Squale 2001 Marina Militare Dive Watch
In 1972, Jacques-Yves Cousteau gave a Squale 2001 to the first officer of the Calypso during an Antarctic expedition, engraved with his initials. The Italian Navy later commissioned the watch for its elite diving unit, the Gruppo Operativo Subacquei, in La Spezia. Those original military-issued watches were destroyed per naval protocol when they left service, though one survives in the G.O.S. Museum. Now, for the first time, the same model built for military personnel is available to the public. The case was upsized at the Navy's request to 41.5mm with a 47.2mm lug-to-lug in 316L stainless steel; the sunray blue dial and bezel were color-matched to Italian Navy dress uniforms. True to the original, the 4 o'clock crown has been a signature of the 2001 since the 1960s. Inside: Sellita SW200-1 automatic with 38-hour power reserve, Super-LumiNova C3 indexes, orange minute hand, and 600 meters of water resistance. Per Squale's agreement with the Italian Navy, this case geometry and colorway will never be reproduced. Ships with a rubber strap and stainless bracelet. Only 500 available.
