Review of Glycine Airman Base 22 Purist

Model # 3887.18/66

Brand/Model:  Glycine Airman Base 22 Purist
Movement:  Swiss automatic
Material:  stainless steel case and bracelet (watch shown here on aftermarket crocodile strap)
Complications:  date display
Price:  MSRP:  $1,995; street price around $1,200 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.
 
I tend to write about a lot of watches that I consider to be ‘iconic.’  Maybe because objects that I consider to be classics appeal to me.  The Glycine Airman is no exception to both the iconic and classic camps.  Glycine introduced the Airman in 1953 and this model (and variations thereof) has been in continuous production ever since.  There’s plenty more history on the Airman at Glycine’s web site.  I just wanted to give the briefest of overviews before getting to the meat of this review.

Although most people (like me) have no practical use for a 24-hour watch (a watch whose hands make only one revolution around the dial in a 24-hour period), I do think this style of watch is unique and I wanted to have an example for my collection, so what other choice than an Airman?

Glycine makes quite a range of Airman models these days, but I opted for the most classic and the simplest design, the Airman Base 22 Purist.  This model is a three hand (hour, minute, seconds) layout in a 24-hour format, with a rotating and lockable 24-hour bezel to track a second time zone.  A date display completes the features list.

Glycine watches are not the easiest to find in the U.S., but you can find a good selection on ebay or from European sellers.

The Base 22 Purist starts with a finely finished polished and brushed stainless steel case which measures 41.1mm without either of the two crowns; 45mm with the main winding and setting crown included.  The main setting crown is rather small, but it is signed and has enough knurls on it to give you a good grip when setting or winding the watch.  Even though the Base 22 Purist is an automatic, I still like to fully wind my automatics prior to wearing them, so a good, functional crown is a must for me. 

The larger crown at the four o’clock position is the locking crown for the 24-hour rotating bezel.  It’s an elegantly simple design, with a toothed locking tab that mates to the toothed edge of the bezel.  It meshes perfectly and just looks cool in its locked position.  This locking crown also has a nifty cross hatch pattern engraved into it, which is another nice touch.

The bezel itself is brushed finish stainless steel with all the even numbers indicated by a black arabic engraved into the bezel; the odd numbers are indicated by a black engraved pointer.

Case thickness is a rather slim 11.2mm, lugs are 22mm.  The lugs are drilled to make strap or bracelet swaps easy.  The caseback is a polished screwdown display type which shows off the ETA automatic movement with cool Airman engraved decorated rotor, which includes an airplane as part of the decoration. 

A flat sapphire crystal caps the dial on the Base 22 Purist.  The Base 22 Purist is water resistant to 200 meters.

This watch comes on a solid link stainless steel bracelet with hollow end links and a signed double locking clasp with a cheap stamped steel deployant.  The bracelet is just okay, I felt it was rather cheap and rattle-prone, so I installed a 22mm dark blue genuine crocodile strap with white contrast stitching.  This is the strap shown in the pictures for this review.

The dial on my Base 22 Purist is a darker blue to somewhat darker blue fade, with the darkest hue at the top, fading into the slightly lighter blue (but still dark) around the middle of the dial.  White printed arabics numbered 1 through 24 encircle the outer part of the dial, with the ‘24’ and ‘12’ printed in red.  A luminous triangle is above the red 24 and 12, with alternating luminous bar and circle markers running around the inside of the arabics.  Small arabics are printed just inside the luminous markers every five minutes.  The hour hand is arrow shaped with a fine pointed end tip in red, the minute hand is a stick style with a fine pointed end tip and the seconds hand is a stick style with ball end.  All of these hands are luminous.  Lume quality is rather good.

To make it easier to tell what time it is once the watch is into the afternoon or second half of the day (13 to 24 hours), the hour hand has a tail that extends partway into the opposite side of the dial, pointing to the corresponding time in 12-hour format.  For example, at 16:30 hours, the tail on the hour hand points between the ‘4’ and ‘5’ hour marks on the opposite side of the dial, letting the operator know that it’s 4:30 pm in 12-hour time.  Neat!

A quickset date window resides at the three position, the date wheel being black on white.  The window is large enough to clearly see the date and the alignment of the wheel inside the window is good.

Even with a dial that some may consider quite busy, with all the small arabics and markers, legibility of this watch is rather good and the overall look is fantastic.

Powering the Base 22 Purist is a tried and true Swiss Made ETA 2893-2 automatic movement.  With 21 jewels and beating at 28,800 vph, this workhorse engine should provide many years of consistent timekeeping.  The movement can be manually wound and also hacks to ensure accurate worldwide time synchronization.  Accuracy out of the box has been excellent, running at a consistent +5 seconds per day, with a long 48 hour power reserve.

As stated above, the standard stainless steel bracelet was rather disappointing to me, others may find its solid links and conventional end links and clasp to be satisfactory.  I just think a watch with this level of iconic status should be presented on a better quality bracelet, at least one with solid end links and a machined deployant.

Presentation is via a heavy black cardboard outer box with removable lid and a nice black inner box.  Glycine doesn’t include much in the way of documentation, but they do include instructions on how to best set the watch and 24-hour bezel for proper worldwide timekeeping.  A signed black polishing cloth is also part of the package, which is a thoughtful touch.

Overall, the Glycine Airman Base 22 Purist is, in the words of Glycine, ‘legendary.’  It’s a unique and highly useful watch with a true 24-hour display.  Good fit and finish, attractive looks and a cache that many other watches could only wish for, this watch does the job it’s been designed for and does so with class and style.  Bravo!

Pros:  iconic watch model, true 24-hour functionality, good fit and finish, dark blue fade dial looks cool 

Cons:  standard stainless steel bracelet could be better quality for price point, main crown could be a bit larger

Verdict:  even if you’re not a pilot, this is the 24-hour watch to have; just drop the name ‘Airman’ at your next business meeting and see how people react.  The Glycine Airman Base 22 Purist is just that, pure in every sense of the word.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.

Excelsior!

-Marc

Review of Eterna KonTiki GMT/World Timer

Model # 1593 41 40 0215

Brand/Model:  Eterna KonTiki GMT/World Timer
Movement:  Swiss automatic
Material:  stainless steel case and bracelet
Complications:  date display, independently adjustable GMT hand
Price:  MSRP:  $4,395; street price around $1,700 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.
 
Eterna is probably best known for its iconic KonTiki line of watches, named as such to celebrate Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s famous 1947 Pacific expedition on balsa wood rafts.  Eterna has been making the KonTiki line for years, the best known model being the KonTiki 1958.  The subject of this review is Eterna’s KonTiki GMT/World Timer, which combines many desirable elements into one watch that bears the KonTiki name and I believe, a bit of the heritage as well.

Late in 2011, Eterna was sold to a Chinese company, so the remaining stocks of Eterna watches are to be considered the last of the ‘true’ Eternas, that is, Swiss Made timepieces by a company that has been in the watchmaking business since 1856.

Although I really have no practical use for a World Time or GMT watch, for some reason, I enjoy watches that feature a third timezone complication.  When this Eterna KonTiki GMT was introduced several years ago, it caught my eye and I have been fortunate enough to procure one for my collection.

Robustly constructed of solid stainless steel with superb fit and finish, the Eterna KonTiki GMT starts with a brushed and polished case measuring 41.5mm without the signed, screwdown crown; 44.6mm crown inclusive.  The crown is appropriately sized, not too big but not too small and is signed with a black insert showing the five dot Eterna logo. 

Case thickness is 13.6mm, lug width is 22mm.  Although this watch measures almost 42mm in size, it does not wear that big, due to the world cities inner bezel, the outer timing bezel and the shortness of the hands all combining to make the dial smaller.

The caseback is brushed and screws down and is embossed with the super cool KonTiki logo, depicting Heyerdahl’s raft at sea, encircled by a thin polished ring.  It looks very nice.

The watch is factory rated for 200 meters of water resistance, which is fitting for a watch named after a rafting expedition.

The dial of the KonTiki GMT is black, with a thin silver circle running along the inside of the applied luminous triangular or dagger-style markers.  Applied luminous arabics sit at each quarter hour, with the daggers filling the space between the quarter hours at each five minute mark.  There are no minute markers on the dial, which I find slightly disconcerting, for no other reason than it makes it hard to set the time exactly; you have to wait until it’s five or ten after, etc.

The hands are silver with inset lume and are rather short to me.  They don’t even reach to the outer edge of the 24-hour GMT chapter ring, but this is intentional, I’m sure, to make it easier to read the time in other locations and to no overpower the GMT hand.

The GMT hand is a skeleton style with a two-color pointed tip, half blue and half white, with the white part being a brighter luminous than the blue part.  A rather curious and odd feature if you ask me, but it matches the 24-hour chapter ring that is blue from 18 hours (6 p.m.) through 6 a.m.  The rest of the 24-hour chapter ring is white.  I think this is done to resemble a day/night sort of delineation. 

The 24-hour chapter ring is also luminous, with the upper half (the blue part) being not as bright as the lower half.  Overall lume quality on the KonTiki GMT is average, although the lume is a cool blue color.

The watch seconds hand is a thin silver stick with a lume tip a few millimeters down from the end.

The remainder of the dial on the KonTiki GMT is composed of the world cities bezel, which rotates around the outer edge of the dial.   There are 24 cities/locations listed, with Oslo in yellow, Polynesia in red and Lima in green, highlighting the cities and locations of Heyerdahl’s expedition.  I think the colors add a bit of pizzazz to the dial without looking garish.

The outer timing bezel is unidirectional and turns stiffly without any clicks.  It can be used for standard timing duties, with the first 15 minutes marked by black hash marks and a small lume dot at the 12. 

The timing bezel also is used to rotate the inner cities bezel.  Whenever the timing bezel is rotated, the cities bezel moves along with it.  This design is a bit cumbersome, but practical, because I always appreciate a timing bezel on a watch (and this is a feature that is not found on too many GMT watches) and it eliminated the need for a second crown to rotate the cities bezel. 

Eterna must also use some sort of slick gasket system between the bezel/crystal and case to allow for the outer bezel to rotate the inner bezel and to maintain 200 meters of water resistance.

The dial also has a quickset date window at 4:30 with a proper white on black date wheel that blends well with the rest of the dial.  The KonTiki GMT features a slightly domed sapphire crystal that fits perfectly flush with the edge of the bezel. 

Overall the dial is a bit busy, but is segmented enough to allow for standard timekeeping, GMT/24-hour indication and world timekeeping to be accomplished fairly easily.

The KonTiki GMT features an automatic Swiss Made ETA COSC-grade movement, which is nicely decorated and has an external dust cover/anti magnetic shield that sits between the caseback and movement.  The GMT hand is independently adjustable by rotating the crown clockwise in its first click position.  The GMT hand clicks into position in one-hour increments.  Running well within COSC standards, my KonTiki GMT has performed at +2/24 hours and turns in a strong 49-3/4 hour power reserve.

If you’re wondering why I know so much about what the movement looks like in this watch even though it does not have a display back, I will tell you.  When I received this watch (purchased brand new on the grey market) I set and wound the watch for initial testing in my workshop.  Shortly after I set it, I looked at it and realized the watch was not running!  I picked it up and heard an awful crunching sound.  I gently jostled the watch and it began to run again, so I set it down and let it run out its power reserve.

At this point, I had surmised the rotor has loosened up and was flopping around inside the caseback.  I don’t crack the back on brand new watches, but not wanting to return it either, I brought the watch to my trusted watchmaker.  He opened up the back, removed the movement shield and promptly discovered that one of the screws and clamps on the movement holder securing the movement to the case had come undone.  He fished out the errant screw and clamp, resecured them and gave the other screws a once over.  Everything has been fine since then.

So this is the only slight I will give Eterna regarding the quality and workmanship on this particular example of the KonTiki GMT.  The watch otherwise has been fine, the fit and finish is very good, so I chalk up this one loose movement screw and clamp as ‘just one of those things’ and have moved on.

The bracelet is superb on the Kontiki GMT, with solid, thick links (3.6mm), solid end links and a very attractive signed pushbutton clasp with machined deployant and diver extension.  The clasp is the exact same design (and presumably the same maker) as the clasp on the Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver, a watch that retails for twice what the KonTiki GMT does.

The bracelet is fully brushed and measures 22mm at the watch head and tapers to 20mm at the clasp.  Adjustment is by thick screw pins, the kind that require a screwdriver to be held on each end in order to tighten or loosen.  A bit awkward, but quality nonetheless.  There are no microadjustments on the clasp, but half links are provided on the bracelet on both sides, so a pretty good fit can be expected.

Presentation with the KonTiki GMT is top-notch.  A two piece cardboard outer box reveals a large, beautifully lacquered wooden box with the KonTiki logo medallion on top.  The box opens to reveal the watch, extra signed rubber strap and a plastic accessory compass, plus the instruction manuals and warranty paperwork.  Extremely classy and befitting a storied watch such as the KonTiki.

Overall, the Eterna KonTiki GMT/World Timer is a unique, functional and solid watch that gives the user a quality timepiece with a bit of history behind it.  It’s an all-around good looking solid performer at a very competitive price.

Pros:  superb all-around construction, COSC automatic movement, great bracelet and clasp, GMT/World Time functionality

Cons:  lume could be stronger, hour and minute hands a bit short in relation to the dial, no minute markers on the dial, QC glitch with loose movement holder screw and clamp

Verdict:  an outstanding value in a Swiss-Made GMT/World Timer with great features, great quality and a storied name by a storied Swiss house.  Snatch one up before they are forever sold out!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.

Excelsior!

-Marc

Review of Doxa SUB 1200T Professional Automatic Diver

Model # SUB 1200T Professional

Brand/Model:  Doxa SUB 1200T Professional
Movement:  Swiss automatic
Material:  stainless steel case and bracelet
Complications:  date display
Price:  MSRP:  $1,890 USD (special factory-direct Doxa pricing)

Plenty of photos follow the review.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.
 

When it comes to dive watches, few brands have the recognition that Doxa has.  It started in 1967 with their iconic SUB dive watch, followed two years later by the SUB 300T Conquistador, which was the first dive watch sold to the public equipped with a helium release valve.

In 2010, Doxa released the SUB 1200T Professional to pay homage to the original 1967 and 1969 models as part of their vintage SUB series.  Nothing says iconic dive watch like an orange-dialed Doxa SUB and that’s why I had to have one.  Limited to just 1200 pieces, the SUB 1200T Professional is also joined in the Doxa lineup with the Sharkhunter (black dial/orange minute hand), Searambler (silver dial, orange minute hand) and the NUMA (blue dial, white hands), all 1200 meter models that share the same bezel, case and bracelet plus Swiss automatic movement. 

Of course, many non-WIS people are aware of Doxa because of author Clive Cussler and his fictional hero Dirk Pitt^® donning an orange Doxa SUB in the many books that chronicle his adventures.

Doxa refers to the SUB 1200T’s 42mm case size and a ‘more traditional sized’ Doxa sub.  Works for me, as I find the size to be just about perfect for a dive watch.  The SUB 1200T starts with a polished and brushed stainless steel case in the classic cushion style, which is a great look.   The sides are polished, the case top is brushed.  The case measures 42.3mm without the knurled and signed screw down crown; 44.1mm with the crown.  Thickness is 14.3mm, lug width is 20mm.  It sure is nice to have a dive watch with more normal proportions that still is rated for an extremely deep depth as opposed to the super large, clown-like dimensions of some dive watches on the market today.

The caseback is polished and screws down and is stamped with the Doxa fish logo and has miscellaneous information, such as the water resistance rating, serial number, model name, etc.  The left side of the case at the 9 position features the automatic helium release valve (HRV), which is very unobtrusive and fits flush with the case side.

The SUB 1200T is factory rated for 1200 meters (3937 feet) of water resistance.

One of the most identifiable features of any Doxa dive watch is its patented no-decompression dive table bezel, which is engraved with the United States Navy non-decompression table on the outer part of the bezel, with standard 60-minute markings on the inner part of the bezel.  The non-decompression markings are in orange, the timing markings are in black.  A round inset lume pip is at the 60 mark on the inner timing ring.

The bezel itself is a 120-click unidirectional type with sharp, deep knurls that make it easy to grip and turn.  The bezel clicks authoritatively through its rotation with no backlash.  The bezel also stands proud of the case top which gives the watch a unique and strong appearance. 

The screwdown crown mimics the knurled edge of the bezel, which makes the crown easy to use and to screw in and out for time setting, along with coordinating with the bezel for an integrated look and feel.  The crown screws down about 2.5 turns to lock.

The 27mm wide dial is vivid orange (after all, this is THE original orange-dialed diver) and imparts a can’t-miss look to this watch.  It stands out, but it is not garish in any way.  It’s more subtle than a Seiko orange monster and exudes an all-business attitude when sitting on your wrist.

Luminous markers at the five minute marks are bordered by black bars, with small black hash marks indicating the minutes between the larger five-minute markers.    Thin black lines extend inward onto the dial from the markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, somewhat sectioning off the dial into quarter hour increments.

The hands are black with inset lume and the hour hand is considerably smaller than the minute hand, a nod to true diving capability, as minutes spent underwater are the vital component of timing.  Doxa refers to the small hour hand as a ‘dwarf’ hour hand.  All the lume is Superluminova and needless to say, it’s outstanding, as it should be.  The second hand is black with a lume box-end tip.

A quickset date is located at the three position, with a black on white date wheel.  The date window is large enough to be read easily and wheel alignment within the window is good.

Overall, the dial is very legible and that’s the point of a dive watch, you need to see the time easily when you’re underwater.  The wording ‘DOXA’ and ‘automatic’ are printed in the upper left quadrant on the dial, with ‘SUB 1200T’ and ‘Professional’ printed in the lower right quadrant.

The dial is topped with a slightly domed 3mm thick sapphire crystal that fits flush with the bezel at its edge.  Anti-reflective coating is applied to the crystal to reduce glare.

Keeping to its 1967 roots, the SUB 1200T is equipped with a solid link stainless steel bracelet with solid end links and a machined deployant.  The clasp is signed and stamped with the Doxa fish logo and features a double locking safety tab.  A rather cheapish stamped steel diver extension is also part of the clasp.  This dive extension should be a machined part, not stamped.  There are four micro-adjustment holes on the clasp.

Doxa says this bracelet is of a sturdier design than previous versions and overall, it feels good, but they kind of cheated with the ‘beads of rice’ design.  A true vintage beads of rice bracelet has the ‘rice’ as separate link pieces in the bracelet, not made into one solid link as the bracelet on the SUB 1200T.  I can see advantages to the solid design, it’s not rattle-prone and would be more secure, so I can live with it, but don’t expect a true beads of rice bracelet here.  The outer links are polished on the edges, with the top surface of the bracelet being brushed.  The bracelet measures 20mm along its entire length.  Adjustment is by screws and Doxa supplies a screwdriver to make link removal and sizing easy.

One thing that really impressed me about the SUB 1200T is its overall heft.  But it’s a heft of a different sort.  Many dive watches feel heavy, and yes, the SUB 1200T feels heavy, but it also feels solid, tank-like.  It’s a reassuring feeling having it on your wrist.  Doxa states the weight of this watch at 162 grams (about 5.7 ounces).  Nice!

Inside the SUB 1200T is the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2 25-jewel Swiss Made automatic movement that hacks and manually winds.  During my testing, it ran at +14 seconds/24 hours and turned in an expected power reserve of 41-3/4 hours.  Doxa states the movement is decorated by them, but since the caseback is not a display type and I don’t want to compromise the water resistance of my SUB 1200T by cracking the back open, I will take them at their word.  Simply put, it’s got a workhorse of a movement in it and should perform for many years without complaint.

Presentation is Doxa special with a heavy anodized aluminum scuba bottle case, which includes the watch, documentation and the aforementioned Bergeon screw driver. It’s a fun and ‘world famous’ presentation (at least according to Doxa).

The word ‘legend’ is probably overused these days, but when it comes to the Doxa SUB 1200T Professional, it’s a word that fits and is not in any way contrived or trite.  Solid, great looking and a serious dive tool watch, the SUB 1200T is a legend and is definitely worth a long look and consideration if you want one for work, play or just because it’s the coolest orange-dial watch there is.

Pros: iconic dive watch heritage and looks, unique hand set and bezel, dial the perfect shade of orange, solid build quality, great lume

Cons:  beads of rice bracelet could be executed better, dive extension should be machined

Verdict:  even if the most diving you do is washing your hands in the sink, this is one dive watch you should have in your collection.  A classic, bar none.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.

Excelsior!

-Marc