Squale has never been shy about leaning into its diving heritage, and its latest release doubles down on that identity in a big way. The new Squale Galeazzi Artiglio is a collaboration with Drass Galeazzi, the Italian underwater-technology manufacturer that traces its lineage back to one of the most important names in the history of deep-sea engineering: Roberto Galeazzi. The watch marks the 100th anniversary of Galeazzi’s 1926 patent, and it’s a genuinely interesting story for anyone who cares about the technical roots behind modern dive watches, not just the marketing behind them.
Who Was Roberto Galeazzi, and Why Does It Matter?
If you’re not deep into the history of underwater exploration, Roberto Galeazzi’s name might not ring a bell, but his engineering work quietly shaped the tools that made deep-water salvage and exploration possible in the early 20th century. His 1926 patent introduced what’s described as a “spherical-zone structure,” a design principle that helped diving bells, observation chambers, and other underwater equipment better withstand the crushing pressures found at depth. Spherical and part-spherical forms distribute external pressure more evenly than flat or cylindrical shapes, which is precisely why you still see that geometry in submersibles and pressure vessels today. Galeazzi’s work became foundational for the company that still bears his name, Drass Galeazzi, which continues to build hyperbaric and underwater technology for commercial and military applications.
For Squale, a brand that has spent decades building its reputation on genuine dive-watch credentials rather than just dive-watch aesthetics, partnering with Drass Galeazzi for this centenary is a smart move. It’s not a licensing deal built around a logo, it’s a nod to actual engineering history that happens to align neatly with what a dive watch is supposed to do: protect something valuable from pressure.
What We Know About the Galeazzi Artiglio So Far
Squale and Fratello Watches, which first covered the release, describe the Galeazzi Artiglio as a vintage-inspired dive watch rated to 600 meters. That depth rating alone puts it well beyond what most divers will ever need, but it’s consistent with Squale’s long-standing habit of over-engineering its dive watches relative to their price point. The name “Artiglio” itself is a deep cut for Squale history buffs. Artiglio was the name of a famous Italian salvage vessel from the same era as Galeazzi’s patent, one that was involved in some of the era’s most daring deep-sea recovery operations. Tying the watch’s name to both the ship and the patent gives this release a layered sense of history rather than a single reference point.
Movement and watch specs:
Here’s what’s been confirmed at the time of writing:
Movement
- Movement type (e.g Automatic) Automatic
- Power Reserve 42 H
- Control grade Elabore
- Movement ETA 2824-2 No Date
- Frequence 28,800 A/h (4 Hz)
- Jewels 25
Specs
- Lugs Depth 19 mm
- Lugs Width 47 mm
- Width 12,6 mm / 13,2 mm including sapphire crystal
- Caseback Finish Brushed, Polished Bevels
- Case Material 316 L Steel
- Water Resistant 60 ATM
- Case Back Type Screw-In-Caseback with Engraved Galeazzi Logo
- Crown Type Screw-In-Crown
- Diameter 39,5 mm
- Insert Flat Pantone 295U blue K1 glass insert
- Bezel Monodirectional
- Strap Material Microfiber + Rubber
- Colore/Finitura Sand (microfiber) + Pantone 295U blue Mosaic texture (rubber)
- Glass Sapphire Crystal, Flat, Anti-Reflective
- Luminous SuperLuminova BGW9
- Indexes Applied Domed
- Color Blue
Edition status: Limited edition, produced in partnership with Drass Galeazzi
Price: € 1890 (check the product page for taxes)
Why This Kind of Release Resonates With Microbrand Fans
What makes the Galeazzi Artiglio interesting isn’t just the depth rating or the vintage styling, plenty of brands can check those boxes. It’s the fact that Squale chose to build a story around an actual engineering patent rather than an invented “heritage” narrative. Microbrand and independent watchmaking fans tend to have a good radar for the difference between substantive history and marketing dressed up as history, and this release leans toward the former. Drass Galeazzi is a real, operating underwater-technology company, not a defunct name resurrected for a co-branding opportunity, and that lends the collaboration a credibility that’s harder to manufacture than a limited-edition dial color.
It also fits neatly into Squale’s broader identity. This is a brand that has built its following on offering serious dive-watch specs without a serious dive-watch price tag, and partnerships like this one reinforce that positioning. For a brand competing in a crowded field of homage-heavy dive watches, having a genuine technical and historical hook to hang a release on is a meaningful point of differentiation.
Availability and What to Expect Next
As of this announcement, Squale has released full pricing and availability details for the Galeazzi Artiglio on the Squale official website. If Squale’s past limited releases are any indication, this one will likely be sold only through the brand’s official channels and select authorized retailers, with allocation moving quickly given the historical hook and the brand’s loyal following.
Given the brand’s reputation for solid value, we don’t expect this one to carry an outrageous premium just because of the Drass Galeazzi tie-in, but a centenary collaboration piece with a real historical narrative behind it is exactly the kind of release that tends to sell out its run.
Squale has quietly built one of the more credible resumes in the affordable dive-watch space, and the Galeazzi Artiglio looks like another entry that backs up the brand’s reputation rather than just trading on it. We’ll be watching closely for the full spec sheet and pricing, and we’d recommend you do the same if deep-sea history and serious water resistance are your thing.
What do you think about the new Squale Galeazzi Artiglio watch model?
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