Traditional Swiss watch brand GLYCINE pays tribute to the legendary DC-4 aircraft by unveiling the AIRMAN “DC-4” wristwatch.
Built by Douglas Aircraft Company, the legendary DC-4 is an American commercial aircraft with four piston engines which began its career as a military transport plane and was later used in civil air transport all over the world after the Second World War. It was also the DC-4 which, in 1953, led Glycine to conceive the legendary AIRMAN, the first pilot’s watch with double 24-hour display function.
As chance would have it, Glycine Sales Director and aircraft enthusiast Sam Glur was on a flight from Bangkok to Calcutta when he met airline pilot and watch enthusiast Captain Chat Brown who invited him into the cockpit of his DC-4. Captain (Chat) Brown evidently made the most of the time he had with watch expert Sam Glur to explain exactly what was required in a genuine pilot’s watch. Sam Glur reported back to headquarters on the very same day, sending a detailed account of the conversation and the specification. According to the brief, what pilots really wanted was an automatic watch with 24-hour display enhanced by the addition of a second 24-hour time zone. And there was no such watch on the market at that time.
The inspiration for the legendary AIRMAN therefore came on the fly, so to say. The market launch of the first AIRMAN took place before the year was out. This pioneering Swiss pilot’s watch was the genuine article and was extremely popular with the American pilots. The unique AIRMAN DNA has spawned a further 29 generations based on the original.
The pilot’s watch is controlled by an automatic rhodanised GL 293 movement (ETA specification). Following in the purist footsteps of the original AIRMAN, it has an exclusive market position as a 24-hour watch with two time zones. If preferred, however, it can also be used as a normal 12-hour watch with the additional feature of a 24-hour GMT display. The beautiful and timeless classic comes, as it did 60 years ago, in a wooden case true to the original with vintage-style warranty certificate. A book about the Airman is also included which tells its story in clear factual detail.
Technical details
Model: AIRMAN DC-4, Ref. 3904.XXX, Cal No. GL 293
3 hands, 2 additional time zones or double 24-hour display (purist)
Decorative movement
Water-resistant to 20 ATM
Stainless steel casing, 42mm diameter, locking bezel crown at 4H position
Anti-reflective sapphire glass with date magnifier
Screw-fitted back with sapphire glass
Worldwide 2-year warranty