Glycine Airman 17 Sphair Watch Review

The all high polished 316L case measures 46mm without crown and 49mm with.  The case has a slight donut style shape to it, meaning the sides of the case protrude out more than the lugs, and it really creates a unique but subtle design element. One of the features that stand out is the 2 crowns. The main crown at the 3 o’clock position is a screw down crown, and operates the 12 hour time, date and the GMT hand. The second crown unscrews to unlock the 24 hour bezel, to allow you to set an extra time zone, or to set military time.  I will discuss the time zone features a little more below, but I really love the locking bezel.  I would like to see this feature with the same style crown lock used on dive watches in particular. The bezel itself has a rubber bezel insert, and the crowns have rubber accents as well.

The lug to lug (case length) is quite long at 56mm, but the lugs have a deep curvature to them, aiding the watch to wear better than its specs would imply. As long and as wide as this watch is, it is just barely 11mm thick, so this should wear a lot easier under a shirt or jacket cuff.

The dial is another standout of the Glycine Airman 17 Sphair.  Not only with the complications that are present, but the color combo with the all black dial with brown/copper accents creates a great look. The date window is also unique, being oversized and with an uneven squared shape. This not only makes the date stand out, but also makes it easier to read. I also like how the date window is black numbers on white background. I know some people like to see matching date windows to the dial, but I have never understood this. If a watch has a date on it, I want to be able to see it, and see it at a glance.

There is no doubt that this dial can be construed as busy, and while it may be, it is still fairly easy to read. The hour markers towards the inside of the dial are used for your 12 hour time. Inside those markers you will find your minutes. On the outer track of the dial is your first 24 hours time scale (your second being the bezel). I explain and show how to use these features with the GMT hand, so be sure to check out the video.  As expected, the Glycine Airman Sphair utilizes a sapphire crystal with and inner AR coating.

The movement is listed as a GL293. It is a modified ETA 2893 movement made for Glycine.  It seems to operate effortlessly, and I love how the main crown operates the date with a turn in one direction and the independent GMT hand with the other. The Glycine Airman 17 Sphair sports 21 jewels and a power reserve of 42 hours.

You can see the movement through the exhibition case-back, which shows off the etched rotor, with the Glycine Airman branding and plane.  The crystal is sapphire here as well, and I am glad that they showed off this beautiful movement and didn’t use a solid case back.

The lume is sufficient. I wouldn’t compare it to dive watch lume, but it gets the job done. The hour markers are somewhat small, which doesn’t allow for a lot of lume to be applied, so they dim out quite fast, but the hands do glow for an extended amount of time, all in C3 superluminova.