# Setting Date Glycine Airman Special



## lestiles (Jul 12, 2012)

I have just purchased a classic Airman Special. Don't know how to set date as I don't find an intermediate crown position.


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## aai (Mar 7, 2006)

depending the year of production you can set the date

Models made before 1960: just go through the 24 hours.
Models made between 1960-1974: by moving the time between 20 and 24 as many times as needed.
Models made between 1974-1978 have a quickset.

good luck

andré


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

I just inherited a Glycine Airman Special, and it keeps great time. The only issue I have is that something slips when I try to set the time clockwise. I can set it counterclockwise, but the hands stop moving if I turn them clockwise.

The watch sat, untouched, for at least twenty years but started running as soon as I pulled it out and gave it a shake. The only trouble I have with it is that I can't set the date because the hands won't turn clockwise.

Any idea how much a jeweler will charge me to fix it?


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

Hello Misticuf, welcome to WUS and the Glycine forum. 

Airman Special is really a special watch, congrats for the find. There are two movements in Airman Special depending on the age. The Special from the years 1955 - 60 have Felsa 692 ( Bidynator ) movements, the 1960 - 67 era Special have A.Schild 1700/01 movements cased ( you can understand it from the dial, if at 12 and 24 o'clock are triangle hour markers, it's a Felsa, if a straight line, it cases ' AS' movement ). Both are movements which parts and replacements as well as maintenance work is not complicated. Depending on the continent and country you are living, a competent watch service center who can deal with vintage movements can fix the issue.

I would recommend not to wind the watch and use it until it gets also a service, since you mentioned it was in shelf 20 years. You might cause more damage. My local watchmaker charges 50 euro on my generic vintage movement's standard services and more special movements with parts and replacements issues go overseas and can be quoted from 150 - 400 euro. But again that's not a universal benchmark and it would vary depending on the job to be done and the country.

If you mention where you live other members might also recommend destination service centers. Airman Special is worth to get fixed, and hope it will tick soon on your wrist.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thank you, Emre. My Airman special has the AS movement in it. Thanks for helping me identify it. I live in the USA, and am fortunate enough to have a very reputable jeweler about 30 miles away.

I've actually been wearing the watch for about a week (after I removed the God-awful Twist-o-flex bracelet and replaced it with a calfskin leather strap), and it keeps excellent time. The lume is still very good. Like I said, the only problem is it won't set (hands stop turning) clockwise. The watch runs that way, but something seems to slip when I turn the stem.

I'll take it to the jeweler for an estimate. I'll definitely get it fixed. I'm proud to have it in my collection.

Does one ever get used to reading the 24-hour dial at a glance? I have to look at the numbers, and feel vaguely dumb when I do.


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## Uwe W. (Jan 7, 2009)

Misticuf said:


> Does one ever get used to reading the 24-hour dial at a glance? I have to look at the numbers, and feel vaguely dumb when I do.


Yes, providing you wear it often enough. What might help is reminding yourself that the top of the dial - on your model - represents the start of a day (midnight) and the bottom of the dial is half-way through the day (noon). That way you've got the day split in half and a quick look at the hour hand will give you a quick indication of the time relative to the passing of a 24 hour day.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

I'll confess -- Sometimes I cheat and use the end opposite end of the hour hand as an aide. Unlike later models, mine has a kind of a tail on the hour hand that points 12 hours away. It's useful in the PM.

I've seen later model Airman watches that have an hour hand that can be set to point to a different time zone. Mine doesn't do that, but it comes in handy to a civilian who doesn't fly a plane. ;-)


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

Yours is a purist model, meaning the hour hand makes one revolution per 24 hours. Those, what you describe with the GMT hand are 12 hour classic watches and are recent models. In the GMT models the normal hour hand works like in a classic watch with 2 revolution per 24 hours on the dial and the GMT hand works as purist- 1 revolution on the dial per 24 hours. Specials have also a model where 12 o'clock is on top instead of the 24 o'clock.How is by yours?

The flexo band might be the origial band actually that came with the Airman, worth keeping it.

Meanwhile does the hack feature work? Photos would be great if you can post.

My special from same era says hi:









Edit/Addition: Sorry have to add that after 1967 ( if there is a Glycine logo-crown ) the Airman Special might case more varities of movements so as A.Schild 1701, 1903, 2063, 2163


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the photo! Your model and mine look exactly the same, except the paint on the bezel of mine needs to be restored. Much of the black paint has worn off.

My wife has the digital camera with her, so I won't be able to post photos of the watch until tomorrow. Mine looks a lot like yours. It's missing the second crown, the one that locks the bezel. Yours is in far better shape than mine, by the looks of it. I think it's the same watch, though. The watch belonged to my wife's grandfather.

I could tell when I removed the twist-o-flex, that he was not kind to his Airman. I scraped crud off the lugs. My wife's grandfather owned a chemical company. His son was a pilot in Vietnam. I suspect the watch was a gift from son to father.

I agree that the watch is very cool.

You're being very helpful. I'm even more excited about the watch than I was when I pulled it out of the old box from the basement and it started running.

.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Whoops. My apologies for not answering your question.

Yes. The hack feature works. The second hand stops at 2400 when the stem is pulled. In other words, the tiny wire is still right where it's supposed to be! Cool, isn't it?


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

Misticuf said:


> You're being very helpful. I'm even more excited about the watch than I was when I pulled it out of the old box from the basement and it started running.
> 
> .


We share the same passion.

And yes, it's a watch which can drive emotions, given that it's a heritage doesn't leave you actually another option than restoring it  That mechanical hack is a unique feature which no other timepiece is using. Worth mentioning this feature to the service center since many are destroyed while not known widely.

There are some unofficial websites which you can look through for the Airmen:

- *"What is the age of your Glycine Airman?" some guidelines. *

- Glycintennial Collection


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thank you so much. You're right--I feel obligated to get the watch restored. Thanks as well for the links. I'll peruse them later.

I think I might have just hit a moment of serendipity. I turned the crown and it unscrewed in my hand. There was crud inside the crown and around the post (is that what you call where the crown attaches)

The stem is sill inside the watch, but the crown came right off. Should I attempt to put a tiny bit of superglue inside the crown (using a pin to apply the glue) and screw it back on?

I have a strong feeling that the crown was coming unscrewed and wasn't able to supply even the small amount of friction needed to set the watch or change the date.


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

I don't know if you have some experience working on watches, but me personally I wouldn't attempt, no idea if the crown screws in the stem or is attached in another way. I am not a watchmaker, just a collector and performer of simple self satisfying cleaning progress on my own timepieces. Since you have access to a service center, just drop it of there and build up the joy until you receive it back clean and in working order.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

You're right, of course. I plan to take the watch to the jeweler and have it serviced completely.

For now, however, I do think I will re-attach the crown. It screws into place. The problem is that it unscrews all the way. I've been able to put it on and take it off several times in the last few minutes. The result is always the same: when I turn the stem toward my body, the watch hands move clockwise...until the crown unscrews to the point where it isn't touching the stem.

I researched, but haven't done it yet, building a watch from parts. As I recall, the crown is often attached to the stem with a little bit of glue to bind the stem to the crown.

I'm using the jeweler as a parachute. :think:


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Well... It's a good thing God looks out for fools, isn't it? (I'm grinning.)
I shouldn't have tried to glue the crown back on...
...but it worked!

Whew!

I shall now behave myself for the rest of the day. I suspect I've used up a lot of luck from my luck bank, and will make no further withdrawals for a while.


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

Misticuf said:


> Well... It's a good thing God looks out for fools, isn't it? (I'm grinning.)
> I shouldn't have tried to glue the crown back on...
> ...but it worked!
> 
> Whew!


Congrats!!



Misticuf said:


> I shall now behave myself for the rest of the day.I suspect I've used up a lot of luck from my luck bank, and will make no further withdrawals for a while.


Yes please


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## Uwe W. (Jan 7, 2009)

I would have said NO to the glue, but it's too late.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Yes, sir! No more pressing my luck today. In fact, I might just wear a helmet for the remainder of the day...in case I've used every bit of my allotment of good fortune for the day.

When I started my little adventure, the date on the watch was the 30th. Today is the 29th. I was able to set the date to the 29th, which meant a lot of movement of the crown, and it held.

I'm still going to have it serviced, but at least I'll know the date when I take it in. (ha!)


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

I got lucky. Your advice is sound, I'm sure. Someone should have tackled me, but at least luck was on my side. When the jeweler needs to remove the crown to service the watch, I don't think he'll have any trouble pulling the crown off. I hope not, anyway.


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

Audentes Fortuna/Deus Iuvat


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Indeed. And that's a good thing!


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

I'm not much of a photographer, but here is a not-so-good photo of my Glycine Airman Special. The strap is new--I just put it on a couple of hours ago. I'm not sure, but I don't plan to have the watch restored. I kind of like the vintage look. This thing has earned every bit of wear it shows. Not sure what happened to the bezel crown, but it's long gone.

The watch gains about 30 seconds a day. I'd like to get it regulated, and don't plan to try that myself.


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

It still looks fine, adding the the bezel locking crown won't be a big deal for a service center. As you mentioned - restoring isn't a good idea, keep it in original aged condition. The crystal can benefit from scratch removing treatment and you will see how different your watch will look.Hope we will see a photo after the service


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks for the good advice. I'll post photos after I get it serviced. I really like this watch!


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

I've been taking the slow boat, polishing the crystal by hand with Wright's Silver Polish, and have gotten most of the scratches out.

I also repainted the numbers on the bezel, taking the advice from a link someone provided elsewhere on WUS. (I apologize for not offering the link. I lost it.)

It looks better now! I still want to have it serviced because it's gaining 30 seconds a day.


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## up2nogood (Apr 1, 2010)

It's gaining because it needs a service. All the oil that once lubricated the movement has turned into varnish or glue, and tiny metal fragments are wearing out the internal components of the movement.
Up to you, but continuing to wear it will kill it. I'd get the tab and bezel crown replaced at the same time, but that's just my opinion.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thank you. I plan to get it serviced when I make my next trip to the nearby city that has a reputable jeweler.

After I wore it for a couple more days, the watch settled down. Now it's only gaining a few seconds a day. Still, you're right. A good cleaning will make sure it stays running. I'm sure sitting in a box since the Reagan administration didn't help the watch a bit. :roll:


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## up2nogood (Apr 1, 2010)

We're all actually quite jealous, it's a great find!!


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks! I got lucky with the find. My mother-in-law passed away last month (my father-in-law passed about ten years ago). When my wife and her brothers and sisters were going through old jewelry, they kept an eye out for old watches to give to me.

The Airman belonged to my wife's grandfather, who owned a paint and chemical company. I'm sure he wore it on the factory floor. There was paint and grime around the lugs and in the ridges on the bezel edge.

I didn't know anything about Glycine or their Airman watches until I got this one and started researching it.

There's also an old Doxa bumper watch. It runs too, but I need to get it degaussed. It gains 15 seconds a minute! That one is resting comfortably in my desk until I can take it to a jeweler for service.


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## Misticuf (Jul 24, 2012)

Just got this back from James Sadilek About Nevada Watch Repair yesterday. He did a great job with it, and I really appreciate it.


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## ccwatchmaker (Nov 28, 2015)

Misticuf, Thank you for your kindness in mentioning my name.

James Sadilek - ccwatchmaker

Glycine Heritage


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## jimmytamp (Jun 27, 2017)

Misticuf said:


> Just got this back from James Sadilek About Nevada Watch Repair yesterday. He did a great job with it, and I really appreciate it.
> View attachment 12474087


Wow,

what a nice restored Airman???

cheers


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