This is one of my vintages that I wear the most because it is so fine, endearing and luminous with its applied indexes, its logo, its solid gold crown. Its background with the gold and enamel insert and its fish that does not like water. Its slightly faded linen dial attests that it has lived well since 1961 but it works perfectly. Its date window at 12 o'clock. A brand that deserves to be even better known because there are so many rarities.

Lovely vintage with linen dial and gold indexes and crown

How beautiful is this patinated adventurer from 1975. It could have been called Marine Nationale but my beauty is not engraved and yet I love it so much. Saved and restored by a watchmaker friend I do not know all the misfortunes it could have had, it keeps the scars and it is in great shape today. I will spare it the great depths that it would probably still assume. Its shades of blue are the most beautiful of the divers that I know, its slightly slobbery tritium indexes and hands seem to assume 50 years of real life outside of a very cozy trunk.

The SUB of the other brand with the crown with a shield

It is not out of a spirit of contradiction but I chose the only SANTOS that is not with its historical shape, it is a GMT 150th anniversary. Not liking Roman numerals too much (like someone you know!) she has the good taste to have nibbled the 1,3,6,11 and 12 which is quite elegant of her. I love its guilloche dial with small sub-dials of charming complications. Its blue hands are as always sumptuous. Its rounded Santos bracelet is incredible with its gold screws and it is very comfortable. Its gold bezel held by 8 tiny screws is quite subtle. In short, a real gem for both sexes. Hyper sophisticated but its intelligent size (33.2mm for 9.6mm) makes it easy to wear.

Cartier neither a round nor a Santos, the SANTOS ROUND

The ideal diving watch for small wrists in those years. For those who didn't want a big Triton or a Sub. A case of incredible finesse and with an incredibly pure profile design. Its dial with old-fashioned patinated indexes, its tiny Lollipop second hand, probably not very visible at the bottom but so subtle today. Its historic case back with its star and its characteristic imprint for unscrewing by a specialist. Mine is on a magnificent FS steel bracelet with a super pleasant elastic buckle. I took out my depth gauge and my Spirotechnique regulator as a tribute, it would have deserved a Mistral 1-stage regulator but I don't have one at home.

The professional skin diver of the 60s

How cute, subtle, fragile she is. I had her come from Italy, her country, she arrived with her hands all messed up. Since then I have been cuddling her, surrounding her with softness because she is a vintage from the 50s, you have to respect her, preserve her. 35mm and very thin, it's everything I like for a dress watch. A satin dial, numbers simply at 3-9-12 and a sub-dial that dares to cut off the 6, how original for a classic, it's true that the brand has shown originality since then. Small gold indexes applied as if to remind you that she is still very classy!

My first gold, a calatrava?

The tool for the difficult learning of reading the time with the hours in numbers and the minutes in clear, and with colored aids for the double railway in red. So many things that were essential because reading seemed so difficult to me at the beginning. A 6 year old who wanted to do like the big ones, who was not allowed to play the guitar because his hands were too small so who wanted to play the trumpet without learning music theory since Louis Armstrong did it well!!! Thanks to Kelton for giving me a taste for watches.

My first watch, the real one from 1971

Imagine she is 46 years old and she works (a major overhaul was still necessary) and she has been with me since I was 10! No, I haven't worn her for a long time but I have good reasons, my chick wrist has long since become that of a chicken and her 29mm case... But I assure you that she was only water resistant and dived for at least 4 years in an incredible way every summer between 2 and 8 meters in intense apnea. I have figures in mind because one day I melted all the fishing weights that I had fun collecting along the rocks of Antibes and there were 17kg of them. If we say that on average they weighed 20g each and that I brought one up every 5 apneas, that still makes 4250 apneas of chick lungs!!! How can I tell you that for me it was the watch of freedom, of adventure, of the deep, almost the same adventure as the Cousteau museum in Monaco that I had discovered or the world of silence.... I did not yet know Jacques Mayol and fortunately like that I avoided going too low.

Mini pioneer diver

What a beauty this Italian with a slim waist, she is my age and much better preserved. The charm of the 60s, a gilt dial with light chocolate tritium indexes, a superb two-tone bakelite bezel, sumptuous traditional hands. Its 36 mm squale case is perfect for me and makes it more dressed with a magnificent custom-made handmade bracelet matching the tritium by xamlam.com (hello Maxime). It is not my most precious diver, it is certainly my most captivating, because I feel Cousteau, Mayol, imagining myself almost adult in the 60s when I was only a child with my tiny Seiko 2205 Hi beat (see my review). More than a small watch, a journey through time and into my life.

A lovely vintage diver with a fine line

As soon as I saw it I flashed I had to have it. Beautiful like the Millsub of the 60's and then Squale has the legitimacy to pay homage. Its almost radium indexes, its sapphire dome beautiful like a chimney plexi but resistant, its polished-brushed and its chamfering like a great brand. It breathes robustness, its 2824 is worth the brand on the crown, it goes down to 200m so you can dive which I would never dare to do with a real vintage. In short it is essential especially with its aluminum bezel it remains unknown and rare because it is the ceramic that makes it sell a little afterwards. Its only flaw is to have a date but it had the good taste not to put a cyclops. I tell you it is almost perfect.

A magnificent new vintage worthy of the 5517

In love with divers from the 60s, I fell head over heels for this magnificent replica of this beautiful French brand that has recently been reborn. A modern case, a beautiful finish, a reliable Miyota caliber, a beautiful finish, including a neat caseback, a superb bezel, a magnificent dial, a top domed sapphire, a water resistance of 150m, very reassuring for every day and even sport.

A charming, new and sturdy vintage diver

The&nbsp;Squale brand was created in 1959 by the couple Charles and H&eacute;l&egrave;ne Von B&uuml;ren in Neuch&acirc;tel in Switzerland. Passionate about diving and water sports, the founders launched into the field of underwater watchmaking, a sector still unexplored at the time. The name Squale comes from the word "shark" in Italian. In parallel with the creation of several watch models worn in particular by numerous bodies of the Italian army, the brand will also produce cases for other watchmaking companies such as<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/blancpain"> Blancpain</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/heuer"> Heuer</a> or even<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sinn"> Sinn</a>.
It was in 1968 that Squale watches forged their legend by contributing to the records of free divers equipped with the Squale Master 50 ATM, which preceded the Squale 101 ATM, one of the very first watches waterproof to 1,000 meters. The range includes models like the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/squale/1521"> Squale 1521</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/squale/1545"> Squale 1545</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/squale/30_atmos/review/64b8e0e6fdaf39766d9637d5"> Squale 30 Atmos</a>, the Squale Rambo and the Squale Matic.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Squale watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Squale watches change regularly and differ depending on the model. Most cost between 1,000 &euro; and 1,500 &euro; depending on the finishes. Squale prices also fluctuate depending on the distributor, and promotions sometimes allow you to benefit from a more competitive price. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Squale.
<h2 dir="ltr">Squale: Innovation at the service of diving watches</h2>
Since 1982, the brand Squale is owned by the Maggi family (long-time Italian distributor) and produces several thousand watches per year, all models combined. To choose a Squale that best suits you, The Dialicious owners&rsquo; reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience. Note that Squale is one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://preprod.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands">Most popular Swiss watch brands</a> according to authentic owners who have testified on Dialicious
(Updated May 2024)

It was supposed to be my 40th birthday present. I bought it because I wanted a watch that ticked several boxes. First, I wanted a historic micro brand. Then I wanted something that stood out from current watches that more or less followed a trend. And finally, a ceramic bezel to complete the bling-bling look but not too much.
I had been watching the Squale brand for some time and I find their history really interesting for the innovations that the Von Bühren were able to develop for other brands and then their own. And the brand's legacy to loyal and respected resellers by the founders was important to me.
And so I see this 1545 which remains the most affordable option I think at Squale. I had an immediate crush when I saw the white and gold so harmonious.
I waited a little before receiving it and what a crazy effect it had on me when I saw it in real life. The 39 mm diameter is perfect especially with a rather massive but so qualitative bracelet. I can't find any fault with it and so many details that are perfect! The railroad indexes at 3 6 9 and 12 o'clock are a little wider and orange, magnificent. The baton indexes of 6 9 and 12 and the other round ones circled with gold PVD are very shiny at night and the brushed real also supports its technical side because it is waterproof to 300 meters! The small red seal at the base of the signed crown recalls the historical side of the brand. Oh yes, the only small fault that I would find is that the date window could have been circled in gold too ^^

La Bling-bling technique

Little known although endowed with a very rich history and a glorious past, Squale Italian brand passed to Swiss Made delivers here a very beautiful diver in 40 MM, waterproof to 30 ATM, Swiss calibrated (Sellita) and all for less than 800 euros. The date is well integrated, a good big crown, a little red to brighten it all up: shall I give it to you?

Swimming with a shark (or having an aperitif)

La marque Ollech &amp; Wajs a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 1956 par Joseph Ollech et Albert Wajs &agrave; Zurich en Suisse. Albert &eacute;tait charg&eacute; de la conception, de l&rsquo;ing&eacute;nierie et de la fabrication des montres, tandis que Joseph s&rsquo;occupait du marketing et de la vente au d&eacute;tail. Avant de cr&eacute;er leur propre montres sous la marque Ollech &amp; Wajs, ils ont commenc&eacute; leur activit&eacute; en 1954 en fabriquant des bracelets en acier pour d&rsquo;autres marques.
La marque est connue pour avoir distribu&eacute; des montres &agrave; des unit&eacute;s de l&rsquo;arm&eacute;e am&eacute;ricaine pendant la guerre du Vietnam et pour avoir gagn&eacute; sa renomm&eacute;e aupr&egrave;s des plongeurs et pilotes du monde entier.
Apr&egrave;s 12 ans de n&eacute;gociation et apr&egrave;s avoir &eacute;t&eacute; son distributeur pour le march&eacute; fran&ccedil;ais, en 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, un passionn&eacute; d&rsquo;horlogerie, rach&egrave;te la marque. La gamme actuelle comprend des mod&egrave;les comme la Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 et la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph">Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> et la Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2>Combien co&ucirc;te une montre Ollech &amp; Wajs ?</h2>
Les prix des montres Ollech &amp; Wajs &eacute;voluent et diff&egrave;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre CHF 1,500 et CHF 2,000 selon les mod&egrave;les et les finitions. Comptez CHF 1,456 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI et pr&egrave;s de CHF 2,300 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronographe. Le march&eacute; de l'occasion est &eacute;galement une opportunit&eacute; &agrave; regarder pour acheter une Ollech &amp; Wajs moins ch&egrave;re. Les mod&egrave;les Vintage notamment les Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron et&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, sont tr&egrave;s pris&eacute;es des collectionneurs et ils convient de bien se renseigner sur le vendeur avant de franchir le pas de l'acquisition d'une vintage.
Ollech &amp; Wajs est une marque de montres ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines de montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une Ollech &amp; Wajs qui vous correspond le mieux,&nbsp;les avis clients Dialicious sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.
Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_suisses">Classement des meilleures marques de montres suisses</a> dont Ollech &amp; Wajs fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Octobre 2024)

The brand Ollech &amp; Wajs was created in 1956 by Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs in Zurich, Switzerland. Albert was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the watches, while Joseph handled marketing and retail sales. Before creating their own watches under the brand Ollech &amp; Wajs, they started their business in 1954 making steel bracelets for other brands.
The brand is known for distributing watches to units of the American army during the Vietnam War and for having earned its reputation among divers and pilots around the world.
After 12 years of negotiations and after having been its distributor for the French market, in 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, a watchmaking enthusiast, bought the brand. The current range includes models like the Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> and the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Ollech &amp; Wajs watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Ollech &amp; Wajs watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 depending on the models and finishes. Expect to pay CHF 1,456 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI and close to CHF 2,300 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronograph. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Ollech &amp; Wajs. Vintage models including the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, are very popular with collectors and they should find out about the seller before taking the step of purchasing a vintage one.
Ollech &amp; Wajs is an independent watch brand and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an Ollech &amp; Wajs that best suits you, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
Consult the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands">Ranking of the best Swiss watch brands</a> of which Ollech &amp; Wajs is part.
(Updated October 2024)

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Squale 1545 Owner Review : Completed, indispensable and historical

A magnificent new vintage worthy of the 5517

Where to buy your Squale?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by sympaJLC

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TudorSubmariner

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Customize your Squale with our selection of accessories:

ABP Concept

Longines
Conquest

Tudor
Submariner

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