The connection between military and dive watches goes back over 100 years. It is well documented and a keen focus of many watch collectors. Some prolific examples include the Rolex Milsub for the British and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms used by the French. The Italian Navy, or the Marina Militare, is home to the famed elite “frogmen” and also has unique connections. Though Panerai has the most famous association, there are many others, including the Squale Marina Militare.
The History
Squale is a watch company rooted in diving. Founders Charles and Helene Von Buren began assembling watches under the name “Von Buren SA” in 1948 out of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Charles was a diver and took an early interest in dive watches. They were new at the time and not a main focus of the general watch industry, creating a blue ocean for innovation. The name “Squale” is Italian for “shark” and dates to 1959, as does Squale’s first patent for a waterproof watch case.
Over time Squale gained wide respect for the design and water resistance of its watch cases. They even produced a watch resistant to 1000 meters, and without the need for a helium escape valve. The company went on to manufacture cases for the likes of Doxa, Blancpain, Heuer, and a host of others.
The Marina Militare likely made its first requisition of Squale watches in the late 70s or early 80s. Squale’s watches remained in commissioned use into the 90s. Military records from this time are still in paper form and information about watch requisitions is hard to come by. However, Squale does confirm it provided watches to the Marina Militare during this period. Squale was not an exclusive supplier though – Citizen, Breil, and DPW also provided watches to the Italian Navy in the same era.
The Details
| Movement | ETA 2824 |
| Diameter | 40mm |
| Lug to Lug | 49mm |
| Height | 14mm |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Crystal | Mineral Glass |
| Lume | Tritium |
| Water Resistance | 50 Atmos |
There are two primary variations of the Squale Marina Militare. The design closely resembles the brand’s modern reference 1521. Both watches use the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2 movement and are water resistant to 50 atmos, 500 meters, or 1640.42 feet. The most notable difference between the two variations is the case. One version is in stainless steel and the other is PVD coated in black.
On the PVD version, the dial reads “Marina Militare” just under 12:00 in capital, yellow letters. The Squale shark logo is above 6:00. The black PVD sends a stealthy, military vibe, especially with the matching black rehaut. Black PVD is almost a stereotype of 80s military watches. It’s probably due in part to the movie “Top Gun” where Tom Cruise wears a PVD Porsche Design Orfina. There are many other black PVD watches of the same period from IWC, Lemania, and others. PVD technology back then was not what it is today. Though modern PVD is still prone to scratching, PVD of the 80s is extremely vulnerable. This results in many beat up or beautiful looking watches, depending on tastes.
The tritium lume on some PVD models is also interesting to note. On many observed examples the lume appears partially obscured by an added material. Collectors speculate this is to camouflage the lume at night, making it only visible to the wearer and not enemies. It’s also possible certain batches of tritium were contaminated or mixed in a way which caused the lume to significantly darken over time.
The stainless steel variation is similar in some ways. “Marina Militare” is smaller on the dial in white font below Squale at 12:00. This version also has a Bakelite bezel with tritium inserts. The numerals on these bezels are now a rich pumpkin color under the Bakelite due to sun exposure and time.
There is a fair amount of speculation over whether the elite COMSUBIN units also used these models. The COMSUBIN is the Comando Subacqueo e Incursi, which translates to “Raiders & Divers Group”. They are special forces within the Marina Militare and also known as frogmen for their amphibious qualities.
Tracking the exact military provenance of these watches is a bit difficult. Some have a serial number engraved between the lugs, but most do not. However, there isn’t any evidence these watches were available to civilians either. Some say Squale also tested 100 atmos versions for the Marina Militare in the 70s and 80s, but no such examples have surfaced to date.
The Market
A warning for collectors: don’t expect to find a Squale Marina Militare in pristine condition. These watches saw real, unforgiving use, and it shows. Cracked crystals, water infiltration, and damaged cases are all common. It’s also normal to see all varieties of mismatched and replaced components given the abuse these watches received. There are no known NOS or surplus pieces.
Though rare, the prices on these watches are still quite reasonable. Condition is secondary to provenance, and they provide great value for actual military watch from a brand with real diving heritage. In comparison to other prominent military watches and it’s remarkable the Squale Marina Militare somehow still flies just under the radar.