Hands-On With The New Squale 1521 Marina Militare Limited Edition
Squale is a brand that holds a warm spot in my heart. I sold Squale watches when I worked at Amsterdam Watch Company. I was involved in the marketing of a limited edition back then, and I have gotten to know the team. It is one of those sympathetic smaller companies that rely on personal relationships, which I love. I have owned several Squale watches as well, so whenever a new version of the bestselling 1521 comes out, it gets my attention.
Now, this is not just any new Squale 1521. This is a limited edition and a cooperation with the Italian Navy, the Marina Militare. Squale will produce two batches of 250 watches each. There’s plenty to unpack, so let’s dive in.
Squale and the Marina Militare
The relationship between Squale and the Italian Navy goes back to the 1980s. Squale was asked to supply dive watches for the La Spezia Scuba Diving Group. Several different versions exist, but they were all housed in the recognizable case shape that Blancpain used for certain issued Fifty Fathoms models too. This is the case shape Squale still uses for the 1521 50 Atmos today.
Some versions include the Marina Militare logo at 12 and the Squale logo at 6 o’clock. This is the traditional layout, referring to Squale as a case maker. Others feature the later two logos, with “Marina Militare” text added to the one at 12 o’clock. You will find versions with aluminum bezel inserts as well as Bakelite versions. Unfortunately, few have survived as the standard procedure was to issue, use, return, and destroy the watches.
Squale and the Italian Navy revived their old collaboration in 2022 with a Squale Master × Marina Militare. Then, in 2023, a second model made especially for the Palombari Comsubin special forces followed. This, too, was a Squale Master model, this time in Grade 5 titanium.
The new Squale 1521 Marina Militare
While the Squale Master looks quite similar to the 1521, the difference in water resistance is substantial. The Master is rated for 1,200 meters, while the 1521 is approved for 500 meters. That is overkill on both, but the difference is evident in the case thickness. The Master, at almost 17mm thick, is nearly half a centimeter chunkier than the 12.5mm profile of the 1521. This makes the latter the more wearable watch, which is why I love to see it as the base for this new collaboration.
Refinement is the theme all around here. Squale opted to use the more recent brushed and polished case, a refinement over the old fully polished style. An orange Marina Militare logo replaces the usual shark logo at 6 o’clock and serves as the accent color for the watch. The minute hand is inversed from a signal-orange hand with white lume to a white hand with a pumpkin-orange lume. The same color is on the two-tone-lumed bezel’s first 15 minute markings. Lastly, the minute track is also partly orange.
The all-steel case back features the Marina Militare crest. Lastly, the watch comes with two straps. One is a patterned black rubber strap, while the other is woven microfiber with orange stitching. All of this comes in a hard plastic case reminiscent of Peli cases.
Squale 1521 Marina Militare specs
When it comes down to it, this is a traditional Squale 1521. That means you get a 42 × 48 × 12.5mm stainless steel case with a 20mm lug spacing. Up top, you will find a flat AR-coated sapphire crystal. The characteristic screw-down crown at 4 o’clock sits deep in the arching case flank for optimal protection. As mentioned earlier, the entire package guarantees water resistance to 500 meters.
Inside is an Elaboré-grade Sellita SW200-1 caliber ticking at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 38-hour power reserve. This may feel a bit old school in a market dominated by 50–70-hour power reserves, but let’s not forget these simpler Sellitas are extremely reliable and easy to service, which is a big plus in my book. It is all the caliber you could need in a hardcore diver like this.
The dial is sunburst black with applied indices. Again, this is the more refined style within Squale’s offerings. Regular 1521s come with painted indices on matte or sunburst dials. The lume is Super-LumiNova C3 except for the minute hand, which glows orange. The markings on the aluminum bezel insert are fully luminous too, featuring an orange-glowing compound in the first quarter.
Wearing the Squale 1521 Marina Militare
As mentioned, I have owned several Squales, including a 1521. The wearing experience, then, is quite familiar to me. The 1521 case is big and bulky but in a good way. It hugs my 17.5cm wrist neatly and provides plenty of presence. I adore this case shape, which doesn’t look like anything else. It has the rough outline of an old skin diver but presents it completely differently. There is no mistaking this for another watch. If I must criticize one thing about the Squale 1521, it’s that the crown can be hard to operate due to the awkward angle and deep integration in the case flank.
This specific version, interestingly, does not feel like a military execution at all. The pumpkin-orange accent color has a distinct ’70s vibe that suits the watch. In a world of hardcore blacked-out military divers, this feels a little more upbeat. That makes sense as this is a celebratory collaboration rather than a military-issued watch. It celebrates the 65th anniversary of Squale and the fact that 2024 is the thematic year in which the Italian Navy celebrates its underwater activities.
On a personal note, I always prefer simpler Squale watches. The one I have now is completely monochromatic, which I love. I can live without orange accents and orange stitching. But this is beside the point. These 500 watches will likely be snapped up by people connected to the Marina Militare or those with a specific love of this watch’s ’70s aesthetic.
Closing thoughts
The Squale 1521 remains a bit of an under-appreciated dive watch in today’s market. It has the distinct design, the quality, the heritage, and the specs. Additionally, Squale has retained fairly accessible pricing across the board, which is increasingly rare.
The new Squale 1521 Marina Militare is a fun, celebratory special edition. Admittedly, I’m looking forward to more tactical-looking military collaborations from Squale. However, if you like a hint of pumpkin orange, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one.
This new Squale 1521 Marina Militare is limited to 500 units and priced at CHF 1,340. Once again, this version comes with a hardshell case and two straps.
What do you think of the new Squale 1521 Marina Militare? Let us know in the comments section below!
