Squale

Charles and Helene Von Büren established Von Büren SA in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1946, inspired by their passion for diving and water sports. In 1959, Von Büren registered the Squale trademark and obtained the first patent for diving watch case production. During the 1960s and 1970s, Squale became instrumental in the development of reliable diving watches, supplying cases to renowned brands including Blancpain, Tag Heuer, Doxa, Sinn, and La Spirotechnique. The iconic 1521 model was introduced in the 1970s, and Squale became the official supplier for the Italian Navy and Folgore Parachute Brigade. In 1982, Charles Von Büren sold the brand to the Maggi family, longtime Italian distributors of Squale watches. The quartz crisis led to a production halt in 1989, but the Maggi family relaunched the brand in 2005, restarting production of iconic models. In 2020, Squale moved its headquarters entirely to Chiasso, Switzerland, consolidating its Swiss identity.