your needs, visit easy to read interface and exceptional watch feature detail enable you to precisely determine the which watch is for you.
