There’s more to Glycine than just the Airman. True, the Airman has become such a classic vintage watch—hotly desired by collectors—that their other offerings can be ignored. We confess that we’ve been guilty of that, too: a quick search in our archives yields dozens of Airmen, but not one watch by Glycine that isn’t.

Now, we’re going to set things right, once and for all.

Glycine has amassed a plethora of amazing pieces in its century of existence. It was established in 1914 by Eugene Meylan, whom the brand’s website calls “an uncompromising watch engineer.” With a keen understanding of both the technical and marketing aspects of the watch industry, Meylan specialized in miniaturized movements for ladies’ watches.

While this might be deemed an odd career choice today, back in 1914 Meylan could not have made a better one. Wristwatches for men were still regarded as something of a novelty, although World War I did much to change that, while sales in ladies’ watches were booming. Moreover, rather than being viewed as mere accessories, ladies’ watches were a perfect way for a watchmaker to display his skill, due to the expertise required to make them. Soon Glycine’s reputation was based on the beauty and technical precision of these mini-machines. Although Glycine started small, they were poised to do great things.

The 1950s saw steady advancements, including the creation of perhaps Glycine’s most famous watch, pre-Airman: the Vacuum. The name came from the vacuum pump in which each Vacuum watch was placed, to be sealed. Elegant and beautifully crafted, inside and out, they were the flagship of Glycine’s collection.

Then came the Airman, which changed the face of watchmaking forever—quite literally, as it happens, due to its being the first watch to feature a 24-hour dial. The success of the Airman ushered in a new era for Glycine, in which the brand released sporty watches to meet the changing needs of the post-war Jet Set. With SCUBA diving becoming a popular sport, Glycine met that need with dive watches like this one.

This watch features a hefty 37.5mm cushion case. The lugs slope gently, curving to fit the wrist, and the rotating bezel—requisite of all dive watches—is so low profile that the watch can slip nicely under a cuff. The silver sunburst dial with funky, blocky hour markers—now rich with patina—round out a watch that anyone would be proud to own.