March 9th, 2025
Welcome to Squale Sunday! Allow me to introduce you to this Gnomon Watches exclusive Squale, the 1521 Sole Cascante! It’s been a very long time since I have owned a Squale. I decided to give the brand another try and step a bit outside my comfort zone. While owning a skin diver isn’t outside of my comfort zone, a watch with this dial & polished details is what’s a bit outside of my comfort zone. I am typically not a sunburst dial fan but this dial has a special meaning for me. I have been obsessed with the sea since I was a small child. There has always been a magic to the sea, and that magic has been calling out to me for decades. The dial on this watch was inspired by the magical interplay of sunlight cascading through the depths of the sea. There is something so beautiful and so magical of how the refraction of light rays as the penetrate the depths of the sea. Appropriately named “Sole Cascante,” or “cascading sun,” this dial captures those aesthetics brilliantly & beautifully!
While I’m sure most know Squale, for those rare few that don’t “10 July 1959: Charles Von Büren registers the “Squale” trademark! However, the history of Squale originates even earlier when Charles was a diver diving watch manufacturer for other Swiss brands.” This watch has that classic yet distinctive “Von Büren” case with its signature and unique L-shaped lugs. Though this watch is only 41mm, it has incredible wrist presence. The matte finish on the case is beautiful, the polished bits I could have done without.
Specifications:
Movement
Sellita SW 200-1
Dial
Cobalt blue. Cascading sunburst.
Luminous
SuperLuminova C3
Case
316L Stainless Steel. Multi-polishing. 120 clicks bezel.
Bezel
Monodirectional, SuperLuminova markings
Crown type
Screwdown crown at 4 O’clock
Lug width
20mm
Crystal material
Flat sapphire crystal, Anti-Reflective
Strap
Choice of variant rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet
Water resistance
500m
Dimensions
41mm in diameter, 48mm lug to lug, 12.5mm thick. 42mm bezel diameter.
https://www.gnomonwatches.com/products/1521-sole-cascante-gnomon-exclusive
March 16th, 2025
Squale I wanted to highlight the awesome dial because not only did they manage to capture the light cascading through the sea effect but they also managed to capture how the sea changes color between green and blue! It’s quite amazing how they designed this dial. As much as I love a good matte black dial, dials like this are even more impressive works of horological art. This dial is not only beautiful to look at but it’s also legible…in light and dark. The applied indices are SuperLuminova-filled so you have some optimal legibility in the dark too. The hands and the bezel insert also received that same lume treatment. If you are a lume junkie, this watch will not disappoint you whatsoever!
The hands are proportional to the dial. Just right in fact. The shape, length and width are ideal. The orange minute hand is a detail that I really appreciate. It not only looks amazing from an aesthetic perspective but also from a functional perspective in terms of added legibility. It’s a dial that has quick glance legibility which is something that I find important and often necessary at work. When my hands are occupied there’s no holding a phone for timing; therefore, quick glance referencing is something that I rely on.
I have always been a fan of the Squale shark logo. The VON logo is also something that I like both in its design and what it means. A nice nod to Squale’s founder Charles Von Büren. Like I always say, I don’t place importance on brand history, it’s the people behind the brand that I find facilitating. Charles Von Büren was way ahead of his time way back in 1959.
March 23rd, 2025
Squale Sunday! The 1521 case on this watch is not only iconic but it is also a work of art. There are so many little design details that can be overlooked but they all have a fluidity to them because they all complement each other brilliantly. Even the polished sections have that fluidity to them, though I personally prefer that there weren’t any polished details whatsoever. Fun fact: Squale wasn’t just creating cases for themselves, in fact Squale was creating tropical dive watch cases for renowned brands such as Aquastar, Doxa, and Blancpain.
The case on this Squale is a nice example of how a classic design can be fused both aesthetically and functionally. The signed screw down crown and the bezel with its SuperLuminova-filled markers are two details that highlight this. The bezel has a nice smooth and fluid unidirectional rotation. The crown and the bezel are easily gripped and operated. I have owned watches in all shapes and sizes and my current collection ranges from 36mm to 50+mm. I have owned watches on the smaller side of the spectrum and the crown is usually small, too small to operate easily. It’s refreshing to see this watch that is on the smaller side but the crown is designed to be gripped and operated without difficulty.
I love the brushed finish on the case. It’s so uniform. The polished bits accentuate the brushed finish. The contrast appeals to a lot of people. I can’t recommend aesthetic changes to meet only my preferences/comfort zone. Yeah in a perfect world, I’d be a selfish prick that would suggest watches only be styled and engineered to my specifications but that “perfect world” is not realistic. It’s rad to have variety.
March 30th, 2025
A moody morning in the moss patch forest. The magical dial of the Squale 1521 Sole Cascante which is a Gnomen Watches exclusive. The stainless steel case is home to the reliable workhorse Sellita SW 200-1 movement. While the dial may be an aesthetically pleasing masterpiece, the 200-1 keeps you perfectly oriented to the time, as with this one running at +/- 10 seconds per day!
The watch wears with wrist hugging comfort. For those who prefer small watches, this one is a great option to consider. It measures 41mm in diameter, 48mm lug to lug, 12.5mm thick and with a 42mm bezel diameter. My suggestion for anything size related on this piece would be a larger crown or change the design a bit so that there would be more ease with operating the crown. It’s not a dealbreaker, it’s just a suggestion to improve the experience of the watch. Of course I’ll always recommend drilled lugs with screw lug bars. That’s a given for me due to the increased strength and reliability of the watch and the strap.
Who would I recommend this watch to? I would recommend this watch to any dive watch enthusiasts who are obsessed with the beauty of the sea because of the design/execution of this dial mimicking the sunlight as it dances it’s way through the pulsating depths of the sea water. I would also recommend this watch to those who appreciate brand history. Squale started making dive watches in the late 1950’s. They also were making cases for Doxa, Blancpain, etc….so if that’s something that you find interesting, a Squale is a cool option to own a piece of dive watch history!
April 6th, 2025
I am a matte black dial guy through and through but I have to say that this is one of the most mesmerizing dials I have experienced over the past 3 decades as a watch nerd. The Squale design team absolutely nailed this dial perfectly. It is so incredibly well done and compliments the versatile 1521 case. It’s a beautiful beater of a watch. Wears with pure comfort and takes every day abuse without any issues.
I love the wrist presence this one has. It’s comfortable like all my other watches and once it’s on my wrist I don’t have to worry about it until I need to reference it for the time or to time something. Like I mentioned before, the dial is legible in both day and night. One of my favorite details on this watch is the lume on the bezel. The lume is fantastic on this entire piece.
This watch is a nice little package. Another great option for a grab and go beater. Those of you who appreciate brand history to go along with the watch on your wrist, then Squale is an even better option for you. This watch will cost you $ 1240 USD and it’s available from Gnomon Watches as it’s an exclusive to their site.
April 13th, 2025
Squale Sunday is upon us! You get a hell of a lot of watch here for your money especially if you take the whole picture into account. It’s a very limited release with a one of a kind dial combined with the iconic 1521 case. For those of you who appreciate the history of a company, especially dive watches, Squale has been at the watch game since the 1950’s.
Like I mentioned before, an oversized crown and drilled lugs would have taken this watch to the next level of purpose driven design. I still would have no problem recommending this watch or any Squale for that matter. They are well made watches. There isn’t a quality issue whatsoever on this watch. It’s funny to me that Squale can deliver a quality watch better than Rolex. A real head-scratcher.
Even the lume on this watch is quality. Glows bright like a torch. I like the vibe of this watch. The cascading light through the pulsating sea water, truly resonates with me. As an avid lover of the sea, this dial speaks to me on a multitude of levels. As much as I love matte black dials, this dial makes me forget about that love. That definitely speaks volumes. I love how this dial plays with light and how the color of this dial changes just like the color of the sea changes. Some days the water looks blue, other days it looks more green. Squale perfectly captured the magic of that right here on this dial. That alone in my opinion makes this a special watch.
Thank you Squale, Gnomon and everyone who has read this review!
