# Airman - which model to choose?



## TH14

Hi all, I've been a WUS member for a little while but have just started getting interested in Glycine so this is my first post in this sub forum. The Airman range caught my eye a little while ago - I saw a lovely photo of an SST6 on a plain black leather strap and started researching from there. The problem is there are so many nice models to choose from! I think I've narrowed it down to three: a black SST12, a Base 22 Mystery or a 1953 vintage. I love the contrast of the polished / brushed areas on the SST case but also like the stealth looks of the Mystery and the classic appeal of the 1953! I'd be very grateful to hear owner's experiences, especially if you have more than one of those models. My main concerns are size and fit (I have a weedy 6.5 - 6.75 inch wrist) and the legibility of the Mystery. This is likely to be my only watch purchase for a while so I'm keen to get it right!Thanks in advance for your help! Wrist photos would be much appreciated.


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## Emre

Understand your 'one shot' concern. Just to bump your thread can steal photos from Dennis and his famous #140-personalized hands, 1953 Airman. He mentions 6.4 inch wrists:



















Other members would chime in also,my humble opinion would be the Airman 1953 LE or SST - aka Pumpkin within the options you've mentioned. Tough call, wish you luck...


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## Uwe W.

It is a very tough call, because after all it really comes down to personal preference. For what it's worth, I don't think there's a wrong decision to be made. From a purely practical aspect, two are 42 mm, one 43 mm, so there's nothing between them for size except that the SST might fit a smaller wrist slightly better because of its case shape. How important is lume to you? When you buy a Mystery you should know ahead of time that black lume is a terrible performer and it will be the worst to read at night. It might also be the most difficult to read in daylight too (but it does look great). Then there's the time zones. With the Mystery and SST you get 3, the LE only 2 (for most of us 2 time zones is plenty). There is an SST purist as well (2 time zones), so you have choices in that model too.

Superficially they are three dramatically different watches. My advice would be to put photos of all three side by side and see which one your eye gravitates toward. There's really little point in me suggesting which one you should buy (SST  ) because it would just be a subjective opinion. There's no question that picking out just one watch can sometimes be a painfully difficult exercise. Good luck.


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## achilles

I have the 1953 Vintage LE, and I love it so much. I was in the same position as you too, and I finally pulled the trigger on the 1953 Vintage LE, and boy am I glad I made that decision.
Very good fit and finish, and classic look from the 1950s era but with all the modern touches!

Mine below. My wrist is also around 6.5 -6.6", and the watch wears very nicely under shirt cuffs. It's got a very nice slim profile. Very comfortable to wear. Be it formal or informal wear, I find the 1953 LE a winner. I liked the OEM Nato strap so much that I left mine on it so far. But will sure try the myriad of strap options later on.


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## TH14

Thanks for the helpful replies gents! Some very nice photos there and good to see that the vintage model looks good on smaller wrists. I do like the classic looks but wonder if I should try something a bit different or more modern. Whilst they're obviously very different watches, I already have a Stowa Flieger which might cover my classic requirement! I love the strong lume on the Stowa too so I'll definitely keep in mind the comments about the Mystery. 

I'd love to see some photos of an SST, ideally with the black face, on a smaller wrist if anyone has some.


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## TommyG

Three great watches and all good choices for different reasons. I really want the 1953 Vintage LE....really a fantastic looking piece. I already have a white-faced Base 22 though, so haven't pulled the trigger. A bit of insight into the Base 22 Mystery, which I also have. Like Uwe W. says, the loom is virtually non-existent. Also, it's just plain hard to see...especially in bright daylight. With the shine off the crystal, the black hands and black dial I often have to shade the dial in order to tell the time in this bright California sunshine (not complaining too much). It is a cool looking watch, though. Here's a wrist shot:


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## tylehman

first i can say i am not in the market for an airman yet, but i will be some day. the thing that i did not know originally and will affect my future purchase of an airman is that the GMT models are not totally 24 hour watches. the main hands run as a normal watch... that is the hour hand goes around once every 12 hours and only the GMT hand is truly 24 hours, and that is the hand that is used for the 2 other time zones. if that is important to you, i just wanted to let you know. i would have been very disappointed if i finally got my first airman and it was not a true 24 hour watch, but that is just me. i already have other 24 hour watches so having the main hand working as a 12 hour watch would not be considered an advantage to me. i am also one of those that think you should have the 24 on top... just some things that you want to consider before committing. ;-)


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## Aquavit

I have both, the 1953 and SST - here is a wrist shot of the 1953 on my 7 1/2" wrist:



Although the SST is marginally bigger it actually wears smaller on the wrist, I have mine currently on a mesh bracelet and it is super comfortable. Neither watch has very good lume but both will be much more readable than the Mystery in daylight condition. I am not a fan of the Mystery - I don't quite get the point of it, given you have the Stowa I would humbly propose that you buy the SST in purist version ;-)


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## TH14

Thanks again for all the info, gents. That's a really useful insight into the Mystery - I think I might have ruled it out now. It's also handy to know about the different versions - I had been confusing myself about the functions! The vintage looks great on the grey NATO, Aquavit - thanks for the photo. If it's not too much trouble or you have any that you've already taken, I'd be really grateful for a comparison photo of the SST and the vintage. I appreciate this is a lot to ask though - no worries if you don't have the time or inclination!


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## Aquavit

TH14 said:


> Thanks again for all the info, gents. That's a really useful insight into the Mystery - I think I might have ruled it out now. It's also handy to know about the different versions - I had been confusing myself about the functions! The vintage looks great on the grey NATO, Aquavit - thanks for the photo. If it's not too much trouble or you have any that you've already taken, I'd be really grateful for a comparison photo of the SST and the vintage. I appreciate this is a lot to ask though - no worries if you don't have the time or inclination!


No problem, here's a Q&D off my phone for comparison:


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## TH14

Thanks again Aquavit. The SST looks great, as does the vintage - I've got some thinking to do! The finishing on the SST case looks really nice...


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## DM71

Well, i have the SST06 and the Airman specisl II, which should have same dimension as the 1953, and i personally find the SST06 to wear much bigger than than the Special II

The SST06 is not only bigger at 44mm vs 42mm, but more importantly, it is 53mm lug to lug vs 51mm for the Special II ( or1953). 
This is what makes all the difference IMO.

I have no wrist pics available, but i would definitely suggest the 1953 for a smaller wrist. I find that the tonneau case gives a lot of volume to the sst06 and find it wears much bigger than my Special II.

Both of my watches are purist version and that's what i would recommend to anyone buying one. I find the regular 12 h time confusing when the dial is only marked in 24h scales. Also. Having 24 lumed dot on the dial helps a lot for telling time in the dark. This is something a like a lot on the special II that the sst06 is missing.

Love both anyways. The case of the sst is great. Hope you enjoy the one you chose!


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## Aquavit

DM71 said:


> Well, i have the SST06 and the Airman specisl II, which should have same dimension as the 1953, and i personally find the SST06 to wear much bigger than than the Special II
> 
> The SST06 is not only bigger at 44mm vs 42mm, but more importantly, it is 53mm lug to lug vs 51mm for the Special II ( or1953).
> This is what makes all the difference IMO.
> 
> I have no wrist pics available, but i would definitely suggest the 1953 for a smaller wrist. I find that the tonneau case gives a lot of volume to the sst06 and find it wears much bigger than my Special II.
> 
> Both of my watches are purist version and that's what i would recommend to anyone buying one. I find the regular 12 h time confusing when the dial is only marked in 24h scales. Also. Having 24 lumed dot on the dial helps a lot for telling time in the dark. This is something a like a lot on the special II that the sst06 is missing.


My version (as per my wrist shot) is the SST12 which is slightly smaller diameter than the SST06 and the lug to lug is only 47mm therefore the watch is/wears smaller than the Vintage.

As you say, the lug to lug is the more critical dimension and on that basis I would suggest that the SST12 would be the better fit for a smaller wrist.


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## Uwe W.

Aquavit said:


> As you say, the lug to lug is the more critical dimension and on that basis I would suggest that the SST12 would be the better fit for a smaller wrist.


Exactly, which was my suggestion in an earlier post. I think the SST12 is 43 mm versus 44 mm for the SST06. Also it has a different shape case than the SST06, which is why its much shorter lug to lug.


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## TH14

DM71, it was your SST06 photo that got me interested in the Airman. Great photo and perfect strap!


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## DM71

TH14 said:


> DM71, it was your SST06 photo that got me interested in the Airman. Great photo and perfect strap!


Thanks. I love the SST06.

Guys, I completely missed we were talking about the SST12 and not SST06. My bad.


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