# just took delivery of the Airman Base 22 Mystery! now with pics!



## dinexus (Nov 18, 2012)

In short, it looks absolutely spectacular in person! Huge thanks to Jonathan at Page & Cooper for his patience (and for providing the official Glycine Airman book with my watch!) as I hemmed and hawed, as well as for his lightning-fast international shipping. I went back and forth between the blackout Mystery and the standard silver case/black dialed Base 22, but this version won out because it was both subtle, modern, and much more "tool-esque," if the Airman could ever be considered a tool watch. It also seemed to me, stylistically the most unique departure from the rest of the Airman line (movement complications notwithstanding). I am not a pilot, but an avid traveler, and this seemed a more suitable, subdued companion. And yes, while it could be considered a "blackout" watch, it is executed in an extremely tasteful manner - not unlike the Combat Sub Stealth from Glycine earlier this year. I've always loved the masculine, militant look of a black case, but never found one that didn't completely fall prey to the trend and really spoke to me until now.

If you're worried about the legibility of the watch, I've found it to be more than adequate. It's definitely not a "night mission" watch though, as the press release implies because the grey lume (while much better than anticipated) doesn't hold a strong glow for very long. Plus, in very low light, the lack of stark contrast between the hands and the dial can also be tricky to read. If you absolutely have to be able to tell the local time, perhaps you could use the high-vis GMT hand for the local time. Whatever it takes, right? I already own several high-visibility watches for nighttime use though, and wanted an Airman specifically for travel. And for this, I am extremely happy.

One of my favorite things about the watch, I was not expecting. The exhibition caseback features a dark, smoked crystal, giving an amazing blackened appearance to the movement within. Tried to get a good photo of it, but they do not do justice. Looks amazing! Also, the dial on some Airman watches tends to lean towards the "busy" side of things, but much of that visual activity is greatly toned-down on the Mystery, without compromising the personality of the watch itself. The grey Superlume 'pops' at just the right angle, with all of the dial numbers seemingly appearing only when summoned by your eyes. Some blackout watches look overly aggressive and stand out in a bad way, while some traditional silver cases are too flashy or showy. In a single word, "subtle" is the best word I can use to describe the Airman Mystery. Once it catches your eye, it demands a second look, without screaming for attention in the first place.

As for the case itself, it's quite a bit thinner than expected. Also wears quite small for a 42mm, but that's only in comparison to several other 42mm watches I have that 'feel' massive. Given that this is a black watch, small is definitely more appreciated. The PVD finish seems totally stellar as well. One minor nitpick, the included NATO strap is of nice enough quality, but it feels quite a bit less substantial, and is much shorter than a traditional NATO. It also didn't leave enough room for the fold-over, which was kind of awkward. I have pretty small wrists, so I opted for this heavier "bond" style ZULU strap from Crown & Buckle instead.







I'll try to get a few more photos of the crowns, of the caseback, and of the lume, but I'll need to make a camera change and a little more time. Thanks for reading!


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## Uwe W. (Jan 7, 2009)

*Re: just took delivery of the Airman Base 22 Mystery!*



dinexus said:


> this version won out for various reasons which I'll explain later.


I guess until then it'll remain a mystery to us...

Welcome to WUS.


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## Emre (May 16, 2012)

*Re: just took delivery of the Airman Base 22 Mystery!*

looking forward your review and pics. Am considering to buy it as a present, curious about readability ( is there such a word !!! )


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## dinexus (Nov 18, 2012)

*Re: just took delivery of the Airman Base 22 Mystery!*



zyk1on said:


> ...curious about readability ( is there such a word !!! )


Because the hands aren't contrasting at all, and the grey lume isn't terribly strong, it's definitely NOT a watch for nighttime legibility. However, I think it's still very legible.


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## jbbusybee (Aug 1, 2008)

*Re: just took delivery of the Airman Base 22 Mystery!*

Great review, I am glad you like the watch and I think you got the 'stealth' idea bang on!

Pleasure to deal with you too.


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## AEC (Nov 9, 2011)

Cool piece and nice review. Congratulations!


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## dinexus (Nov 18, 2012)

AEC said:


> Cool piece and nice review. Congratulations!


Thank you!


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## mpalmer (Dec 30, 2011)

Congrats on your new Glycine! It looks great!


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## Sodiac (Dec 6, 2008)

Looks perfect with the jeans photo!


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## dinexus (Nov 18, 2012)

Obligatory close-up/lume shots:


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## Yunsung (Aug 15, 2012)

Great review and I agree with you on the lume. I used to own the combat stealth. It was an excellent piece and excellent value for money, but the lume did not hold a long enough charge.

it looks like they have the same hands and use the same lume powder/technology and the fact that the sub does not have AR coating makes it probably more difficult than the mystery.

I went back and forth and a part of me still resets returning the watch and if only the lume was better I would have definitely keep it and probably would have bought the mystery too.


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