# Is Glycine a dead brand? Please help me understand.



## underpar (Jan 26, 2009)

So I bought an Airman 22 GL0207 a few months back at a 75% discount like many have. I just loved the look and when it arrived was impressed with the quality. I am an owner of many brands including Rolex, Panerai, Omega and others. This is a quality watch. I don't understand what happened. I've read Invicta bought them. Yikes. Is Invicta simply closing out every model, hence the ridiculous online pricing? Does the Glycine brand still exist? Are they still in production?

Most of all I feel terrible for the customers that paid over $2000 for watches that are being sold everywhere now for pennies on the dollar. It seems crazy. FYI, I'm buying another regardless. I love them.


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## Vlance (Apr 12, 2014)

Not sure what happened. I just assumed that one guy, Glycine direct I think, got a great deal on some and has been selling them almost to get rid of them. Quick buck possibly? I see the prices going back up soon though. Lots of people like their watches and I can’t imagine they’d cease production.


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## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Think the low prices are fantastic and in line with the actual value of the watches. Never had a Glycine until recently and now have several now that they are affordable. 

If the product doesn’t sell, the price is too high. Glycine-Direct is a good seller at a fair price.


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## gaopa (Dec 6, 2008)

Like yankeexpress, I think the prices of Glycine watches now are just great. I just got my first yesterday from Glycine-direct and plan on buying another one as he is a trusted seller and has very fair prices. 

So, no, underpar, I don't think the Glycine brand is dead, I actually think it has found new life.


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## serge70 (Nov 16, 2010)

Glycine make quality pieces but it's a crowded market & I think a lack of brand recognition/poor marketing to non WUS has really hurt them.Love my Incursore !!


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## arogle1stus (May 23, 2013)

WUSers:
I'm still wonder how Invicta's acquisition of Glycene will affect the brands MSRP and standing in the market
Not a huge fan of Glycene but do appreciate their Airman model. As for the Invicta, I bought too many models
and have had a deuce of a time flipping them. I only have 2 Invictas left.An 8926 and a Corduba Ibiza. Both are
keepers.

Hate to see ANY brands value digress. Bad for afficianados and merchandisers.

X Traindriver Art


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## cuthbert (Dec 6, 2009)

It appears in the US the price of Glycines are becoming ludicrous, but in Europe they still sell Airmen no.1 and DC-4s for 1500 euros or pounds...Glycine has become affordable just on that side of the Atlantic, you can also double check on Chrono 24.


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## Tonhao (Dec 23, 2017)

Likewise surprised by the very low prices Glycine is going for these days. While maybe not a $2,000 watch, the Airman models are easily some of the best tool watches out there, field tested and proven by pilots. Probably the most popular 24-hour watch too. It’s a good time to be buying, but I don’t think the current situation will help Glycine in the long term...


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## underpar (Jan 26, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies. I still think it is odd that watches with a $2500 retail price are being unloaded at up to 80% off. Jomashop was doing the same the entire Glycine line and now have run out of all but one model. Glycine-direct on ebay is strating to run out also which makes it seem that Invicta just dumped all of the Glycine inventory for what had to be pennies on the dollar which is something you do when you are reinventing the brand or dumping it.

Like I said before, I just bought another one because I think they are great looking, high quality watches. I would have paid much more once I saw one in person. Be a shame if the brand goes away.


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## Pjerome (Oct 15, 2010)

Because INVICTA now owns the company, they stated they would not interfere with the production. They didn't say they wouldn't do some marketing. I would bet that Glycine has never sold as many watches as they have this year , in all their history. I have 3 and I would not care if I didn't own another watch ever again. I have 35 and none ever get worn since I have owned my two Airman GMT's. One is a Bronze/Brown , and a Combat Golden Eye. I think it was a dying brand and i'm not crazy about INVICTA watches at all, but I think Invicta gave them a kind of rebirth. They are causing people to take notice of the brand more than ever and I hope they never touch the product quality unless to make it better. To me it can't be too much better at the same prices,. If you are a good shopper, you can snag some really nice deals . Mass Drop, Glycine-Direct and Jomashop are probably the largest sellers. Even Invicta doesn't have as many..but once in a while a private sale turns up a gorgeous model..or a vintage. Keep shopping...I love these watches, and no matter what , if anything, goes wrong with them, they are relatively easy to repair. I'm having a blast with mine.


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## Stirling Moss (Nov 16, 2015)

I doubt any Glycine has been bought for full boat in a loooong time, but some of those airmen were going for $360. I'll easily call that a 1/2 price or better savings. Lot of bang for you buck for under $500. Steinharts are great quality in that range, but Glycine has the history.


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## ladida (Jun 1, 2017)

I have a DC-4 (with the ETA), and it's a great watch for the ca. 70% off I paid for it. Would not have been worth the (pre-Invicta times) MRSP, though.


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## Barry S (Dec 18, 2015)

Under Invicta ownership, Glycine has been consistently introducing new models such as the bronze Airman shown above, the bronze Combat sub and models that pay tribute to their history like The Chief.








They have also reintroduced favorites such as the Base 22, Airman 1, and Vintage 1953.

Most significantly, they've been distributing them through a dealer network that dwarfs what they had before and is able to sell the products at quite affordable prices.

So it seems the brand is more alive than ever.


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## philskywalker (May 28, 2009)

I love my Glycine and plan on buying more... GREAT PRICES!!


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## gwilder (Aug 16, 2017)

I love my Combat 6. The 36mm size, build quality, finish, rich blue dial, well build bracelet, solid Swiss movement for (as said below) a ludicrously low price --
if this were offered by a micro-brand with these specs and this quality at similar price the blogs and fora would be gushing.


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## pantagana23 (Aug 21, 2017)

Might not be the right place to post this, but really don't want to open another thread:
I'm looking at Airman 42 double twelve (GL0175); it's price is somewhat strange:
On jomashop and ebay I see it discounted to 300-350, and on euro sites price is around 800 euros. This wouldn't be so strange(joma always puts discounts), if the msrp in joma and ebay wasn't listed as 800 dollars, and on euro sites as 1700 euros. What's going on here? Is this the same watch (code is identical)? What am I missing?

Poslano sa mog SM-G960F koristeći Tapatalk


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## gaopa (Dec 6, 2008)

That is curious, pantagana23. If I wanted to buy the watch I would pick one of the reputable dealers with the best price and buy there.


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## Kmcmichael (Dec 16, 2018)

The Airman may be my favorite GMT. I have had a few Omegas and still have a Good Planet. I sometimes travel to less desirable places and don't want to carry an expensive watch. My Citizen Skyhawks as shrunk and gotten difficult to read the GMT hand. I recently got a 44mm from Jomashop. It will be my travel watch. I am looking at one of the WatchGecko shark mesh bracelets for it.


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## pantagana23 (Aug 21, 2017)

gaopa said:


> That is curious, pantagana23. If I wanted to buy the watch I would pick one of the reputable dealers with the best price and buy there.


Well, as for the eBay, seller shows as glycine-direct (99.6%), so should be something good? Can't pinpoint really. They list as shipping only to US.
All sellers in Europe have higher MSRP, and by double the price, which is the fact that worries me, however there is no quartz version of the same watch with the same PN. Oh what the hell, if I manage to get shipping to Europe, I'm getting it from there.

Poslano sa mog SM-G960F koristeći Tapatalk


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## cuthbert (Dec 6, 2009)

pantagana23 said:


> Well, as for the eBay, seller shows as glycine-direct (99.6%), so should be something good? Can't pinpoint really. They list as shipping only to US.
> All sellers in Europe have higher MSRP, and by double the price, which is the fact that worries me, however there is no quartz version of the same watch with the same PN. Oh what the hell, if I manage to get shipping to Europe, I'm getting it from there.
> 
> Poslano sa mog SM-G960F koristeći Tapatalk


You can try watchgooroo, they are the same as Glycine direct...I bought an Airman from them that should arrive this week in the UK.


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## LDoc (Mar 16, 2018)

Large gray market distributor Ashford now has Glycine watches and a lot of inventory in stock. Ashford had no Glycine models for over a year. So, it appears as though Glycine overestimated demand over the last few years and are cleaning out inventory through the 2 eBay stores and now through one of the larger gray market distributors along with Jomashop. Either that or they perhaps they cut a lot of their ADs and the ADs sold inventory en masse to the gray market distributors. This may suggest that Invicta Watch Group is going to rely heavily on selling Glycine watches directly online, home shopping cable channels and outlet / mall stores like they do with Invicta watches. At least in the US market this may be the strategy as the brand has a more premium position in Europe where new watches sell for at least double the US price and in physical watch / jewelry stores.


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## The Loco (May 1, 2018)

Pjerome said:


> Because INVICTA now owns the company, they stated they would not interfere with the production. They didn't say they wouldn't do some marketing. I would bet that Glycine has never sold as many watches as they have this year , in all their history. I have 3 and I would not care if I didn't own another watch ever again. I have 35 and none ever get worn since I have owned my two Airman GMT's. One is a Bronze/Brown , and a Combat Golden Eye. I think it was a dying brand and i'm not crazy about INVICTA watches at all, but I think Invicta gave them a kind of rebirth. They are causing people to take notice of the brand more than ever and I hope they never touch the product quality unless to make it better. To me it can't be too much better at the same prices,. If you are a good shopper, you can snag some really nice deals . Mass Drop, Glycine-Direct and Jomashop are probably the largest sellers. Even Invicta doesn't have as many..but once in a while a private sale turns up a gorgeous model..or a vintage. Keep shopping...I love these watches, and no matter what , if anything, goes wrong with them, they are relatively easy to repair. I'm having a blast with mine.


Terrific collection, the notion that Glycine is dying is ridiculous. They have great products with the Airman and the Combat Sub. The moonphase is interesting too.


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## TKiteCD (May 7, 2017)

If you can get a Pre-Invicta model, I say go for it. Most of the current offerings by them are NOT like the original style Glycine Airmans, with exception of the DC-4 and I believe one or two others. I am lucky, I got a 24 hr DC-4 that was made when it was just Glycine - it's a great watch and very accurate despite not being a COSC certified watch.


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## Verydark (Mar 19, 2006)

It's more alive than ever nowdays since the "downgrade" of the brand...


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## gh0stleader (Oct 4, 2017)

Verydark said:


> It's more alive than ever nowdays since the "downgrade" of the brand...


Yes and no...

The lower prices are definitely churning up some interest. 
Good luck keeping that interest once you've asked customers pay $250-$350 for a watch an msrp sticker of $1000-$1500 and then getting cocky about sales numbers and raising the price to nearly double while the MSRP stays the same.

I can bet you more than half the people buying the Glycine watches today don't even know about the heritage. 
For them, it's just an upgraded Invicta. Thus they'll associate the hyper inflated MSRP of Invicta w/ the higher MSRP of glycine.

This brand is on life support.


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## sparg93 (Jan 6, 2019)

Has Invicta changed something (i.e. components, manufacturer process) about the Glycine brand since purchasing it?


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## hedd (May 21, 2018)

sparg93 said:


> Has Invicta changed something (i.e. components, manufacturer process) about the Glycine brand since purchasing it?


It's not disclosed or known. I think the shape and size of cases as gone through some minor evolution though. That combined with the new bronze material makes me think maybe someone new is machining the current cases.

Also, the crystals look different and have different coatings. I think these are the types of thing you would see when you change suppliers but keep specs as close as possible.


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