Glycine Airman Base 22 Purist Automatic Blue Dial Men's Watch GL0204

I have been thinking about purchasing an Airman for a few years now, liking the look of the watch and being intrigued by the watch’s military and aviation heritage. The original Airman was developed in 1953 to meet the needs of pilots in the growing commercial airline industry. The Airman became popular with pilots wanting a 24-hour watch with two time-zone capability. It also became popular with military pilots in Vietnam as well as with some of the ground forces. I have been looking for a Vietnam era Airman but the watch has developed a bit of a cult status, and heritage timepieces in good shape at a reasonable price are hard to find. I finally gave up and bought this 42mm Base 22 “Purist” piece with a blue/black dial and blue leather strap. The watch uses the GL293 automatic calibre which appears to be a modified ETA 2893. That is a good movement and so far the watch has kept excellent time, as one would expect. I am a watch collector with a number of very nice time pieces and this Airman is by the far the least expensive watch I own. In spite of that it has become one my favourites and I wear it often. It looks very good on my wrist and works equally well when wearing a suit or jeans. It looks as good in person as it does in photos. I had no trouble getting used to the 24-hour dial. I found this piece at an excellent price and delivery was very quick, with the watch arriving well wrapped and safe in its box with all the documents. This is the first watch I have bought online and I would not hesitate to buy another watch from this seller. If you have been thinking about the Airman or are looking for an entry level quality watch and perhaps baby step your way into a collection of luxury watches I recommend the Airman. Glycine watches have always been well priced and so far Invicta seems to have left the brand more or less alone. I might be tempted to buy another one if I see a 24-hour GMT piece with a white dial at a good price. And I am still keeping my eye open for a vintage Airman. They really are nice looking watches, use a good automatic movement and have an interesting heritage.