Squale
Squale 1521 44 mm Black 18k
Photography on request
Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Squale · 1521
Squale 1521 44 mm Black 18k
Reference 14184OR.91
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Squale
- Collection
- 1521
- Model
- Squale 1521 44 mm Black 18k
- Reference number
- 14184OR.91
- Year / era
- 1955 · 1950s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Flyback chronograph
- Movement
- Automatic COSC chronometer
- Case material
- 18k rose gold
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Limited-edition status
- Limited edition of 500 pieces
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 44 mm
- Case thickness
- 10.2 mm
- Case material
- 18k rose gold
- Bezel
- Baguette diamond rainbow
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 50E — Automatic COSC chronometer
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Flyback chronograph
- Functions
- Dive time, running seconds
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1955 – 1958
- Limited-edition quantity
- 500 pieces
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
In-house design studio
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Squale 1521 44 mm Black 18k sits within Squale's 1521 line, introduced in 1955. It carries the house codes established since 1946 — 18k rose gold case, black lacquer dial and automatic cosc chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
The House
Squale
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1946
- Founder
- Charles von Büren
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Affordable & Tool Watches
- Major collections
- 1521, Super-Squale, Matic, Sub-39, 2002
- Signature technologies
- Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Composite and ceramic case materials
- Famous movements
- Quartz · Automatic COSC chronometer · Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Notable watches
- Squale 1521 43 mm Slate Platinum (1954) · Squale 1521 44 mm Black 18k (1955) · Squale 1521 41 mm Black 18k (1984) · Squale 1521 36 mm Black Platinum (1966)
Brand history
Squale has spent more than 80 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's 1521, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Charles von Büren established Squale in 1946, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Squale calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1946
Charles von Büren founds Squale in Switzerland.
1969
The quartz era forces Squale to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Squale enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Squale continues to produce 1521, Super-Squale, Matic and other icons in limited numbers.