1960s Glycine Airman Automatic

Glycine was founded in 1914 and was originally known for making movements for women's watches and later for making chronometer-rated wristwatches, but not until the early 50s would Glycine finds its place in horological history with the Airman wristwatch.

The Glycine Airman was a watch produced out of necessity for the encroaching "Jet Age" of the 1950s. The Airman was designed around the requests from international pilots themselves, a watch that was automatic with a 24-hour dial and date function with centralized hands and a rotating 24-hour bezel. Essentially this watch is a GMT allowing for the tracking of two different timezones, but the rotating bezel on the Airman could be locked into place using the break that is operated by the secondary crown at the 4 o'clock position on the case. This allowed the pilots to accurately calculate unique time zones that are in-between hourly intervals. The Glycine Airman also features a unique hacking system for the sweep-seconds hand to synchronize timing to the exact second. This is executed through a small wire that comes out of a small hole in the dial between the 2 and 4 of the 24-hour marker that is essentially invisible to the naked eye and is controlled by a lever system that is operated through the crown.

The rudimentary hacking system and bezel locking mechanism just work perfectly, without being overly complicated. The hour hand being broad arrow and the minute and being syringe style is both very stylish and functional as it makes telling the time effortlessly. Everything about the Glycine Airman is charming, which is what makes it such a cult classic among collectors.