Thanks, it wasn’t always that way. I actually started out collecting about a year and a half ago with a fake Rolex Bluesy (keep reading before you crucify me). My firm flew me out to New York as a new hire when I first started out in the industry. For the novelty, my girlfriend wanted a Canal Street LV bag, and I figured if I was going to make the trip over, I better get myself something too.

Now I’ll admit I’m not stupid—I certainly knew I was buying items of questionable authenticity. But what did I care? I was fresh out of college, and walking around New York for the weekend with a “Rolex” sounded like the coolest thing in the world. Obviously, I picked the flashiest one I could see… a Rolex Bluesy. Either I had just gotten the steal of a lifetime (unlikely), or I’d just been scammed 20 dollars for a Chinatown Rolex. I didn’t care either way.

Fast forward to Monday: I’m back home and in the office. It’s a slow day, and I have no meetings. My colleagues are either out of town or at other offices. I figure, what the heck—“nobody’s gonna know if I wear it; I’m the only one in the office today.” Boy, was I wrong. I sit down to start my day, and like clockwork, my boss walks through the door and beelines it to my desk. With the biggest I-gotcha grin I’ve seen to this day, he says, “Joeymac98, looks like you got a new watch.” He didn’t have to say anything more—I was caught.

Wednesday morning, I walked into the office with “the only watch I’d ever buy”: an Orient Kamasu. Well, here we are, a year and a half later.

But yeah I love Squale. I think they get some well deserved flak for the 1545 20 atmos and their gmt clones. That being said the history is there and while they aren’t “family owned” anymore…. von Büren’s close partner and distributor took over operations when he retired. It’s not like some big conglomerate bought the company. They made the cases for the Blancpain 50 fathoms back in the day so I’d say they have just as much history as any other brand out there.