Glycine: history, models and value

Founded

1914

Headquarters

Biel/Bienne

Owner / group

Invicta Watch Group

Glycine: origins and founding

Glycine was founded in 1914 in Biel/Bienne, the watchmaking town at the foot of the Jura. The company was registered as Fabrique d'Horlogerie La Glycine. Accounts of who founded it differ. The brand history repeated on Wikipedia names the young watchmaker Eugène Meylan. The collector archive Glycintennial, which works from historical records, lists the banker Charles Perret and the watchmakers Georges Flury and Fernand Engel as the founders in the register. What is certain is that Meylan was closely involved in the company's technical work.

In its early years Glycine specialized in small movements, mostly for ladies' watches, and earned chronometer certificates in the 1920s.

Glycine history and milestones

• 1930–1935: Eugène Meylan patented a self-winding module that could be added to a small movement. Glycine produced it as the EMSA automatic and acquired the patent in 1935. It was one of the first automatic wristwatch systems made in series.
• 1942: Glycine's movement-making division was taken over by ASUAG, the Swiss industry group. From then on Glycine mostly used bought-in movements.
• 1953: The Airman was launched for pilots. Its 24-hour dial and rotating 24-hour bezel let a pilot read two time zones.
• 1960s: The Airman became popular with military and civilian aircrews. Astronaut Pete Conrad wore one on the Gemini 5 mission.
• 1967: The Combat line appeared as a sturdy everyday and military-style watch, and the Airman SST was made in connection with Boeing's planned supersonic airliner.
• 1970s: Like most Swiss brands, Glycine was hit hard by the quartz crisis and also made quartz and LED watches.
• 1984: Hans Brechbühler bought Glycine. His daughter Katharina Brechbühler later ran the company.
• 2016: Glycine was bought by the Invicta Watch Group.
• 2019: After a legal dispute with Giorgio Armani over a winged logo used from 2015, Glycine returned to its original crown logo.

Famous Glycine models

• Airman: The model most owners have. Classic versions show 24 hours on the dial, so the hour hand turns once a day. Many vintage pieces have a hacking pin at 12 o'clock that stops the seconds hand. There are many variants, from early 1950s pieces to the modern Airman No. 1 and Airman Base 22.
• Airman SST: A 1960s/70s model, often in a tonneau-shaped case. Some casebacks refer to the Boeing 2707 project.
• Combat: A simpler, robust watch line from 1967, later revived in several modern versions including the Combat Sub diver.
• KMU 48 and other pilot models: Modern pilot's watches sold alongside the Airman.

Movements and technique

Glycine's main technical contribution was the EMSA self-winding module of the early 1930s. After 1942 the brand used movements from outside suppliers, mainly ETA, A. Schild and Felsa (including the Felsa Bidynator automatic). Glycine also patented a vacuum-sealed case in 1959; watches with it carry a patent marking on the caseback.

Glycine today

Glycine still has its base in Biel/Bienne and belongs to the American-run Invicta Watch Group. The current range is mostly Swiss-made mechanical pilot's and diver's watches in the affordable to lower mid-price segment. The Airman remains the core of the collection.

Glycine prices on the pre-owned market

Vintage Airman watches from the 1950s and 1960s attract the most collector interest. Early references, original dials with intact luminous paint, a working hacking feature and an original case and bezel all help value. Watches linked to military or airline use, with documents to prove it, are especially sought after. Repainted dials, replaced bezels or swapped hands reduce value sharply.

Modern Glycine watches, including recent Airman and Combat models, are sold at moderate prices when new and usually change hands for noticeably less on the pre-owned market. Box, papers and a clean, unpolished case help. Simple dress watches and quartz pieces from the 1970s and 1980s are generally of modest value.

How to recognise a genuine Glycine

Check the movement first: a vintage Glycine usually has a Swiss movement signed Glycine or bearing the supplier's marks. Very early automatics are marked EMSA. A crown logo appears on dials from the mid-1960s onward. On Airman models, check that the dial really shows 24 hours and that the bezel matches the period. Collectors report that counterfeit Glycines were made in Europe in the early 2000s, so be careful with unusually cheap "vintage" Airman watches. Many old Airmans have also been rebuilt from mixed parts. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch explains the general checks.

What is your Glycine worth?

Want a quick idea of what your Glycine could fetch? Upload a few clear photos of the dial, caseback and movement and get a free watch value estimate. If you need a formal document for an estate, a division of assets or insurance, you can order a written watch appraisal.

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