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The Glycine Airman model 1* was born in 1953 to become one of the two most famous 24 hour watches and after 50 years it is more alive then ever!
Glycine launched 10 new models in the last 8 years.
What is the secret of it's success? Is it the beautiful but effective design or is it because it was embraced by the US army pilot's during the Vietnam war? It surely helps that Glycine Airman was big in the USA for a long period of time. Word has it that the Airman SST model 2 has a representation of the proposed US Supersonic Transporter engraved on it's back.
It is the Glycine Sales & Service Center in the USA that kept the Airman alive during the period 1988-1990. During this period Glycine had no Airman in his own collection. The Airman GMT-2000 was designed and produced by Werner Siegrist.
Beside the launch of Airman Quartz 4 nothing happened during the period 1990-1998.
During the ninety's the mechanical watch tide turned for the better. Glycine saw this opportunity and in 1998 re-launched the Airman by producing Airman model 5 to be followed by 9 more models.
The renewed interest was also noticed in the far east and we see a new model hit the market. It's a near replica of the model 1, the so called Fake Airman. A perfect look-alike that sells as good as his vintage brother. Mainly on tourist markets in the far east and unaware internet buyers. And so the monkey grasps his own tail and the circle is round.
Very special thanks to Werner Siegrist from Falcon watch.
More about my personal "dealings" with the Airman at this link.
If you have any questions or like to discuss Glycine watches please visit
the WUS Glycine forum.