What We Fancy

The first Glycine Airman was introduced in 1953, built out of professional demand and one can see that it has some very utilitarian features such as the lock bezel & hacking wire function. The Airman was built to be used as a tool and that it was. This purpose-built tool watch was a favorite among US military pilots. It was rugged, reliable, highly legible, and came with everything they needed. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this Airman model and the quirky hacking feature let me explain. If you take a look at the close-up macro photo we provided you will see a very small hole in the dial at 24. When you pull out the crown, a small (very very small) wire rises through and will hold the second’s hand in place until the crown is pushed back in. Utilitarian indeed.

Brand: Glycine

Model: Airman GMT Pilot Watch Pat. 314050

Case: 36.5mm wide (excluding crown), 46mm tall, 10.5mm thick, all stainless steel, snap-on case back, original unsigned crown & cross hatch crown, original domed cyclops crystal, outer rotating bezel

Movement: AS caliber 1700/1, automatic, functioning unique wire hacking feature, recently fully serviced

Bracelet/ Strap: Highland Green Suede (MSRP: $75), 20mm lug width

Features: Matte black dial, lollipop seconds hand, wire hacking feature at 12, date window, original crystal, original crown/ crosshatched crown, outer bi-directional bezel, original luminous hands rotate once every 24 hours to distinguish AM and PM, tritium lume, circa the 1960s

Box & Papers: No

Condition: In overall excellent all original condition. The dial is fantastic with no major blemishes or signs of patina. The case is very good having no major scratches or dents. There is some moderate scratches on the left side of the case from general use. Superficial scratches throughout that are small. Tritium lume is all original. The wire hacking mechanism at 12 functions properly. The movement has been recently serviced and keeps excellent time when tested.

Backed by our one-year repair warranty