For nearly seven decades, Squale has remained a family-run brand, dedicated to crafting authentic tool watches that strike a balance between heritage, durability, and the pursuit of perfection beneath the surface.
The Squale story begins in 1946, when Charles von Büren and his wife founded a watch-case manufacturing firm under the name C. von Büren SA in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. His personal interest in scuba diving and underwater gear inspired the early focus on robust, pressure-resistant cases.
In 1959, von Büren officially registered the “Squale” trademark, marking the beginning of the brand’s identity as a specialist in diving watches. During the 1960s and 1970s, Squale gained recognition not only for its own watches but also as a supplier of high-quality dive watch cases to brands such as Blancpain, Doxa, and TAG Heuer. The name “Squale,” meaning “shark” in Italian, symbolizes both resilience and performance beneath the surface — a legacy seen in the brand’s iconic shark logo positioned at six o’clock on every dial. Trusted by military units, professional divers, and freediving pioneers like Jacques Mayol, Squale watches became synonymous with reliability in the depths.
Owned by the von Büren family through the late 1980s, Squale continues to uphold its heritage under the ownership of the Italian Maggi family, the original Squale distributors in Italy, who preserve the brand’s dive watch heritage by combining traditional craftsmanship with modern materials and design. Each timepiece is built with the same dedication to durability, precision, and purpose that has defined the brand for over sixty-five years.
Squale stands apart from other manufacturers, backed by deep history and the provenance of an authentic legacy brand that has been family-run since its inception. For decades, Squale has been consistently building real tool watches with purpose, authenticity, and enduring craftsmanship.
