That's what I call professional watch review I really enjoyed it.. Overall how highly you recommend this watch am only one step away from clicking proceed to payment
Great review Sir! I love the Glycine Combat Subs! I own a few myself. I also own Omega, Breitling and Tag Hauer but still like the Glycine just as much!
Best wearing watch I own. 10.5 height and curved lugs wears smaller and easy on the cuffs. Mine is blue/blue and on a jubilee right now but it looks classy on a Hirsch Pure blue strap in the summer. Oh, as a bonus it keeps +3spd time. It’s not my favorite but does get a lot of wrist time. Bang for buck on this one.
I think some the misgivings you have are unique to the model you have chosen. The date wheel issue does not apply to most of the other models. The hands on your model are also quite different than those of other models. I now own five of these watches. Initially, I bought the black dial/blue bezel model. I loved the design and the accuracy so much that I started lusting after many of the other models. These watches are so inexpensive and come in so many variations that they are hard to resist at less than $ 350. The fact that they are so reasonably priced means that I can wear one in the pool, working on my car, replacing a faucet and never worry about damaging my watch. As for the quality of the movement, I dont think it matters whether it is an ETA or Sellita movement. As I said I own a five of these watches and not one of them is off by more than 4 sec/day. I agree it wears a bit large on the wrist. If this watch was a 40 mm it would be an unbeatable value.
This is the reason i never bought a model with the date at the 4. The models with the date at the 3 do not have this issue. I own 2. A chrono and a grey numeric dial standard auto. Both great watches on well built bracelets.
I own the red bezel version on a bracelet, and it really is a great watch. I ordered it from Jomashop, and it cost a Total of £320 delivered to my door in the UK, which included duty. If I had bought it through a UK supplier it would have cost £695. Strange yours is 120 click, as mine is only 60. Also, mine has polished sides, and the date is at the 3.00. To be honest, it's a totally different watch.
I recently bought the GL0188, and I've found I share most of your compliments for it with less of the negatives. Date window is black with white text and the frame is lumed, has applied markers that don't compare to the Orient Star Diver, but are sufficient. The brown bezel and dial work well with the bronze case, compared to a stainless steel one, and I think the not-mercedes hour hand works better having round indices for most of the hours. On my model, I found the leather band to be very nice for the price. Haven't taken it off it yet, though part of that might be the trouble finding bands with a rose gold buckle to match better with the bronze case.
Yes, It's most likely a Selitta. As Invicta, is now Glycine's "parent company", and Invicta's close association, with Selitta . Though still finding an ETA movement with either Brand is Not rare.
My GoldenEye has an ETA. It's buttery smooth like most hi-beat watches. Do not own any Sellita yet, but do have a Chinese clone of the ETA which actually runs great to..
A great looking watch, and some lovely photography. This is really good value watch too. The date window is the highlight for me. Legible, and the orientation is first rate. A winner for me.
Thanks Shane for the video, I have an 8” wrist and own two GCS’s the GL0076 and the GL0088 and both fit my wrist very well. They both run a little fast but since I have over a dozen autos, I set the time when they come up on rotation. Bought the 76 at Costco for less than $400 and the 88 at Jomashop for $329. For me who owns a Steinhart OVM and a SWC diver these are some of my favorites.
thanks for a very pleasant review - currently, my combat sub is my daily wear, I like it a lot! I don't know if an ETA of Sellita is inside, but at -15 sec a month (!) it's astonishingly accurate.
I just bought the bronze and blue version GL0174. The lume and date wheel, as well the hour hand looks much better. The minute hand could be a little wider. Great review. Tot me it is a keeper.
@@RelativeTime It's a very comfortable strap and it suits the watch, but I like to put my own touch on my watches. Right now I got it on a dark blue croc with white stitching. I'm going Kevin O'Leary on it next just to see how it works. I really like your effort to show of watches with many different straps. Great inspiration Shane.
Own 3 Glycine's, C/Sub bronze +2sec., a Airman gmt. 24 hr. sub dial, and a c/sub chrono. All run flawlessly, wear great, finished nicely at a great price point. All old logo. Will buy 3 more. Recently found a n.o.s. Airman book @ $25.00 great purchase.
Great review I just got mines. The watch is more than solid and worth the 500 bucks or less. If you don't care about the look or colors. I recommend any Seiko Diver or Citizen you do not loose any quality.
I've been watching your vids long now to know that you love "weird" colours in dials, greens, reds, browns, azure, grey, etc etc... And then you combine these with all kinds of straps types and colours! It's such a great opportunity for us to see these. Thanks mate, honestly. PS This one on any leather strap looks classy but the navy blue seatbelt Nato strap makes it fly high (or dive deep LOL)! Awesome combo! (joke tip: a drop of a red ink in the middle of the hour hand circle could save it... plus it's gonna look like a RAF sigh, but who's to do that? LOL)
I love the date window. It's sitting there saying, "Date windows are monumentally useful, especially when they are easy to read. Here's the date. You're welcome."
Hey Shane, thanks for the review. I'm looking to buy either a Glycine or a Hamilton Khaki field.... not sure which one yet, I'm still in the research phase. Btw, you have a great voice.... makes me feel like I'm listening to Rod Serling of the Twilight Zone. :)
Hi Shane. Great review as always - but more importantly - great choice of piece to review. I've had my eye on one of these 'Explorer dial' Combat Subs for the last month or so, when I first came across the dial configuration. Unfortunately, I just dropped my watch savings on another piece but I am hoping to see one of these in my future. I particularly like the Explorer dial with the black PVD case & bracelet and blue bezel. Blacked out watches are not usually my thing, but I'm imagining the watch head on a blue canvas strap with that blue bezel and I like what I see...in my imagination! I have a Glycine Airman Purist that I picked up for $350. It's an ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ timepiece at an ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ price, so I'm sure the Combat Sub would be the same. I don't mind the date, but I have the same issue with the crown guards/crown and hour hand. To me it's just a Mercedes hand minus the things that actually make it a Mercedes hand!, so why bother?, just finish the job! I would much prefer to see an original shape. I think a *rounded off* rectangular hour hand would complement both the arabics and baton indices well... So simply swapping the second hand to a lolly-pop style & the hour hand to a semi rectangular style could work well. Anyway. Despite this I really like the piece and would be more than happy to call it mine. Cheers, Anthony.
Thanks! Glycine is a great brand. I think the next one I look for will be a combat classic moon phase. I kept thinking this would look great with a snowflake hand set. Yet someone mentioned that Tudor already did that with their Black Bay Bronze. I always thought the black Bay bronze had the same black bay dial, but evidently they went with an explorer dial as well.
Ugh, Shane! You complain about the 4 o'clock date and you missed talking about the two distinct positives about it! 1) the date is oriented horizontally even though it's at 4:00 -- a rarity and a welcome attention to detail in my view, and 2) the date is exactly where a "4" would be, and the contrasting color lets it serve as a stand-in for a normal index at that position. I always enjoy your reviews, but sometimes you let your nit-picks obscure the nuance and execution of design decisions. Thanks for the rundown, as always.
The 60 degree date is a nice touch but someone should have said hey you can see the movement, maybe we should use a black date wheel or add a dab of paint to disguise it.
The rotation is a nice touch, and I should of mentioned it. Yet as a whole it rubbed me the wrong way and wound up being more of a distraction. Although that's also why I like to show as much detail as I can on stuff like this, as not everyone will have the same opinion. This way they can see if for themselves. Still a great watch, and shouldn't stop anyone from getting one. Cheers!
Great review as always Shane. I keep going back to thinking about getting a Combat Sub. I'd love one of the black coated ones with black bracelet. I think I have to let it go with my 6.5 inch wrist though.
Yeah, the crewed the pooch on that one. If they would have run a brown or black date wheel it would have blended okay. The 3 o'clock versions don't have this issue. My GL0188 has a black date wheel at 3 o'clock coverage and blending are perfect....why they didn't at least use a black wheel is beyond me.
Glad to see someone else got a watch off Drop. I was a little leery. I just purchased 3... Naruto Seiko watches. Yeah yeah I know. I watched it with my kids and the dials are really nice. 2 for my boys and one for me... one boy is 14 the other 6 so I’ll be “holding” onto it for him. My goal when I started this hobby was to leave one watch for each of my kids. Nothing super special, just a watch dad bought for them or left to them. My dad didn’t collect anything to leave me or my sister...
That's a pretty sexy watch overall. I'm not loving the color but I like the basic style. It's surprisingly thin, which is nice. A high-beat Swiss movement for $400 is pretty good! If they ditched the date and added tritium I'd be pretty stoked.
Shane, ETA doesn't make it easy for non-Swatch Group brands. I've heard they no longer sell ready to run movements, just the core. So Glycene's approach is a practical necessity.
Always love your content. Can you review watches under $500 that are options for gents with diminishing eyesight? There's plenty of watch options out there for those of us with normal eyesight but I've yet to come across good reviews specific for those who have a passion for horology/collecting whose vision may be not as it were some years ago such as father's, uncle's, friends, etc. who have a passion for watches but struggle to wear just the typical recommended value pieces.
That's a great idea! Although I'm not sure where I'd start on that other then look for watches with large and easy to read dials. Nothing small and hard to read. Have you found any in particular you like for that?
Nice review. I have a Combat Sub from 2017. Mine has full Arabic’s, both a 12-hour and 24-hour track. It’s a very nice watch. I really can’t think of another Swiss Made Auto Diver for this price. Usually there would be over $500 or more. I alactually brontosaurus think I can think of anything comparable this thin with 200m wr. Your still at the NH35 at this price, starting to go into the 9015 territory. Lots of microbrands between $300-$400, but none be Swiss powered.
if you did not buy this watch, on my word do so if you can. invest in a very nice new hadley roma strap or something and it is a black bay then bro trust me. this watch brand is official and i have several top tier brands in my collection.
Good review, Shane. I did notice the edge of the date wheel; even before you mentioned it. The coffee color looks to lean a little towards red-brown, at least; on my monitor. I do think it is worth the price of admission, though. This version is just not for me. Particularly, with the wheel being like that. Congrats on you new watch. I'm looking, still; myself.
I have this watch. I also wish it was a no-date. I think it’s a fine watch and am enjoying it even more as it patinas. I wore mine to the pool all summer on a NATO..... I was hoping you would recommend a NATO with bronze hardware or maybe a tropical rubber strap with bronze hardware.🤔. My brown leather strap looks awesome and wears great, it’s just not great in the summer months.
Nice Watch. I Like a white date indicator . My Eyes are bad the white date wheel helps my eyes to see the date. One Man,s trash is another Man,s Treasure . Great demo for the Glycine Combat dive Watch .I knew to watches and i really enjoyed the Video
How about this? Wears well, rugged, water proof , accurate, and, I've had mine for a year and wear it all the time. Down Side, none. YOU HAVE TO LOVE GLYCINE
Hey 👋🏾 thank you. That was very helpful. I'm relatively new to watch collecting. I do have a Seiko SKX which I bought about 2 years ago. I am looking for something a little different in this price range. The fact that its a Swiss movement and its got that nice combat,sub combination. Although I agree I I'm not very keen on the colour position of that date on the dial I think It could be a watch for me to considered. My question is. Is there anything else you would recommend me look before diving in? 😂
@@HVG67 Strange... mine (bezel) looks much more golden than brown. Anyway, great combo with the mesh, was thinking about that too. Mine is on black lizard nowadays, def dresses it up.
Nice. Do they make any references without any date? Not fussed whether Arabic or indices or colour, just don't like dates on most watches, especially divers. Cheers, good review 👍🏻
Hello my name is Alan Foster, I have a GLYCINE- GL0166,BRONZE I liked the strap that you were using 22 mm, Quit release, Bronze buckle, Anyway that I can find a strap exactly like the one you're using in this video?
I wish you would have gone into the "bronze" concept a bit more with this brand and watch. I am looking to get my first bronze watch, I favor divers and I have a Glycine Combat Sub in steel already - also a couple of Seikos, Hamilton Khaki Field, Orient, Helm, Squale and Zelos. This version of the Glycine Combat Sub is one I have decided to represent my bronze (wouldn't be interested in more than one) - the GL0266. I really like the diver/field combo and the Glycine Combat Sub in particular, but I do have a slight issue with the narrow hands and the painted markers.. but for $400 ???!!! Other representative options anyone suggests?
I own the GoldenEye. Great watch. And luckily not the faux Mercedes hand. That's is my greatest turn off. No worries about the black case whatsoever.. it also has the other, smaller logo.
@@RelativeTime correct, and I changed it out for a black Milanese. The original band is very comfortable and well made, but the Milanese looks stunning on it 👍instagram.com/p/B5XQ9hdnDjW/?igshid=d8q4b14d8bii | instagram.com/p/B39CER8Hs7W/?igshid=1ib6d9gptny8x
@@RelativeTime Mine came on a leather lined black canvas strap. Perfectly fine and comfy but I changed it to black lizard. Officially my most dressy diver ;-)
Was about to buy the blue dial w ss bracelet but then I found out that they are owned(stained) by Invicta. I had to cancel my order... hope im wrong but I’m not willing to take that risk and it’s funny how many color ways they offer and the massive price drops. Two tactics of Invicta
A lot of people say that Invicta hasn't changed anything since they took over, that they are mostly leaving them alone. Yet when in doubt, and you can't see it in person, always better to be cautious. Personally, I'd love to hear from Someone who has both a pre-Invicta and a post Invicta combat sub, but I haven't yet. So far so good on this, although if I do experience anything goofy with this one long term I'll be sure to leave a comment here about it.
I know you already cancelled your order but I have the blue dial GL0077 with the winged logo as well as the similar gray/black GL076 and the all black GL079 which I happen to be wearing today. The last two have the old and new replacement crown logo. I assume all are post Invicta acquisition since purchased within the last two years. I have zero concerns with the quality as they are well made, run very accurately, have quality bracelets and fit my 7 inch wrist very well due to the curved lugs. If you could have bought it around $300 like I did then I think you missed out by canceling. The three I bought are all the same dial design as each other with bracelet with color matched date wheel at the 3 and totally different than the model Shane reviewed.
Excellent video and I think you really do provide a balanced view with all your reviews. I have a GL0257 46mm which for $315 was a fantastic buy and one of my favourite divers in my collection. The SW200 has 26 jewels compared to 25 jewels for the ETA 2824 and from what I read does provide an improvement on the ETA design. My combat sub is running at +9 s/d. I also have an Airman GL293 GMT (which I love) with the same movement (I suspect) running at ~3 s/d. By the way, the 46mm combat subs are 13.5mm thick compared to 10.5mm for the 42mm variants despite what Glycine publish on their website!!
I have a Combat seven it is a nice watch I kind of wish I would’ve went for a combat diver oh well I got what I got it’s a nice watch others can learn from my mistakes I just don’t dress up enough to justify a combat seven dress watch
Well ingesting any heavy metal will be toxic, but not sure if bronze is against the skin. I'll have to do a little bit of research. I know the primary reason is that the copper alloy in bronze can react with sweat and oils to turn you skin green. So far I've never personally had that happen.
Which website? Drop or Glycines? It was a "limited" release, and drop has recently moved away from watches. So maybe they are trying to cash out on the last few. Although if that's true, it's pretty silly. You can get a similar not limited one directly from Glycine.
@@Ajnihah7 ok gotcha. That's an overinflated MSRP. Some companies do that, so it seems like a better deal when you buy it. It's not a practice I agree with, but they aren't alone in that. Which is why it's always important to check multiple stores to see what the street price is.
@@RelativeTime these watches are beginning to increase in value because people love them and sales and reputation are increasing. if invicta helps build on this and does not cheapen them but increase quality they will be a force in 5 yrs
Bronze sub $ 450. delv blue strap. Airman $356. delv.blue strap, c/ sub $ 217. delv. bracelet. Some of the most comfortable watches I own, straps are of very good quality. A Fan Boy.
@@pastoriusmonk6971 For a true 100% everything comes from or made in Switzerland, I think you are correct. Heck, I'd say it would be impossible under $2,000. Yet this shows it is possible for a "swiss made" under the legal definition of Switzerland. Which is 60% of the value has to from Swiss origins. So odds are it, and most swiss made watches under $1000, have a lot of components made elsewhere. Then they are all assembled and final QC is done in Switzerland.
Dies Swiss Made always translate into higher quality? I think there are plenty of Asian made watches that are also of high quality. Glyicine is owned by Invicta and who knows how they could destroy this brand. I don’t believe anything by Invicta is of higher quality.
That's a rather large can of worms to open up, with a wide range of opinions. Especially considering that at this price range, or really anything under a grand, a lot of the components are being made in Asia and then assembled in Switzerland. My own personal opinion is that if you are talking "Made in Japan" vs "Swiss Made" there isn't going to be a big difference in quality when comparing a similarly priced watch. Yet if you are talking "Chinese Made" vs "Swiss Made", then I think there is going to be some potential differences. For me it comes down to quality control. Where I think the Swiss are going to be a lot more thorough, and less inclined to let something sub-par ship out. Which is why I think a lot of Microbrands, who have their watches made in China, do the final QC themselves before shipping to the customers. As for the Invicta factor, I'm not sure. From the limited research I've done, it doesn't seem like they've changed to much. But time may tell.
Thank you for a well thought out response. I do wonder if people just believe that Swiss made is better than any Asian made product. I do believe that there is some bias there. Really manufacturing took place in Switzerland due to cheap labor but now it is equated with superior quality. I’m not sure that Swiss made is actually better. I think it’s a good marketing ploy though.
Can't say I'm a big fan of the explorer dial, and I never get weak at the knees at the prospect of a Swiss made movement, regardless of the price. Needless to say not one for me, even without the poorly designed/executed date wheel/window
Just so people know most Combat Subs are 60 click bezels not 120 like this one. I've never seen the edge of a date window on any watch I've ever owned; that deserves criticism for sure. PS I have a GL0244 in the mail :)
That's what I call professional watch review I really enjoyed it.. Overall how highly you recommend this watch am only one step away from clicking proceed to payment
Great review Sir! I love the Glycine Combat Subs! I own a few myself. I also own Omega, Breitling and Tag Hauer but still like the Glycine just as much!
well said, all true and your collection sounds similar to mine.
I always like how you show the watches on multiple straps. Keep up the great reviews and content!
Best wearing watch I own. 10.5 height and curved lugs wears smaller and easy on the cuffs. Mine is blue/blue and on a jubilee right now but it looks classy on a Hirsch Pure blue strap in the summer. Oh, as a bonus it keeps +3spd time. It’s not my favorite but does get a lot of wrist time. Bang for buck on this one.
That's fantastic accuracy!
It’s an ETA that came with a +9. I put it to the timegrapher about a year ago and it’s held steady since. Not bad for a $379 watch.
I think some the misgivings you have are unique to the model you have chosen. The date wheel issue does not apply to most of the other models. The hands on your model are also quite different than those of other models. I now own five of these watches. Initially, I bought the black dial/blue bezel model. I loved the design and the accuracy so much that I started lusting after many of the other models. These watches are so inexpensive and come in so many variations that they are hard to resist at less than $ 350. The fact that they are so reasonably priced means that I can wear one in the pool, working on my car, replacing a faucet and never worry about damaging my watch. As for the quality of the movement, I dont think it matters whether it is an ETA or Sellita movement. As I said I own a five of these watches and not one of them is off by more than 4 sec/day. I agree it wears a bit large on the wrist. If this watch was a 40 mm it would be an unbeatable value.
Great review, sir. The date display killed it for me.
If you’re a fan of a black face, they have an option with a black date window which hides this flaw...same watch
This is the reason i never bought a model with the date at the 4. The models with the date at the 3 do not have this issue. I own 2. A chrono and a grey numeric dial standard auto. Both great watches on well built bracelets.
Go dateless? Nope! Had enough of that in High School.
The Gylcine Combat Sub is one of my favorite watches. I have done a few videos with the Combat Sub. GL0087 is my favorite model.
That's the one I have, and it's hard to find fault with the dial with the white hands and orange military time markers, it's just mesmerising.
I own the red bezel version on a bracelet, and it really is a great watch. I ordered it from Jomashop, and it cost a Total of £320 delivered to my door in the UK, which included duty. If I had bought it through a UK supplier it would have cost £695. Strange yours is 120 click, as mine is only 60. Also, mine has polished sides, and the date is at the 3.00. To be honest, it's a totally different watch.
I like the models with the date at the 4 position. :)
I recently bought the GL0188, and I've found I share most of your compliments for it with less of the negatives. Date window is black with white text and the frame is lumed, has applied markers that don't compare to the Orient Star Diver, but are sufficient. The brown bezel and dial work well with the bronze case, compared to a stainless steel one, and I think the not-mercedes hour hand works better having round indices for most of the hours.
On my model, I found the leather band to be very nice for the price. Haven't taken it off it yet, though part of that might be the trouble finding bands with a rose gold buckle to match better with the bronze case.
The leather strap on my Glycine Airman was insanely good too. Especially at the price.
Yes, It's most likely a Selitta. As Invicta, is now Glycine's "parent company", and Invicta's close association, with Selitta . Though still finding an ETA movement with either Brand is Not rare.
My GoldenEye has an ETA. It's buttery smooth like most hi-beat watches. Do not own any Sellita yet, but do have a Chinese clone of the ETA which actually runs great to..
A great looking watch, and some lovely photography. This is really good value watch too. The date window is the highlight for me. Legible, and the orientation is first rate. A winner for me.
Thanks for watching!
The date window is poorly done!!
Thanks Shane for the video, I have an 8” wrist and own two GCS’s the GL0076 and the GL0088 and both fit my wrist very well. They both run a little fast but since I have over a dozen autos, I set the time when they come up on rotation. Bought the 76 at Costco for less than $400 and the 88
at Jomashop for $329. For me who owns a Steinhart OVM and a SWC diver these are some of my favorites.
Glycine is a fantastic watch
I have 4 , including the moon phase classic
I've got a 8" wrist do you think the 46MM Combat Sub would fit me or be too big?
I have 4 also . 8 inch wrist can stand 45mm to 48mm
thanks for a very pleasant review - currently, my combat sub is my daily wear, I like it a lot! I don't know if an ETA of Sellita is inside, but at -15 sec a month (!) it's astonishingly accurate.
That's pretty good. The Selitta is basically a clone of the Eta anyways, so it doesn't matter too much.
I just bought the bronze and blue version GL0174. The lume and date wheel, as well the hour hand looks much better. The minute hand could be a little wider. Great review. Tot me it is a keeper.
I have this same one from drop.....one of the best value, and nice looking pieces available
Nice watch and review. Had my eye on these for awhile. Thanks for reviewing it. Keep at it!
Thanks, will do!
I like the design and the date display is unique, which I also like.
GL0242 is my choice. Mine is running +2 sec per day right out of the box, 0 beat error and +300 degree amplitude. I love everything about this watch.
That's awesome. How do you like the strap on that one?
@@RelativeTime It's a very comfortable strap and it suits the watch, but I like to put my own touch on my watches. Right now I got it on a dark blue croc with white stitching. I'm going Kevin O'Leary on it next just to see how it works. I really like your effort to show of watches with many different straps. Great inspiration Shane.
I've subscribed to your channel because, I enjoy your reviews, and you always answer my questions!
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Own 3 Glycine's, C/Sub bronze +2sec., a Airman gmt. 24 hr. sub dial, and a c/sub chrono. All run flawlessly, wear great, finished nicely at a great price point. All old logo. Will buy 3 more. Recently found a n.o.s. Airman book @ $25.00 great purchase.
Great review I just got mines. The watch is more than solid and worth the 500 bucks or less. If you don't care about the look or colors. I recommend any Seiko Diver or Citizen you do not loose any quality.
I've been watching your vids long now to know that you love "weird" colours in dials, greens, reds, browns, azure, grey, etc etc... And then you combine these with all kinds of straps types and colours! It's such a great opportunity for us to see these. Thanks mate, honestly.
PS This one on any leather strap looks classy but the navy blue seatbelt Nato strap makes it fly high (or dive deep LOL)! Awesome combo! (joke tip: a drop of a red ink in the middle of the hour hand circle could save it... plus it's gonna look like a RAF sigh, but who's to do that? LOL)
I love the date window. It's sitting there saying, "Date windows are monumentally useful, especially when they are easy to read. Here's the date. You're welcome."
Another great video Shane, been looking to picking this one up!
I have a different version from pre invicta era. Its one of my favorites. I have the scented rubber band. Incredible quality for the money.
Hey Shane, thanks for the review. I'm looking to buy either a Glycine or a Hamilton Khaki field.... not sure which one yet, I'm still in the research phase. Btw, you have a great voice.... makes me feel like I'm listening to Rod Serling of the Twilight Zone. :)
Thanks! One of these days I need to do a Twilight Zone type intro.
You do the Best reviews on TH-cam
Thanks! Appreciate it
Hi Shane.
Great review as always - but more importantly - great choice of piece to review.
I've had my eye on one of these 'Explorer dial' Combat Subs for the last month or so, when I first came across the dial configuration.
Unfortunately, I just dropped my watch savings on another piece but I am hoping to see one of these in my future. I particularly like the Explorer dial with the black PVD case & bracelet and blue bezel. Blacked out watches are not usually my thing, but I'm imagining the watch head on a blue canvas strap with that blue bezel and I like what I see...in my imagination!
I have a Glycine Airman Purist that I picked up for $350. It's an ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ timepiece at an ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ price, so I'm sure the Combat Sub would be the same.
I don't mind the date, but I have the same issue with the crown guards/crown and hour hand. To me it's just a Mercedes hand minus the things that actually make it a Mercedes hand!, so why bother?, just finish the job!
I would much prefer to see an original shape. I think a *rounded off* rectangular hour hand would complement both the arabics and baton indices well... So simply swapping the second hand to a lolly-pop style & the hour hand to a semi rectangular style could work well.
Anyway. Despite this I really like the piece and would be more than happy to call it mine.
Cheers,
Anthony.
Thanks! Glycine is a great brand. I think the next one I look for will be a combat classic moon phase.
I kept thinking this would look great with a snowflake hand set. Yet someone mentioned that Tudor already did that with their Black Bay Bronze. I always thought the black Bay bronze had the same black bay dial, but evidently they went with an explorer dial as well.
Ugh, Shane! You complain about the 4 o'clock date and you missed talking about the two distinct positives about it! 1) the date is oriented horizontally even though it's at 4:00 -- a rarity and a welcome attention to detail in my view, and 2) the date is exactly where a "4" would be, and the contrasting color lets it serve as a stand-in for a normal index at that position. I always enjoy your reviews, but sometimes you let your nit-picks obscure the nuance and execution of design decisions. Thanks for the rundown, as always.
The 60 degree date is a nice touch but someone should have said hey you can see the movement, maybe we should use a black date wheel or add a dab of paint to disguise it.
The rotation is a nice touch, and I should of mentioned it. Yet as a whole it rubbed me the wrong way and wound up being more of a distraction. Although that's also why I like to show as much detail as I can on stuff like this, as not everyone will have the same opinion. This way they can see if for themselves.
Still a great watch, and shouldn't stop anyone from getting one.
Cheers!
Great review as always Shane. I keep going back to thinking about getting a Combat Sub. I'd love one of the black coated ones with black bracelet. I think I have to let it go with my 6.5 inch wrist though.
That date totally killed it for me! There is no excuse for the seeing the edge of the date wheel in the date window.
Yeah, the crewed the pooch on that one. If they would have run a brown or black date wheel it would have blended okay. The 3 o'clock versions don't have this issue. My GL0188 has a black date wheel at 3 o'clock coverage and blending are perfect....why they didn't at least use a black wheel is beyond me.
Glad to see someone else got a watch off Drop. I was a little leery. I just purchased 3... Naruto Seiko watches. Yeah yeah I know. I watched it with my kids and the dials are really nice. 2 for my boys and one for me... one boy is 14 the other 6 so I’ll be “holding” onto it for him. My goal when I started this hobby was to leave one watch for each of my kids. Nothing super special, just a watch dad bought for them or left to them. My dad didn’t collect anything to leave me or my sister...
That's a pretty sexy watch overall. I'm not loving the color but I like the basic style. It's surprisingly thin, which is nice. A high-beat Swiss movement for $400 is pretty good! If they ditched the date and added tritium I'd be pretty stoked.
Good luck finding one now, i cant seem to find them for less than a grand now. Tho the gmt variant is $499
Hey Shane. Another great review. I owe a Combat Sub....black and orange with steel case color way. Terrific fit for me. Great value watch.
Thanks. Did you get one with a bracelet?
@@RelativeTime Yep. Oyster style. Proper milled clasp. Also date at 3 o’clock. Looks sharp
Shane, ETA doesn't make it easy for non-Swatch Group brands. I've heard they no longer sell ready to run movements, just the core. So Glycene's approach is a practical necessity.
This is true. I'm not sure if they have fully stopped selling outside swatch yet or not. Seems like their plan changes every year.
@@RelativeTime I think ETA has been under some anti trust restrictions, so not so much that they don't WANT to sell outside Swatch group.
Always love your content. Can you review watches under $500 that are options for gents with diminishing eyesight? There's plenty of watch options out there for those of us with normal eyesight but I've yet to come across good reviews specific for those who have a passion for horology/collecting whose vision may be not as it were some years ago such as father's, uncle's, friends, etc. who have a passion for watches but struggle to wear just the typical recommended value pieces.
That's a great idea! Although I'm not sure where I'd start on that other then look for watches with large and easy to read dials. Nothing small and hard to read.
Have you found any in particular you like for that?
Nice review.
I have a Combat Sub from 2017. Mine has full Arabic’s, both a 12-hour and 24-hour track. It’s a very nice watch.
I really can’t think of another Swiss Made Auto Diver for this price. Usually there would be over $500 or more. I alactually brontosaurus think I can think of anything comparable this thin with 200m wr.
Your still at the NH35 at this price, starting to go into the 9015 territory. Lots of microbrands between $300-$400, but none be Swiss powered.
It's pretty amazing they can make these for that cheap, let alone that thin.
Totally right about the date window. Have this watch in green for a year. Love the watch but the window sill bugs me.
This looks like a great Tudor black bay bronze alternative!!!!
if you did not buy this watch, on my word do so if you can. invest in a very nice new hadley roma strap or something and it is a black bay then bro trust me. this watch brand is official and i have several top tier brands in my collection.
@@kevinjohnson6177 Hi Kevin, I’ve been looking for this watch for well over a year and can’t find it anywhere.
While I was on active duty in the Marine Corps, my picks were Marathon and the Glycine GMT. Both watches were rugged and dependable. Semper Fi 🇺🇲
Good review, Shane. I did notice the edge of the date wheel; even before you mentioned it. The coffee color looks to lean a little towards red-brown, at least; on my monitor. I do think it is worth the price of admission, though. This version is just not for me. Particularly, with the wheel being like that. Congrats on you new watch. I'm looking, still; myself.
These are great. I have pre Invicta and one's made after Invicta. They are all quality. Great
They haven't changed so I'm not sure what pre-Invicta means?
@@NathanChisholm041 basically nothing just means before invicta bought controlling interest of glycine.
I have this watch. I also wish it was a no-date. I think it’s a fine watch and am enjoying it even more as it patinas. I wore mine to the pool all summer on a NATO..... I was hoping you would recommend a NATO with bronze hardware or maybe a tropical rubber strap with bronze hardware.🤔. My brown leather strap looks awesome and wears great, it’s just not great in the summer months.
So far I haven't run across any nato with bronze. Although you might be able to swap the hardware on the stock strap with a good rubber one.
Nice Watch. I Like a white date indicator . My Eyes are bad the white date wheel helps my eyes to see the date. One Man,s trash is another Man,s Treasure . Great demo for the Glycine Combat dive Watch .I knew to watches and i really enjoyed the Video
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Every watch is a little different, so I just try to showcase them as best I can.
Nice video, very nice watch, like the color and simple bezel...
Good looking watch but agree regarding the crown guards, it cheapens the look . Thanks for the review.
How about this? Wears well, rugged, water proof , accurate, and, I've had mine for a year and wear it all the time.
Down Side, none. YOU HAVE TO LOVE GLYCINE
I wound up selling this one, but I keep thinking I should get another. I keep seeing them at Costco and seem like a good deal there.
@@RelativeTime I actually looked at that one as well, I'm going to take a closer look at the size, I think is more 38mm or 40 ish
@@jamesgray7626 I'll have to look next time I'm there. I also really want to see the Combat Moonphase.
This guy's style is so Smoooooth...👍
If you are spec hunting this one is hard to beat.
Outstanding and fair minded review. Great work.
Thank you kindly!
Hey 👋🏾 thank you. That was very helpful. I'm relatively new to watch collecting. I do have a Seiko SKX which I bought about 2 years ago. I am looking for something a little different in this price range. The fact that its a Swiss movement and its got that nice combat,sub combination. Although I agree I I'm not very keen on the colour position of that date on the dial I think It could be a watch for me to considered.
My question is. Is there anything else you would recommend me look before diving in? 😂
This brand is very good and it has 46mm and 48mm for selection. I already have 46mm, and I think to get 48mm.
I love my Glycine Combat Sub. Golden Eye 007. My favorite watch at the moment.
Same here.. I put it on a black Milanese band instagram.com/p/B39CER8Hs7W/?igshid=1ib6d9gptny8x
@@HVG67 Strange... mine (bezel) looks much more golden than brown. Anyway, great combo with the mesh, was thinking about that too. Mine is on black lizard nowadays, def dresses it up.
Hey Shane, I think they use neither the ETA nor the Sellita, but the STP (Fossil) 1-11. Regards
That's another possibility, be cool if it was. Might have to check then.
Nice. Do they make any references without any date? Not fussed whether Arabic or indices or colour, just don't like dates on most watches, especially divers. Cheers, good review 👍🏻
Thanks! No non-dates that I know of.
Hello my name is Alan Foster, I have a GLYCINE- GL0166,BRONZE I liked the strap that you were using 22 mm, Quit release, Bronze buckle, Anyway that I can find a strap exactly like the one you're using in this video?
Usually I list the straps in the description, but I think that's the one that came with the watch.
I wish you would have gone into the "bronze" concept a bit more with this brand and watch. I am looking to get my first bronze watch, I favor divers and I have a Glycine Combat Sub in steel already - also a couple of Seikos, Hamilton Khaki Field, Orient, Helm, Squale and Zelos. This version of the Glycine Combat Sub is one I have decided to represent my bronze (wouldn't be interested in more than one) - the GL0266. I really like the diver/field combo and the Glycine Combat Sub in particular, but I do have a slight issue with the narrow hands and the painted markers.. but for $400 ???!!! Other representative options anyone suggests?
I own the GoldenEye. Great watch. And luckily not the faux Mercedes hand. That's is my greatest turn off. No worries about the black case whatsoever.. it also has the other, smaller logo.
How is the strap that comes with the GoldenEye? Is it just a black Nato?
@@RelativeTime correct, and I changed it out for a black Milanese. The original band is very comfortable and well made, but the Milanese looks stunning on it 👍instagram.com/p/B5XQ9hdnDjW/?igshid=d8q4b14d8bii | instagram.com/p/B39CER8Hs7W/?igshid=1ib6d9gptny8x
@@RelativeTime Mine came on a leather lined black canvas strap. Perfectly fine and comfy but I changed it to black lizard. Officially my most dressy diver ;-)
Funny, everyone has their taste. I like the dot, not my favorite, but I never liked the snowflake so the dot is better (IMHO).
I been having my eyes on a glycine but hate the round hour hand. Thats the reason i havent pounced yet.
Yeah still not a fan of that hour hand myself.
Was about to buy the blue dial w ss bracelet but then I found out that they are owned(stained) by Invicta. I had to cancel my order... hope im wrong but I’m not willing to take that risk and it’s funny how many color ways they offer and the massive price drops. Two tactics of Invicta
A lot of people say that Invicta hasn't changed anything since they took over, that they are mostly leaving them alone. Yet when in doubt, and you can't see it in person, always better to be cautious.
Personally, I'd love to hear from Someone who has both a pre-Invicta and a post Invicta combat sub, but I haven't yet. So far so good on this, although if I do experience anything goofy with this one long term I'll be sure to leave a comment here about it.
I know you already cancelled your order but I have the blue dial GL0077 with the winged logo as well as the similar gray/black GL076 and the all black GL079 which I happen to be wearing today. The last two have the old and new replacement crown logo. I assume all are post Invicta acquisition since purchased within the last two years.
I have zero concerns with the quality as they are well made, run very accurately, have quality bracelets and fit my 7 inch wrist very well due to the curved lugs. If you could have bought it around $300 like I did then I think you missed out by canceling. The three I bought are all the same dial design as each other with bracelet with color matched date wheel at the 3 and totally different than the model Shane reviewed.
Excellent video and I think you really do provide a balanced view with all your reviews. I have a GL0257 46mm which for $315 was a fantastic buy and one of my favourite divers in my collection. The SW200 has 26 jewels compared to 25 jewels for the ETA 2824 and from what I read does provide an improvement on the ETA design. My combat sub is running at +9 s/d. I also have an Airman GL293 GMT (which I love) with the same movement (I suspect) running at ~3 s/d. By the way, the 46mm combat subs are 13.5mm thick compared to 10.5mm for the 42mm variants despite what Glycine publish on their website!!
They have the Soda version back in stock. So close to pulling the trigger.
Very cool. At one point they had a special GMT combat sub too. I was pretty tempted.
I have a Combat seven it is a nice watch I kind of wish I would’ve went for a combat diver oh well I got what I got it’s a nice watch others can learn from my mistakes I just don’t dress up enough to justify a combat seven dress watch
Do you still have this watch and is it still holding up, I'm thinking of getting one , what do you do think ?
Finally. The Combat Sub.
Great review great watch for the price.
Thanks! Coincidently it looks like Oleg (24 hours at a time) just put out one as well.
Under $400? How do you figure? I can’t find a Combat for < $1000. At that price point going elsewhere, I.E. Otis is tempting
Where are you located? Here in the US Amazon has a number of them, as well as a bunch on Jomashop and eBay.
Shane greetings from Haltom City!! This piece is my favorite in your collection.
Appears to be amazing value. Frustrating to be told about a watch that is no longer available.
There are some models regularly available through Glycine that look pretty close. Same case, same dial design, just with a different dial color.
@@RelativeTime Thanks for the info, Shane.
Damn, I really like this watch. But my 6.25in wrist would struggle 😂
Like the window aperture, distinctive. different. I'm going to look for one. Love bronze.dial color is fantastic. Next though a Malm bronze.
Nice review.
Does it have its own setting where you can change the date quickly?
A quick set date? Yes it does.
Yea, I like my combat sub. Don't really like the version you reviewed. The date window needs to be better executed.
Very nice! 😃
Thank you! Cheers!
And now the price of the GLYCINE BRONZE COMBAT is....... 2000€ hahaha!!! Damn it!
Do you know why the case back is made of steel?, Because bronze is toxic for the skin, it is not a good idea the make watches of bronze.
Well ingesting any heavy metal will be toxic, but not sure if bronze is against the skin. I'll have to do a little bit of research. I know the primary reason is that the copper alloy in bronze can react with sweat and oils to turn you skin green. So far I've never personally had that happen.
Awesome video
Thanks!
i see the website it's more than $1400, is the price skyrocket or what happened?
Which website? Drop or Glycines?
It was a "limited" release, and drop has recently moved away from watches. So maybe they are trying to cash out on the last few. Although if that's true, it's pretty silly. You can get a similar not limited one directly from Glycine.
I see in jomashop its below 400, it said on big discount like around 70%, in glycine official website no discount it's around 1400
@@Ajnihah7 ok gotcha. That's an overinflated MSRP. Some companies do that, so it seems like a better deal when you buy it.
It's not a practice I agree with, but they aren't alone in that. Which is why it's always important to check multiple stores to see what the street price is.
@@RelativeTime these watches are beginning to increase in value because people love them and sales and reputation are increasing. if invicta helps build on this and does not cheapen them but increase quality they will be a force in 5 yrs
I have it in blue/stainless version ❤
I'll stick with my gl0185 Combat Sub, the Rolex Explorer style dial and terribly executed date wheel kill it for me.
How's the bracelet on that one?
@@RelativeTime Suits the watch well because it is thin and is good quality. I wish it would taper a bit more though but still comfortable
Nice that it is so thin.
Yeah it is
not a fan of Glycine in general, i think its a mish mash of random features that don't go together, the only thing that's worth it; is the movement.
Bronze sub $ 450. delv blue strap. Airman $356. delv.blue strap, c/ sub $ 217. delv. bracelet. Some of the most comfortable watches I own, straps are of very good quality. A Fan Boy.
These watches are wonderful try one and you will love it. Fuck the invicta bullshit has nothing to do with it buy one and you will end up with 4
the price is 1269 € on amazon
Ouch! For which model? Or is that for all the combat subs.
@@RelativeTime for your model GL0267
@@RelativeTime i think 400 $ for a swiss made , is impossible
@@pastoriusmonk6971 Well it's a special edition, so it might be way overinflated. Try GL0270 or GL0093.
@@pastoriusmonk6971 For a true 100% everything comes from or made in Switzerland, I think you are correct. Heck, I'd say it would be impossible under $2,000.
Yet this shows it is possible for a "swiss made" under the legal definition of Switzerland. Which is 60% of the value has to from Swiss origins. So odds are it, and most swiss made watches under $1000, have a lot of components made elsewhere. Then they are all assembled and final QC is done in Switzerland.
07:45...also called "Lolli🍡pop" hand ?
#1 . daily watch .. + automatic
Why pay more ?
The gap, really?
Dies Swiss Made always translate into higher quality? I think there are plenty of Asian made watches that are also of high quality. Glyicine is owned by Invicta and who knows how they could destroy this brand. I don’t believe anything by Invicta is of higher quality.
That's a rather large can of worms to open up, with a wide range of opinions. Especially considering that at this price range, or really anything under a grand, a lot of the components are being made in Asia and then assembled in Switzerland.
My own personal opinion is that if you are talking "Made in Japan" vs "Swiss Made" there isn't going to be a big difference in quality when comparing a similarly priced watch.
Yet if you are talking "Chinese Made" vs "Swiss Made", then I think there is going to be some potential differences. For me it comes down to quality control. Where I think the Swiss are going to be a lot more thorough, and less inclined to let something sub-par ship out.
Which is why I think a lot of Microbrands, who have their watches made in China, do the final QC themselves before shipping to the customers.
As for the Invicta factor, I'm not sure. From the limited research I've done, it doesn't seem like they've changed to much. But time may tell.
Thank you for a well thought out response. I do wonder if people just believe that Swiss made is better than any Asian made product. I do believe that there is some bias there. Really manufacturing took place in Switzerland due to cheap labor but now it is equated with superior quality. I’m not sure that Swiss made is actually better. I think it’s a good marketing ploy though.
Brushed, fancier lol. It says combat on the watch.
is it everyday watch ?? Can i randomly swimming and shower everyday with this watch ???
With 200m of water resistance you should be able to.
@@RelativeTime 🤩
Can't say I'm a big fan of the explorer dial, and I never get weak at the knees at the prospect of a Swiss made movement, regardless of the price. Needless to say not one for me, even without the poorly designed/executed date wheel/window
That is some serious vocal fry.
Just so people know most Combat Subs are 60 click bezels not 120 like this one. I've never seen the edge of a date window on any watch I've ever owned; that deserves criticism for sure. PS I have a GL0244 in the mail :)
Swiss made, Swiss cased in original Swiss factory.