A stainless steel twenty four hour dial Glycine Airman on the original elasticated 'stretch' band. An exceptional example of one of the most popular pilots watches made during the mid-twentieth Century. The Airman has a couple of very noticeable design attributes that differentiate this watch from others; the black 24 hour dial, and the patented movable second time zone bezel, with locking crown at the four o'clock position.
This very unique watch was introduced in 1953, and was very special in what it was able to offer. Along with the 24 hour dial, second time zone function (which being fixed to prevent accidental slipping was unique) it also had a hacking mechanism, delivered via a tiny pin which rises from the dial between the 2 and 4 of the 24, catching the seconds hand at twelve o'clock allowing for near perfect time setting. To observe this function with a loop is a thing of wonder!
The Airman was designed after a Glycine executive discussed with a pilot what would be required for the ultimate watch for flying. The result was the Airman with its 24-hour bezel that would grant pilots ability to track local time as well as a GMT reference, as Greenwich Meridian Time is the standard used by aircraft traffic control around the world. The Glycine Airman became an immediate favorite among U.S. military personnel for its two-time-zone functionality, and it's particularly associated with helicopter pilots during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It was offered at a discount in adverts for the watch to AOPA members, and soon become an essential tool for any serious pilot.
This absolutely mint example also features the original stretch bracelet that could also be purchased with the watch, as seen in the original manuals and adverts for the watch. This is an earlier screw back case example, with very earl 601XXX serial number clearly engraved into the case back. This makes the watch from 1964 just after the merge with Montres Altus SA, pre the EPSA transition which came in around 1964, and therefore does not have the crossed hatch crown or compression case, trademarks of EPSA cased watches. The beautiful matte dial has the logo-free dial and the more serif font on the pre-1967 addition of the Glycine crown logo, and change of font. The watch has the original untouched crystal with magnification under the crystal magnifying the earlier red date font on the wheel.
The movement inside is the A Schilds 1700/01, twenty five jewel automatic variant. This is not the lesser seventeen jewel example made for importation into the American market due to tariffs. It runs perfectly, along with the much broken, and hard to replace hacking mechanism.
The only criticism that can be leveled at this essentially "New Old Stock" time capsule example is that, at some point, it has been re-lumed. This watch along with a Glycine SST, and a Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute, all came from a pilot who wore them for flying, so he had this re-lumed as it no longer would function in low light while he flew. A cleaner more perfect dial, case and bezel from 1964 will be hard to find.
