The watch that sits in front of me is the Squale Matic Light Blue 60 ATMOS, and it's a bit of a looker! The watch was delivered on a blue, ZULUDIVER rubber strap, and I have to say that it suited the watch absolutely perfectly.
Squale 60 Atmos Squale Matic Blue - Credit WatchGecko
On removing the strap in order to inspect the watch the Squale lay naked in front of me. The first thing that's immediately noticeable is that everything is fully polished and there are no brushed areas anywhere. The machining and polishing on the case and caseback is typically Squale; it's perfectly executed and finished to a standard that even I cannot fault. The centre of the caseback has the Squale shark submerged in waves, and just above, '60 ATMOS PROFESSIONAL' is proudly displayed, and rightly so! The inside of the lugs are also polished to the same high standard, and this relatively small detail, although unimportant to many, is an extremely nice touch.
The Dial
The dial is quite stunning. A satin 'starburst' in light blue with applied markers. The date window sits in the usual position, replacing the 3 o'clock applied marker. Just under the 12 o'clock marker sits 'SQUALE' with the 'von' logo proudly perched above the 'S'. Above the 6 o'clock marker sits '60 ATMOS' and the Squale shark, with 'Matic' printed in red at the bottom. Many have complained about the 'double branding' on Squale dials, but my own view is that it looks right and never appears to clutter or affect the incredible clarity that Squale watches are known for. The simple baton handset is typically Squale and does exactly what it's meant to do. The minute hand is in bright orange with its tip ever so slightly breaking the minute track; this attention to detail often goes unnoticed. The hour hand, although bold and clear, seems to stay out of the way visually until required. The 'lollipop' seconds hand sweeps majestically round and round, confirming that everything is running normally during a dive. Another nice touch is that the seconds hand is exactly the same length as the minute hand. All hands are lumed to a level that can be read throughout the entire night without recharge. The hour markers are also lumed as one would expect, even the one at the 3 o'clock date position. The 6, 9 and 12 markers have more prominent lume extending toward the centre of the dial. Luminescence is courtesy of Super-LumiNova C3.
The Crown and Bezel
Squale 60 Atmos Squale Matic Blue - Credit WatchGecko
The crown sits at the 21 minute position, and is well recessed. Guarding is by way of its position and proximity to the case lug at 5 o'clock. There's a strange flat on the case in the 3o'clock position where a conventional crown would normally sit and, although it doesn't bother me, I feel that a continued radius would have been more aesthetically pleasing. The crown itself is, again, typically Squale and features the 'von' logo in relief. The crown operation is silky-smooth in both directions, and although probably not important to most, features a full 3.5 turns before lock down. This is just another sign that it's all been thought about!
Now let's take a look at the bezel. It's a captive bezel that's held in place by 4 equi-spaced, slot-head screws that are positioned in the centre of the beautifully finished coin edge. The bezel overhangs the case slightly ensuring a firm grip, even when wearing thick dive gloves. A large, polished chamfer leads in to the controversial bezel insert. The bezel insert itself is of enamelled steel construction, and although unconventional, is executed to perfection. The action itself is unidirectional as one would expect, and has 60 clicks. There is no slack or back-play anywhere, the action is firm but not tight, and it aligns with every single marker. In fact, it's pretty much on the button, diving wise!
Squale 60 Atmos Squale Matic Blue on 1973 British Military Watch Strap: 328 MARINE - Tactical - Credit WatchGecko
The Crystal
I just can't pass this off in a flippant comment! The AR coated, double-domed sapphire crystal on this Squale Matic is magnificent. It's virtually unnoticeable when looked at directly, but when looked at from the side it just screams Jules Verne. The distortion at the very edges, close to the polished rehaut, takes you back to those pioneering days of the dive watch; however, unless tilted to the extreme the distortion across the dial is virtually none existent.
The Movement
The movement in this Squale is the Sellita SW200-1 Elabore. With 26 jewels and beating at 28800 vph (4Hz), the ultra-reliable Sellita will run for around 38 hours on a full tank. The SW200 has one small weakness, and that is being hand wound. If you hand wind it too aggressively you can strip the teeth on part of the winding mechanism. The upgrade (SW200-1) is much better with a modified tooth profile, but a little care should still be exercised. Under automatic winding no issues whatsoever are likely to be encountered.
Squale 60 Atmos Squale Matic Blue on WatchGecko Ridge British Military Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
Water Resistance
I absolutely hate this term! Will it keep the water out or not? Well, you've got nothing to worry about with the Squale. This one is watertight to 600m and will sit on your wrist lapping it up!
As a reviewer, if something isn't right I feel an obligation to bring that to the attention of the reader. Of course, I can only comment on the watch I have in front of me, and this one really is good. So, if you're in the market for a dive watch that really looks the part, take a closer look at the Squale Matic. Well, that just leaves me to list its vital statistics for the number crunchers out there and that's me off for a mug of tea and a chocolate Hobnob.
Squale 60 Atmos Squale Matic Blue on ZULUDIVER Endurance Extreme Rubber Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
Technical specifications.
- Brand: Squale.
- Model: Matic.
- Price: £1375.00 on the mesh bracelet.
- Material: S316L Stainless Steel.
- Movement: Sellita SW200-1 Elabore. Automatic.
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Date.
- Crystal: Double-Domed Sapphire with AR Coating.
- Dial: Light blue starburst with applied markers.
- Size: 44,0mm diameter. Height 16,0mm.
- Lug to Lug 51,0mm.
- Lug Width 22,0mm.
- Crown: Screw-down.
- Caseback: Screw-down.
- Water resistance: 600m
- When the reviewer would personally wear it: All the time.
- A friend I'd recommend it to first: Someone who dives regularly. T
- he best characteristics of the watch: It's a Squale!
- The worst characteristics of the watch: There aren't any really.
As usual, please leave any thoughts in the comments section. Your feedback is valuable, not only to the WatchGecko team but also to the other readers that may stumble across this article.
