GLYCINE, DRESS WATCH
I’d heard of and seen a few examples of the Glycine Airman which came out in 1953, but they were all in poor condition, so I was intrigued to see an earlier model with very little history or information about it. It’s a real looker with wonderful hands and it helps, I guess, that it’s in 18K gold and a well-sized just under 35mm in diameter. The teardrop lugs are amazing, too and have a hallmark on one of them..
This from the Glycine website: “Since its founding in 1914 by the ingenious Eugène Meylan, the professional production in Biel/Bienne, has enabled Glycine to offer the finest timepieces in Swiss craftsmanship. Initially specializing in miniature movements, clad in precious gold, gems, and platinum cases for women, the brand soon embraced the gentlemen’s watch, becoming a favorite among the British and American jet-set.
As the Glycine profile expanded and heightened, so too did the horological inventions by Meylan: Most notably, the EMSA module. Patented in 1931, the EMSA transformed the normal hand-wound watch into an automatic charge. This engineering meant that the time could just be set, and the EMSA advancement became a standard that literally altered the experience of time itself.” https://glycine-watch.ch/history.
It’s a manually wound signed movement, with what looks like a 900 etched on the baseplate, so could be an ETA 900 (Glycine 46), which would be about right.
