The Breitling Watch Blog

Just posted up my video review of my Glycine Airman 6 Crosswise a few days back and wanted to post it up here now. Very cool 4-timezone watch at a glance, features 3 separate Swiss Automatic Movements in one giant 53mm case. Hope you guys enjoy the video!

Video review of my Glycine KMU PVD 48 XL sized Pilot watch from Glycine. Features the venerable ETA Unitas 6497 movement, and a PVD coated black case, which probably could use a thicker coating of PVD but its one of the earlier examples of a PVD watch I’ve own. Still, a very neat watch that would have probably held my attention longer if it wasn’t so big. I am finding more and more that I just can’t pull off watches over 45mm as easily anymore.

Just posted a video review of my Glycine Airman 46. Very cool aviation watch with a 24hr bezel and eta movement and Swiss Made. I really like Glycine watches and figur d a big 46mm Airman really hit the spot.

I must have owned over a dozen Pilot watches over the years, but this Glycine KMU 48 is only the second PVD pilot I’ve had. The first was a affordable Ticino Pilot watch which ultimately did not fit the bill for me. This Glycine comes closer, but in the end, I just don’t wear my pilot watches as much as I like to buy them.

The Glycine KMU 48 is a LARGE imposing, saucer-on-the-wrist kind of watch. The 48mm diameter and healthy lugs made it simply too big for my wrist, which is the real reason that I never really ended up wearing this watch. I picked it up in a multi-watch trade because it looked interesting to me, but ended up having to sell it. I think it would be better on a 7.5″+ wrist, and I generally wear large watches very comfortable like the Breitling for Bentley Motors watches.

The watch has a simplistic appeal to it, like many Glycines do. It is also one of those little know, but well know enough brands that many who do not like mainstream brands often gravitate to. And for those reasons, Glycine has become a popular cult brand for Swiss Watch afficionados. The watch wears quite thin, especially for its radial diameter, and features 24mm lugs, which allows it to wear Panerai straps of which I have many.

The lume is limited and is only present on the little dots around the dial and on the hands. The PVD coating is done pretty well, and the lugs have holes drilled on the outside.

The movement featured in this watch is the ETA Unitas 6497. It only has one decoration, which is a laser etched “GLYCINE” on the bridge, it is so light its hard to see it in the photograph, but appears on the bridge that has the 3 visible jewels. The finish is pretty much basic raw “hammer-peened” bridges. For the price I paid for it, its a pretty cool piece, but I recently let it go to a fellow who appreciated it more than me. Hope you guys enjoyed the write up!

I picked up a Glycine Airman World Timer a while back, and actually put it up for sale. I figured I’d do a quick review of this before sending it off. I’ve always liked the Glycine Airman watches, especially the world timers. The 46mm version here was really interesting to me because it has 24mm lugs, allowing for the use of 44mm Panerai Straps to be swapped in, and the exposed lug holes allow for you to use tubes in the straps as well.

This example has a beautiful blue brushed dial with standard indexes as well as a 24hr chapter ring for the GMT hand and an additional 24hr bezel that can be adjusted to allow for a third timezone. This means that you can see three timezones at a glance, a very nice feature that most GMT watches don’t have. The second crown at 3:30 unlocks the bezel and it spins freely once its been unlocked, rather than having ratcheting.

Movement is a base ETA2892 decorated very sparsely with little more than a Glycine signature, but is nonetheless visible through the exhibition caseback. The watch also has a screwdown crown and features 200m water resistance and sapphire crystal. The casework on the Glycine watches that I have owned are decent, but not up to the standards of watches such as Rolex, Breitling or Omega, as as such I find the case build to be a bit less exciting than the overall style and heritage behind the watch. The Airman is an iconic aviation watch that has been around for a long time and therein lies the charm.

I apologize beforehand for the photos, as they were meant to be for selling the watch, not reviewing it. The Box that accompanies the Glycine is the one that I’ve gotten with most of my Glycine watches, aside from the Limited edition Glycine SST D24. Its a spartan looking thing, with barely enough room for the papers that come with it! At any rate, its not about the box, its about the watch, right? I think Glycine watches are great, and for the second-hand prices they command, they are a great watch. I wouldn’t pay retail, but if you can score one you like used – they’re good for the money!