The renewed interest for the Glycine Old Airman is 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.

If you decide to buy an Old Airman on Internet please read through this page and take note of the fact that they fake them better every day! Also take note that some sellers are unaware of the fact that they offer a Fake Old Airman.

the word special on the FAKE is
located under the word automatic
Normaly it's under Glycine Airman.
Special can be in Italic style but it's also in normal type
When in normal type style the word special is always a bit smaller then the word Glycine.



small pic shows where it is located on the original.

The minutehand is much thinner!

the hourhand point on the real
Airman doesn't touch the
minutemarkers. On the fake it
almost touch the numbers!

The under plate of second crown at the real Airman
goes all the way to the back. Not so on the Fake!
Also note the small cylinder beside second crown.

NOTE the glycine logo is never completely white.
The word special is never written in the same letter size as glycine airman. If in capitals it is always a size smaller then the word Glycine.

on the left a better view on the smallcylinder beside the second crown.
It's the most distinctive difference on most of the early fales.

this looks just great even with the hedged crown (not present on all the airmans).

Again the small cylinder (left under the second crown and the rude flat, to long hands.

Don't be fooled by the Glycine Watch co Airman inprint!
The watch is build around leftover "NOS" movements!

Before I mentioned the small cylinder at the second crown as most distinctive difference.

Still true but they made a new model that looks good enough but still isn't..

TO BE SURE GO FOR THE HANDS, TO BIG TO LONG, TO RUDE COMPARED WITH THIS

The fakes are getting better and better!
I think the crowns and case look very nice on first site.
Especially the second crown looks much better.
But why can't they do the hands right?
Again the hands are far to long and where are the small needle points on top of both hands?
Also why go through all this trouble to fake a pefect airman and use the wrong type of numbers?

This is a correct 4!

6 or 9
This time the 6 is upside down:-)

Résumé

1. 9 not close is proper but the "back"rounding isn't right should be more straight.
2. there is no 6 near the data and there always is a 6 or part of the 6 (not so on the rare first white model)
3. the glycine logo is never completely white.
4. the hands are FAR to big.
5. the second crown is left out.
6. The word special is never written in the same letter size as glycine airman. If in capitals it is always a size smaller then the word Glycine.
7. the 8 should have an overall smaller top circle and a bigger body circle.
8. the 6 should have a more straight back.
9. the 5 should have a more straight back.
10.the uneven hourmarkers on the bezel are far to narrow.
11.(where i live this is the jester's number) the 7 on this black special model always has a hook.

NEW FAKE GLYCINE AIRMAN 7 12-20-2004

Well they also do model 7!
The pictures are a bit misty so I can't tell for sure but:
1: the 4 doesn't look like a glycine 4
(the 4 on the date looks better)
2: ALL airman 7 have a see-through back.
3: The crown on the strap looks ridiculous!
4: the y on the strap is not how glycine writes it. It should look like Y
5: the small dot on the seconds hand is on the wrong place.
6:the conection of the hands to the center are to thin.
7: if i look long enough and have better pictures
I probably will find more differences.
conclusion:don't buy!