Von Büren asymmetric dive case

Probable

The characteristic von Büren dive case: crown at four o'clock beneath a straight-cut section of the case wall present only on that side, producing a deliberately asymmetric profile. Supplied to several manufacturers as well as used on Squale's own watches, which is why it is recorded here WITHOUT a brand — it belongs to the case maker, not to any one marque.

Part reference

Maker: Von Büren SA (Squale)
Material: Stainless steel
Introduced: 1950

Documented variations

Classification

FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.

Correct machined asymmetry
FactoryProbable
Whole production
The straight-cut flank on the crown side only, with the crown at four and clean transitions to the rest of the case profile. Machined into the case rather than applied, which is what makes it a reliable identifier.
The same case under a different brand's dial
FactoryProbable
Whole production
Normal and period-correct. Von Büren supplied this case to other manufacturers, so encountering it beneath a Blancpain, Doxa or Heuer dial of the period is the expected condition and not evidence of assembly. The question is whether the case, dial, movement and back belong to the same watch — not whether the case design appears elsewhere.
Symmetric case with a crown at four
CounterfeitProbable
Whole production
A copy that reproduces the crown position without the machined flank. The asymmetry is the harder half of the design and is what gets omitted.

Open questions

OpenAttributionHigh

Which brands used which Von Büren case references, and when

Which manufacturers bought Von Büren dive cases, which case references did each use, and over what period?

Scope The highest-value gap here, and its value extends well beyond Squale: a concordance of which case went to which brand in which years would let an examiner confirm that a given case is period-correct for the dial it carries, rather than merely knowing that shared cases exist. It would improve the Blancpain, Doxa and Heuer records as much as this one.

Documented on these references

Squale 1521Factory
Whole production
The same case appears under other brands' dials, legitimately. Case commonality here is not a marriage.
Squale 50 AtmosFactory
Whole production

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Secondary sourceSpecialist publication

Specialist research on Von Büren case supply to Blancpain, Doxa and Heuer

Established horological publications and vintage dealers

Accessed: 2026-08-19

Cited for

This referenceProbable

Primary sourceManufacturer documentation

Squale — collection specifications and company history

Squale

Accessed: 2026-08-19

Cited for

This referenceProbable

View source ↗

Last verified: Not yet reviewed