This Retro Dive Watch Was Literally Pulled from the Archives, Parts and All

Dead stock is a trendy term among vintage sneaker and clothing fans. It offers specs from the good old days without any wear and tear from use.

It is not a term that comes up much in the watch world because long-forgotten unsold merchandise and unused parts are exceedingly rare.

Squale

Which is why, when the folks at Squale came across 300 watch cases and 100 steel bracelets left over from the 1980s, the only logical option was to finish the job that had started over 30 years ago.

The Squale Corallo NOS 2008 is based on the design from the 1980s for which the cases were intended, highlighted by the rounded nub grips on the curved bezel, which are intended to mimic the shape of coral.

Squale

As luck would have it, the 36mm case size has come back into fashion and is currently uncommon among dive watches, adding extra intrigue to this genuine revival.

A relic from the past

Squale was founded in 1959 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. It started out making cases for other watch brands, including Blancpain, TAG Heuer and Doxa, specializing in waterproof designs.

Squale

In 1974, Squale started making whole watches, utilizing its expertise in waterproof cases to specialize in divers. Backed by a strong industry reputation, the brand became one of the premier names sports watches.

As with many smaller, independent brands, Squale was hard hit by the Quartz Crisis and ceased production in 1989. Fortunately, the brand was acquired and relaunched in 2010, staying true to its former reputation for excellence in and out of the water.

Squale

Given that history, it is unsurprising that 300 cases and 100 steel bracelets were left unused and forgotten about in storage since the late 1980s.

Because the original production reference of 2008 was engraved on the cases, the current staff was able to refer to the plans and recreate 300 Corallo dive watches.

Retro perfection

The Corallo is an archival design with bubbly, rounded surfaces and aqua-dynamic curved lines. At 36mm wide and 10.5mm thick, it is petite by contemporary dive watch standards.

Squale

The numb grips on the bezel and large crown guard are distinctive features of watch design from the late 1980s and early 1990s, but blend well with Squale’s sporty mid-century dial design.

Squale created three dial colors and dedicated the entire stock of steel bracelets to the sky blue option, making it the standout piece of this limited-edition collection. It is topped with a two-tone black and light blue bezel with an etched hour track alternating between numerals and dashes.

The other two color options are a black dial with a light blue and black bezel, and a navy blue dial with a solid navy blue bezel. Each dial is finished with radial brushing and topped with applied indices inset with lume.

Squale

All three Corallo colors have the same hands with a steel obelisk hour hand, red obelisk minute hand and steel lollipop second hand, each inset with lume. A dashed seconds track runs along the outside rim of the dial.

The Corallo runs on a respectable ETA caliber 2892-A2 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve, a reliable workhorse that is easy to service.

Squale

At face value, the Corallo is a fun-looking dive watch with a vintage aesthetic and an increasingly sought-after size.

Incorporating dead stock cases and bracelets makes it exceptionally interesting because it includes two things watch fans live for: rarity and a good story.

Availability and pricing

The Squale Corallo NOS 2008 is available for preorder now from Squale for $1,999.00, and it is expected to ship on May 15.

Surprisingly, the rubber strap options cost the same as the steel bracelet.

Squale

Squale Corallo NOS 2008

Specs

Case Size	36mm
Movement	ETA caliber 2892-A2 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $1,999 at Squale

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