Squale 2001 Marina Militare: From Military Issue to Public Release

There are limited editions created for collectors, and then there are watches that become collectible because they were created for somewhere else entirely.

The new Squale 2001 Marina Militare belongs firmly in the second category. Developed in collaboration with the Italian Navy, the watch was originally reserved exclusively for military personnel. In 2026, for the first time, that same model is being made available to the public. Not a reinterpretation. Not a civilian-inspired variation. The same project, now released beyond military channels.

A Squale Built for the Italian Navy

The story begins with a practical request.

The Squale 2001 already existed within the brand’s regular collection, but for the Marina Militare project it was modified according to precise requirements from the Italian Navy. The result was a larger case, a more refined finish, and a dial designed for enhanced legibility in a distinctive colourway. These details were not simply aesthetic decisions. They were responses to a brief.

That gives the watch a different character from a standard special edition. The blue dial and bezel are not just attractive choices; they were defined for this specific commission. The case geometry was also developed exclusively for the Marina Militare version, with Squale stating that no other reference exists with this exact configuration outside of this model.

In other words, this is not a regular 2001 with a new dial, it's a specific object made for a specific purpose.

The Details That Make It Matter

At 41.5mm, the 2001 Marina Militare sits in a useful place for a serious dive watch. Large enough to feel purposeful, but not exaggerated for the sake of it. The 316L stainless steel case is polished with brushed sides, giving it a more considered finish while retaining the professional character expected from the 2001 line.

The specifications are appropriately serious: 600 metres of water resistance, a screw-in crown, screw-in caseback, flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, and an automatic Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré Grade movement with date and approximately 38 hours of power reserve.

The dial is where the watch becomes more distinctive. The sunray blue tone was defined according to Italian Navy specifications, while the domed applied indexes and Super-LumiNova C3 support the legibility expected of a professional diving instrument.

The bezel is also more unusual than it first appears. It uses a sapphire insert in the specified Marina Militare colour and a bidirectional system with push-to-release functionality. It is another reminder that the watch was not built around surface-level design cues alone.

Limited, But Not Only Limited

The 2001 Marina Militare is limited to 500 individually numbered pieces, which is important, but it is not the only reason the watch is interesting.

What makes the limitation feel meaningful is the agreement behind it. Squale states that this specific combination of case geometry and colours will not be reproduced or used again for future commercial variants. That is a stronger claim than simply producing a numbered run. It gives the watch a closed chapter quality: this configuration exists here, for this purpose, and then it ends.

The caseback carries the engraved Italian Navy emblem and serial number, and the watch is supplied on a dedicated rubber strap with Marina Militare logo and exclusive colour scheme. The box set also includes an exclusive wooden box, dedicated brochure and an additional stainless-steel bracelet.

That completeness matters. It gives the watch more of an issued-object feel, rather than the impression of a standard reference with a commemorative badge added afterwards.

The 2001 Legacy

The Marina Militare edition also sits within one of Squale’s most important lines.

The 2001 collection traces its origins back to the 1960s, when it became one of the early professional dive watches to feature a crown positioned at 4 o’clock — a detail now strongly associated with Squale. The collection also has deep links to professional diving culture, including the story of Jacques-Yves Cousteau selecting a Squale 2001 as a gift for Michel Laval, first officer of the Calypso, during a historic Antarctic expedition.

That context helps explain why the Marina Militare edition feels convincing. It is not trying to invent a dive-watch heritage from scratch. It is working from a platform with genuine professional history, then adding a modern military commission on top.

Squale itself has long been connected to professional diving. Founded in Neuchâtel in 1959, the brand became known for Swiss-made dive watches and supplied cases to other brands during the 1960s and 1980s. Its watches have also been worn by figures in freediving, including Giuliana “Jolly” Treleani, Jean Tapu, Enzo Maiorca and Jacques Mayol.

That is useful because the 2001 Marina Militare does not need to rely on borrowed nostalgia. The heritage is already there.

A Public Release With A Private Origin

Andrea Maggi, CEO of Squale, describes the release in a way that captures its appeal:

“The 2001 Marina Militare was designed for a single recipient: the Italian Navy. Making it available to the public is not simply a commercial operation, but rather the acknowledgment that certain objects carry a meaning that goes beyond their original destination.”

That is the right way to understand this watch.

It is not interesting because it is loud. It is not interesting because it tries to reinvent the dive watch. It is interesting because its details have a reason behind them: the case, the dial, the bezel, the numbering, the engraved caseback, the military connection.

There is a coherence here that many limited editions do not have.

Final Thoughts

The Squale 2001 Marina Militare is a rare kind of release: a watch that moves from a military-only context into public availability without losing the substance of the original brief.

The specifications are strong, but they are not the whole story. The appeal lies in the fact that the watch was developed for the Italian Navy first, and collectors second. Its limited production, unique case geometry, 600m water resistance and Marina Militare detailing all support that central point.

A professional Squale with a specific origin, now available to own for the first time.