Glycine Combat Sub Review: A Vintage in Tactical Dive Watch

The Glycine watch company has a solid foundation to provide excellent value at reasonable prices. The company has served the watch community with a line of captivating and sturdy watches. At a first glance, you might say that the watch is just a common dive watch. But taking a closer look, it deserves to be analyzed meticulously. This is what we’re going to discuss in this Glycine Combat Sub review. 

Talking about dive watches, it is indeed one of the most crowded designs in the market. Many brands introduce their version of dive watches and the same also goes for Glycine. The company was best known for its GMT and pilot watches that were used by the US military. 

The Combat line has been in production since 1967, resulting in various enchanting timepieces to collect. Well, let’s just dive into the discussion to scrutinize the Glycine Combat Sub in detail.

Overview: Glycine Combat Sub 42 Blue Heritage

Glycine has been carrying the vintage trends for years ever since the start. The Combat SUB 42 Blue Heritage is one of them and was made in the early 60s theme. A popular trend for timepieces in that era is the use of gold and the same also goes for this watch that used a gold-tone chapter ring and lettering.

As a dive watch, the Combat SUB 42 is a nice-looking timepiece for both diving and casual activities. It looks good to match almost any occasion thanks to its blue dial and stainless steel bracelet that looks chic. In the end, the watch is really an excellent timepiece for this price point, a good watch under $1000. 

Read also: Top 6 Iconic 70s Watches: Reminiscing the Aesthetic Beauty

A Combination of Vintage and Tactical Dive Watch

Carrying the value of heritage and great features for a dive watch, the Glycine Combat SUB 42 Blue Heritage Ref. GL0271 makes an appealing combination for day-to-day activities. The wearer can boast not only how reliable the watch is but also reminisce about the flamboyant of the past. 

Watch Case

Talking about the external part is the easiest way to discuss a timepiece in detail. So, let’s take a closer look at the case first. The case is built of high-grade 316L stainless steel with rugged construction for better durability against bumps or scratches. 

The watch is also applied with a full-satin finish, resulting in this military diver having a more personalized feel. Flipping the watch, you can see the caseback with details on a logo and other information about the watch. 

Protruding on the side of the case is a gold-treated crown that can be screwed down. This type of crown is essential for a dive watch to prevent water from damaging the internal parts. It’s also measured large which allows for easy operation. While the gold color gives a taste of luxury and vintage at the same time.

As for the dimensions, the watch is measured proportionally at 42mm in diameter and 11.5mm in thickness which is a comfortable size for all wrist sizes. The short lug-to-lug length of 49.5mm also allows for a slimmer profile and with the curved design, it wraps like a pair of gloves on the wrist.

Bezel

Moving on to the bezel as the main part of a dive watch, the Glycine Combat SUB 42 Blue Heritage offers a nice grip for the operation. The bezel comes in a different color – a bit darker than the dial background. It is a 60 clicks unidirectional rotating bezel that is slightly beveled outwards.

You might notice an appealing section on the bezel where Glycine makes the 15 minutes marker in gold. The color nicely matches the heritage dial layout complemented with a triangle pip at 12 o ‘clock. Every element on the bezel somehow gives a hint of a vintage theme.

Dial

A dial is everything about the watch’s appearance. The overall view flaunts a sophisticated yet vintage thanks to the use of gold tones on the hour markers, hands, and letterings. Some say this is quite a crowded dial with the color combinations and other elements on it – but, the readability is still good enough.

The dial is also equipped with a date window at 3 o’clock. It’s quite small and without a magnifier. It might be quite difficult to tell a date just from a simple glance, especially in the model where the background has the same color as the window. Yet, here the contrast makes it better to tell the date.

For night legibility, the hour markers and hands are filled with the right amount of C1 SuperLuminova for superb glow-in-the-dark. In brief, the dial creates an appealing view, especially with a golden railway track that runs around the edge of the dial.

Protecting the dial is a flat sapphire crystal with 3 layers that allows for anti-reflective coating on the underside. As a result, it adds clarity for the wearer to tell the time under different lighting conditions.

Read also: Watch Crystal Types: Take A Look at The Different Varieties

Movement

Not only that we need an enchanting watch appearance but also a superb performance. This military diver is driven by a Glycine GL224 movement, which is essentially an ETA2824-2/SW200. It operates at 28,800 bph (4 Hertz) with hacking and hand-winding capabilities.

In addition, the watch is equipped with 25/26 jewels and has a power reserve for up to 38 hours. The movement is still considered reliable with good accuracy and toughness. Topping it off, the watch has 200m water resistance which is a good number for safe professional diving.

Strap

Last but not least is the strap that completes the overall look. This collection actually comes with a wide array of strap options from rubber, leather, stainless steel, NATO, and nylon. In this Glycine Combat Sub 42 review, the watch is paired with a 316L signed stainless steel bracelet that further evokes a gentleman’s timepiece. It comes with a flip-lock push-button clasp.

Conclusion

Overall, Glycine Combat Sub is a good watch considering the performance and designs it offers – even if it could be the best for its price. It serves as a reliable and up-to-date tactical diver with a “vintage” touch. That makes the watch undeniably attractive while also carrying great value.

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