# Glycine Airman identification, fixoflex band



## xaitmaikur

Newbie here looking to identify a watch I just inherited. My Grandfather was a pilot and I now have his Glycine Airman. From what I can tell it has a fixoflex band and has the PAT 314 050 mrking with A 42461 below that on the back. I am thinking it is a 1956 watch but am not sure when the fixoflex was first used. Also, I would like to have it cleaned as it is running slow and stops every night. It has been in a drawer for 30+ years but started working he second i picked it up. Other markings on the face are "automatique 23 rubis". The hands look like pencils with the tail end of the minute hand having a long pionted end. Red date number under a magnified small circle.

Any help identifying and a sugestion where to get it cleaned and a crystal scratch fixed would be greatly appriciated.


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## Emre

xaitmaikur,welcome to WUS Glycine forum. Congratulations on your heirloom.

You landed in the very right place for your vintage Airman. Glycine hand written registers refers to below information for your watch:

Serial Number: A 42461
Production Date: 5th October 1955
Production Amount : 500
ref: 498
Base Caliber: Felsa 692 Bidynator

Don't mind the crystal or the bracelet, they are consumable parts.Magnifier is correct for these watches.The fixoflex was an option for Airman models,so it might be well the original bracelet.

What color is the dial? Black or champagne? Does the hacking mechanism work? Please post photos if you can.

I would recommend not to wind the watch until it's serviced, the old-school lubricants are getting dry and solid,can damage the gears. The movement F692, is a durable movement, a competent watchmaker can clean,adjust and lubricate it. If you tell us in which part of the world you are living, the community here is international and we can come up with recommended service centers.


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## xaitmaikur

Thank you for the reply. I'll attempt to attach some photos here. I am located in Central California USA. Clovis California to be exact. What is the hacking mechanism? And at the risk of sounding uninformed...How do you wind it?

My apologies for the size of the photos...


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## Uwe W.

xaitmaikur said:


> What is the hacking mechanism?


Do you see that tiny pinhole on the left side of the 4 at the top of the dial? When you pull out the crown to set the time a small, very small, lever will pop out of the hole to stop the second hand at the top of the dial. This feature makes coordinating the time with another timing source much easier. In many old Airman watches the hack mechanism doesn't work any more, so don't be surprised if yours doesn't.



xaitmaikur said:


> And at the risk of sounding uninformed...How do you wind it?


As Emre mentioned, and especially since it's been sitting in a drawer for thirty years as you mentioned, get it serviced before winding the movement. It's not worth the risk damaging the movement in any way by forcing anything now. The watch is an automatic and winds itself when you wear it.


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## Emre

It's a fantastic piece and certainly deserves your attention,thank you for posting photos.

And no worries for the vocabulary about watches, nobody is born knowing it by default.These watches have a unique 'hack' mechanism. Basically stopping the seconds is 'hacking'. For the vintage Airman it means, when you pull out the crown at 6 o'clock position ( like you want to set the time ), a tiny pin pops onto the dial from the tiny hole at 24 o'clock, between the digits '2' and '4' and once the seconds hand reaches that position it stops there. This specification was designed for airmen, flying personnel to synchronise their watches within exact seconds with a signal and/or each other's watches. Mainly in night flights and bombing missions coordinated attacks were crucial, so Glycine came up with this unique spec.










Try to pull the crown, like you want to set time and wait until the seconds hand reaches 24 o'clock position. If it stops it mean your ' hacking ' is working. If not, the mechanism might be still in the watch-case and you can verify it only once it's opened. Unfortunately many of these hacking mechanism were destroyed during service because it's not a common feature.

Winding this watch, you don't need special effort, you can keep it dial up position and shake gently like you want to taste wine. Both directions is ok, since this watch is casing the first automatic movement which can be wound in both directions-bidynator.If you wear it on your wrist that's also enough to be wound.But anyway don't do it - don't wear it before it's being serviced - not that it will break though...Just to be at the safe side.

The crystal of your watch doesn't look only scratched that looks like a dent over there. Crystals are available even in ebay, surfacing from time to time.

I am not in the US but my premium collection pieces go there for Spa,to Oregon, if nobody recommends others I can forward you to my watchmaker there.

edit: upps Uwe we've toasted,didn't see your reply while writing...


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## xaitmaikur

Thank you again, It looks like the hack does not work. I would like the watchmaker contact. It would be nice to have the hack working again as well. Is the cyrstal something I can change myself or best for the professionals? Also what is the crown below the time setting crown?


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## xaitmaikur

Thank you Uwe. Good information. Yes I will get it cleaned. I probably need to get a magnifying glass to see the hole.


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## Uwe W.

xaitmaikur said:


> Is the cyrstal something I can change myself or best for the professionals? Also what is the crown below the time setting crown?


It's one of those situations where if you have to ask it's better to let a professional watchmaker change the crystal for you. ;-)

The second crown is just a lock for the bezel. If you loosen it you can spin the outer 24-hour ring to set a time difference and track a second time zone.



xaitmaikur said:


> I probably need to get a magnifying glass to see the hole.


Sounds like you're as old as I am. ;-) However, even with my bad eyes I can see the pinhole in both your first and third photos.


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## Emre

Took me some time to communicate and ask the availability of my contacts. I've sent you a private message with related information. Once done we would appreciate after service pictures


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## Dennis Smith

No you can't change the crystal yourself (not without some detailed knowledge, special tools, and the right parts). Leave it to the pros.
The second crown locks the 24 hour bezel, which is a bidirectional friction bezel. So let's say you live in California and you want to reference GMT or Zulu time which is plus eight...you unscrew the lower crown, rotate the bezel until 8 is on top, and now the hour hand reads local time on the dial and the second timezone on the 24 hour bezel....You do realize that this is a 24 hour watch, right? The hour hand goes around the dial ONCE per day. This, combined with the 24 hour bezel made/makes the Airman one of the best pilot watches ever designed. Your Grandad had good taste and that's a very special piece he left you.


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## xaitmaikur

Thank you everyone. Great answers. OK I'l leave it to the professionals and will contact the suggestions. Looks like I came to the correct forum. Do you guys know if this forum can help with a vintage pocket watch?


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## Emre

If it's a Glycine or Eugene Meylan Pocket watch post we can try. Otherwise we have a subforum dedicated for ' Vintage & Pocket Watches ' you might want to try there. If it's about service you can send it also to the same address I've PM'ed you.


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