Glycine was at one point my best watch, i loved it. But we tend to move on and move up in watch collecting don't we? Seeking the more refined brand, the more respected brand. Well this video reminded me of what a soft spot i have for Glycine and prompted me to order this model. It came today and it is knocking me out. It demonstrates to me that a great watch is a great watch---regardless of price. I have other more expensive pieces now, but man, this one is great. I mean, the finishing on my Tudor BB is not noticeably different than this. Wears like a thin slab of coolness on the wrist (again, besting the Tudor in thinness and wearability). As a side note, nobody seems to have a problem with Swatch group watches so there's no point making a huge deal about the Invicta ownership here either. Actually, huge props to them for helping Glycine to continue making great Swiss watches and doing it at a price that, as you point out, is a headline itself.
My family owns 3 Combat Subs. No better deal out there for mechanical Swiss divers. Very nice watches, well made and highly recommended. The Swatch is a disposable plastic toy.
I got that exact Glycine- at Costco- for about $260. I love this watch. The strap looks good but doesn’t wear comfortably so I picked up a black with orange stripe NATO from Crown and Buckle for about $20 and now it’s perfect.
Years ago glycine combat subs were going for 600-1000 and i thought of them like squale. Now the products haven't really changed, but the invicta ownership had changed the business side of things for them and the perception. They aren't exclusive or scarce anymore and that changes value dramatically. They used to be critically acclaimed and now they are simply a fantastic bargain, so their notoriety is for a completely different reason
@@SpaceG95 i agree. I bought a hamilton khaki aviation air race grey market a few years ago for around 300 and was amazed to actually get a swiss watch for that price. I ended up moving that on and i largely gravitate towards german brands or microbrands now because i prefer the designs and value for money. I like some swiss brands and watches, but bending the knee to elitist swiss watch cartels is something i really dont want to do.
I think you struck a great balance. The Glycine is definitely the better watch if you're looking for a daily wear watch. The Swatchpain is the better watch if you're looking for a fun addition to your collection of capable serious watches.
@julienfroidevaux1143 I'd say that the global consumer base would disagree... sneakers, fashion accessories, most clothing, etc., are all "throw away" items. It's cool to not like the watch, but be honest about why, there is no need to parrot a silly talking point.
Proud owner of the 39mm version, GL0401 ! It's my absolute favorite watch, started wearing it pretty much all the time. It wears amazing, put it on a black/gold Nato strap, the gilt is great and build quality is unrivaled for the price :) My dream was to get a Tudor BB58, but honestly after getting the Glycine for 500€, it's hard justifying spending 4k on a BB.
I just picked up a Helm Miyako. Design inspired by the Fifty Fathoms. ISO Certified diver, decent Miyota movement. Absolutely solid and incredible build quality for the price. Doesn't have the brand history but an incredible watch for $375 plus $35 shipping. Only real downside.....well not easy to get one...there is a waiting list....you have to be patient unless you want to over pay for second hand but well worth it.
I have been interested in watches for many more decades that I would care to admit and, these days, I have quite a few high-end mechanical timepieces and one sort of high-end quartz (Breitling Aerospace, my go-to travel watch). Even though I decided to stop buying watches 8 years ago as what I had collected was way more than anyone might possibly need, I saw the Glycine Sub at local Costco in December 2022 and immediately bought it as, being interested in watches for many decades, I was well-familiar with the brand and wanted to check it out to see what was the catch and why it was so cheap. During the month after that, I discovered that I gradually started picking it up over other watches I had at that point at home (the vast majority of my watches are in a bank safety deposit box, but I rotate them constantly). Fast forward almost a year. It has been on my wrist practically non-stop since then. I just love it: it is light, comfortable, well-built, accurate (+4.5 seconds a day - totally on par with all my high-end pieces), easy to clean (taking it off the NATO strap takes 10 seconds and it can be rinsed or washed). Unscrewing and screwing the crown back in gives that hard-to-describe pleasure one gets only from operating a precisely built mechanical gadget, but - if you happen to have a gadget like that - you'd know exactly what I am talking about. In short, it is a great watch. I was smiling through the Glycine part of the video, as @WatchCrunchOfficial's opinion was so close to what I think about that watch.
I just re-bought a Glycine Sub, having owned one "early" in my watch hobby, I believed it was less-than other higher-priced watches. I think i was wrong... can't wait to get this one back on my wrist.
@@CH-yp5bycould you explain the "grade", do you mean number of positions tested etc? I am curious because i am looking at sinn and Christopher Ward which both have sw200-1 but everyone praises sinn and says CW doesn have good mechanism.
Glycine blows any plastic watch out of the water. The most underrated swiss brand. Bar-none. Absolute value for money. No other brand can give you so much watch, for so little money.
Though I don't own any of these collaborations, I do think that they're great for the watch community. They bring awareness of brand that many may not know of and bring new collectors to the hobby. I can't help but wonder what other collaborations may come...maybe Casio and Audemars for a real "Casi-Oak".
I go with the SwatchPain. If I wanted a value diver in the Submariner vibe made by an Invicta company... I'd go for *another* Pro Diver for less than $100 (my current one is at least 10 years old and runs great, even after my washing machine "test" last year). If I wanted a quality watch at a great price but in the Blancpain vibe I'd recommend the Baltic Aquascaphe which has many elements of the BP Bathyscape. But I can see a day at the beach with the SwatchPain.
Your essay on the comparison between the plastic Blancpain and the Combat is so spot on. Enough so that I subscribed. Your point about the deep discounts (thanx Invicta bad press) is absolutely true. This is a situation in which an unused nice quality diver containing a Sellita for under 400 is extremely rare. The only other brand with similar specs that gets routinely discounted this significantly would seem to be Gevril....but the history of Glycine is much more legit. I guess you could occasionally put Certina and Mido in there too, but anything new contains a Powermatic with the "hobbled" regulator---which is why I don't acquire them anymore. I think it is cool that you buck the typical online trend of only whispering Glycine, due to the instant backlash about them being Invictas. I have a 24 hour "blue/black" Worldtimer, and a gorgeous sunray blue moonphase Combat, and paid relatively nothing for them. I also have Speedies, Seamasters, Ulysse Nardin, Hydroconquests, etc., but will pull out a Glycine when I want a carefree outing not worrying about scratches on the Hesalite. Bang for the Buck baby! You might want to double check your timeline comparison on the whether the "Fifty" was patented or came to market before the "Sub". Not sure we should always blindly follow the corporate storyline. You are presenting intelligent narratives, and don't seem to have been ensnared by manufacturers "quid-pro-quo" largesse yet. I will continue to have you on my top half dozen watch stuff views.
This affordable Glycine is real food for thoughts. It has provenance, performance, street cred and looks good on the wrist. Do you really need a SeaMaster or a JLC Polaris to feel good ? Buying a €61 Pagani Design vintage Patek chronograph homage (something I would not have been caught dead doing five years ago) and a €200 1990’s quartz YEMA Superman Worldtime from eBay has had more impact than I expected. I truly enjoy wearing these two pieces, and suddenly made the spending of €5000 on a watch look completely shocking.
My wife has a 36mm Glycine Combat Sub. It has a brown dial that I thought I wouldn't like. It has a copperish color to it. It's a beautiful dial. Her's is on an oyster bracelet. A little light for my taste but it's a damn nice watch for the money. The new 36mm has better finishing than the larger models. Great value for a Swiss watch and automatic Swiss movement
SwatchPain is the magical way of owning blancpain without paying for the total cost of owning a blancpain, it’s original complications and heritage. The collaboration is welcomed and the colors are fun. We wear watches to enjoy them then realize they can tell time and tales of human resilience in watch making as tools and finesse craftmanship during quartz crises.
I bought a green bezel Glycine combat sub back when they were priced along with Squale and Steinhart from a grey market retailer. Lume dot came off and it became my work watch for the last 10 years. It has been though a lot and has been a great watch. I need to decide if I replace the bezel when I retire or wear with pride the "patina" I have put on this watch.
You got exactly the point imho, there are tons of video suggesting you how to spend better your money, but all those good suggestions are valid if you have only that watch. If I already have 6 good divers in my collection and I want to have some additional fun I would go for the Swatch (the one you selected is also my favorite one) and not for a Glycine.
The Combat Sub. Literally the best name for a watch in all of watchdom. If BP has to move to plastic to bump sales, well, that tells you something about BP and SG. Maybe they aren't as awesome as they think they are.
I just purchased the Artantic Ocean, and I love it, it is a great beach watch, since I don’t feel comfortable wearing my more expensive watches to the beach, the Swatch Blancpain works well for my beach days even more than my Longines Hydroconquest (too heavy).
I have a GL0083. It's a great watch. The one annoying thing I will note about it is that the lume pip at midnight on the bezel is a different color than the lume on the dial. Of course, this isn't even noticeable in daylight.
The Glycine is a great buy. I first switched out to a NATO band that matched the color scheme-gold yellow and black. Looked very nice, but then I got a gold yellow genuine crocodile band from Vietnam and it looks terrific. I am glad for the Swatch collaborations that raises awareness of the heritage of high end Swiss watches for a generation that doesn’t understand or even wear watches.
I like the Swatch Blancpain cooperation. Especially because more people now learn about the fifthy phatoms history. But, the disposable movement and bioceramic puts me off. And as you say there are some amazing real Swiss watches or Seikos to buy at that price point! 😎 Besides the Glycine is a steal anyways. Very underrated watches.
I would go step further and say any alternative is a better alternative to the swatch plastic chunk… It would be one thing if the price point was $149. At that price I could see taking a flyer on it and enjoying the fad that it inevitably is.. with that said, the glycine is an awesome watch!
Have that one, the “Coke” and my everyday wear to work airmen worldtimer ghosted blue dial. Great work watch for the value. The most impressive is most of the movement are 8vps. Good call on a great brand with a rich history.
I like the sistem 51 fathoms. I understand all of the criticism but just to have for the collection. Btw just picked up a Moonswatch. If anyone is looking for a “real” watch and not a fashion piece the Swatch store is the wrong place to look.
I bought the same reference Glycine from my local Costco for $240. Certainly the best value purchase I’ve made in watch collecting, including my far more luxurious purchases.
Glad you are bringing the love to the Glycine Combat Sub 42. I have had mine for a year. BTW, this watch has anti-reflective on the inside of the crystal.
I own a pre-Invicta Combat Sub [along with a pre-Invicta Airman Base 22 [both ETA movements]. I love the Glycine brand for its heritage, reliability and value. The Combat Sub started out as Glycine's field watch and that's what I use it for... Swiss ETA 2824 movement, 10.5mm thin, drilled lug holes, sapphire crystal, 200M WR with a timing bezel makes it perfect. I'm a retired US Marine [and aviator, also dive trained], and I've spent years in the field. I think I l know what is required of a great field watch. My Marathon automatic USMC GSAR and my Rolex Sub fill the dive watch category.
I’ve owned a Combat Sub and it is a legit, quality Swiss watch. I can’t disagree with your recommendation. I am waiting for my Thrifty Fathoms Antarctic to arrive from Switzerland- bought on Chrono24 for $646 all in. I know it’s a cheap plastic watch, but like my MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon I also bought on Chrono24 for $475 all in, I think they are fun and a social moment in time that I wanted to participate in. Hype hell yeah. Cash grab duh. Marketing genius - kinda.
I wear my Costco Combat on a mesh bracelet and had someone wearing a Speedmaster ask me if it was a 300m No Time To Die. For the "on the internet" price, it's pretty hard to beat.
I own that Glycine “Phantom” and still bought the Black Thrifty Fathoms. 😂 While long-term cost-performance of the Glycine is unquestionable, the Blanc Pain X Swatch collab has way better lume and a 2X+ longer power reserve, so not everything is better on the combat sub. Love them both for different reasons.
I would prefer the seiko diver prospex SNE573P1. 38,5mm, 11mm hight. It is a solar quartz 200 meter. It is a verry classic seiko millsubish thing that will work on a lot off wrists and without any problems (solicone strap is not to my liking but easely switched). I’m considering it for a first main watch for my son. Advice price around 500€.
I have the Glycine quartz GMT- it’s pretty decent. It has one QC flaw, the cyclops is crooked. Seems solid otherwise, and worth more than the price for a Swiss watch.
The Glycine combat sub is THE best value Swiss diver available. So much to love about this watch. Invicta's purchase of Glycine has only made it more affordable, and I view that as a good thing. I've owned one now for about two years and am still amazed at how nice it is. The Swatchpain looks like a high priced piece of plastic trash.
I think a lot of people are missing the point of the Swatch collaborations. They are meant to be fun fashion that pays tribute to their multi-thousand dollar counterparts. Too many “watch guys” are taking them too seriously. It’s a sign that they have too much ego invested in their silly, expensive watches. Personally, I have plenty of expensive pieces, but I didn’t have many pieces that are fun and goofy. I’ve since purchased some of the Swatch collaborations and even a couple of regular Swatches. They are fun, easy to wear, and great conversation pieces.
Great video. I like the SwatchPain... except for the fact that it will eventually end up in the landfill. Why not make a serviceable or replaceable movement? So much respect for Glycine.
Live rocking the Glycine for a while, and we both know how I feel about the collaboration. I agree brilliant marketing Greta video, Max. PS: “A Seiko had S3ks with a Rolex floored me”
each to their own, the blanpain feels more robust & durable but the difference is that the blanpain model is one time use only (due to using mechanical sistem 51) while the omega uses replaceable battery..
I recently saw the bronze combat sub and was on the fence because they were taken over by Invicta, but after seeing this video and looking at the comments I think I’m going to pull the trigger and get one
I reached the point where I would rather save and buy a quality watch I really want (and there are many of them!) than spend 300-400€ on a disposable fashion statement. An actual beater costs 50-100 max
The cost of the Happy Meal plastic toy is the real kicker for me, $400! Stainless steel will outlast any of the Swatch groups plastic collaborations and where will it end?
The Swatch X Blancpain looks nice, but the Sistema 51 is not accurate having owned one. I will still give it a miss. Great video though, as always. When you think though, that for a similar price you can get a Seiko 5 GMT!
Wow the 39 looks amazing but some quick googling seems to suggest its impossible to find! (unlike the 42 which seems easily available). Who are the official North American sellers?
Good job with the analogy doctor Max :) about the Glycine yeah it’s better watch then Scuba but so many others at that price point which I’m not even bother listing here and still I’ll buy the new Swatch
i actually love the swatchpain indian ocean. most watch companies do not do to good a job with the color green. ( looh at the omega seamaster 300 in seaweed green ) this indian ocean green is amazing.
I bought the Moon-Swatch because I thought it would look cool to have it side by side with my Speedmaster. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is one of my Grail watches that I've yet to obtain. I will buy the Swatch Collab to scratch the itch for the time being. The Antarctic is hot and not because of climate change. At first glance, the Nato on the Blancpain looks much nicer than the one on the Moon-Swatch. That doesn't matter because I will put a decent strap on it just like I did with my Moon-Swatch. You put a nice sail strap on one of these pieces and you have a hell of a good-looking timepiece.
During peak Panerai era, I wanted to pull the trigger on that Glycine but the 42mm case didn’t speak to me upon trying it on at the AD, and thought it would better looking in a smaller case which wasn’t available at that time.
I do like the collabs they do I just wish they were a more reasonable price. This shouldn't be more than £200 IMO and the moonswatch should be around £150 maybe £175
Glycine's parent company is Invicta. So you can annoy snobs and tell them you have an invicta watch 😂 I got the bronze combat sub as my first and only bronze watch. Happy with it so far. About 1 year of ownership.
@@roytofilovski9530 you buy it for yourself and annoy snobs with it- telling them you have an invicta watch. Invicta seems to be one of the watch brands on the "hate" list of watch snobs.
I purchased a Combat Sub as my return to watch collecting perhaps ten years ago. It’s built like a tank, no doubt but in the end, it’s just decent if unspectacular. Once you’ve experienced nicer watches, its shortcomings are pretty obvious. At that price, I’d go for a Seiko Turtle.
@@WatchCrunchOfficial We are talking sub-$500 watches, so expectations should be managed, right? To my eye, the Turtle is an iconic design that screams “Seiko” - it’s recognizable and unique where the Glycine is just a generic “diver.” I love the Willard, it might be my favorite diver but then again, they’re considerably more expensive. You can buy a Turtle for $350 or so. The Willard reissues start at over $1100 from an AD, prior to any discounts you might wrangle.
I'm looking forward swatch's take on the casio f91. Maybe the next release, the casiswatch? The cheapest of the bunch at something like 150 bucks, built with their incredible bioceramic material.
Swatchpain is the agreed nickname for this thing?! I was hoping for Swifty Swathoms. I definitely like the "what if" nature of the moonswatch and this watch. There's never going to be a brightly colored ceramic Blancpain. There is probably never going to be a red ceramic Moonwatch (which I would jump through hoops to buy). These are just fun and even the Swuba costs about as much as a leather strap from Omega. Hating these things is silly. Wear what you want to.
I have one of those GL0083 never will i believe that it was ever a $1000+ watch the lume sucks! i bought one of these NEW and had to send it in for service under their warranty. It ran fast by 45 minutes a day
Glycine was at one point my best watch, i loved it. But we tend to move on and move up in watch collecting don't we? Seeking the more refined brand, the more respected brand. Well this video reminded me of what a soft spot i have for Glycine and prompted me to order this model. It came today and it is knocking me out. It demonstrates to me that a great watch is a great watch---regardless of price. I have other more expensive pieces now, but man, this one is great. I mean, the finishing on my Tudor BB is not noticeably different than this. Wears like a thin slab of coolness on the wrist (again, besting the Tudor in thinness and wearability). As a side note, nobody seems to have a problem with Swatch group watches so there's no point making a huge deal about the Invicta ownership here either. Actually, huge props to them for helping Glycine to continue making great Swiss watches and doing it at a price that, as you point out, is a headline itself.
My family owns 3 Combat Subs. No better deal out there for mechanical Swiss divers. Very nice watches, well made and highly recommended. The Swatch is a disposable plastic toy.
I got that exact Glycine- at Costco- for about $260. I love this watch. The strap looks good but doesn’t wear comfortably so I picked up a black with orange stripe NATO from Crown and Buckle for about $20 and now it’s perfect.
Years ago glycine combat subs were going for 600-1000 and i thought of them like squale. Now the products haven't really changed, but the invicta ownership had changed the business side of things for them and the perception. They aren't exclusive or scarce anymore and that changes value dramatically. They used to be critically acclaimed and now they are simply a fantastic bargain, so their notoriety is for a completely different reason
I see that as a good thing. For a man of limited finances, I find it refreshing that a swiss made watch with heritage is actually attainable.
@@SpaceG95 i agree. I bought a hamilton khaki aviation air race grey market a few years ago for around 300 and was amazed to actually get a swiss watch for that price. I ended up moving that on and i largely gravitate towards german brands or microbrands now because i prefer the designs and value for money. I like some swiss brands and watches, but bending the knee to elitist swiss watch cartels is something i really dont want to do.
I think you struck a great balance. The Glycine is definitely the better watch if you're looking for a daily wear watch. The Swatchpain is the better watch if you're looking for a fun addition to your collection of capable serious watches.
Thank you for watching till the Conclusion ;)
Swatch pain ;-)
I view it as a fun watch to wear in the summer.
Nothing fun about a throw away product .
@julienfroidevaux1143 I'd say that the global consumer base would disagree... sneakers, fashion accessories, most clothing, etc., are all "throw away" items.
It's cool to not like the watch, but be honest about why, there is no need to parrot a silly talking point.
Proud owner of the 39mm version, GL0401 ! It's my absolute favorite watch, started wearing it pretty much all the time. It wears amazing, put it on a black/gold Nato strap, the gilt is great and build quality is unrivaled for the price :)
My dream was to get a Tudor BB58, but honestly after getting the Glycine for 500€, it's hard justifying spending 4k on a BB.
I JUST walked out of Costco…they had it for $239! Swiss Made goodness, with a slim case, at this price is incredible!
Really..
Its on discount and its not even an montj after its release
I've had a Combat Sub for years. It looks great and has never failed me.
I just picked up a Helm Miyako. Design inspired by the Fifty Fathoms. ISO Certified diver, decent Miyota movement. Absolutely solid and incredible build quality for the price. Doesn't have the brand history but an incredible watch for $375 plus $35 shipping. Only real downside.....well not easy to get one...there is a waiting list....you have to be patient unless you want to over pay for second hand but well worth it.
I have been interested in watches for many more decades that I would care to admit and, these days, I have quite a few high-end mechanical timepieces and one sort of high-end quartz (Breitling Aerospace, my go-to travel watch).
Even though I decided to stop buying watches 8 years ago as what I had collected was way more than anyone might possibly need, I saw the Glycine Sub at local Costco in December 2022 and immediately bought it as, being interested in watches for many decades, I was well-familiar with the brand and wanted to check it out to see what was the catch and why it was so cheap.
During the month after that, I discovered that I gradually started picking it up over other watches I had at that point at home (the vast majority of my watches are in a bank safety deposit box, but I rotate them constantly).
Fast forward almost a year. It has been on my wrist practically non-stop since then. I just love it: it is light, comfortable, well-built, accurate (+4.5 seconds a day - totally on par with all my high-end pieces), easy to clean (taking it off the NATO strap takes 10 seconds and it can be rinsed or washed). Unscrewing and screwing the crown back in gives that hard-to-describe pleasure one gets only from operating a precisely built mechanical gadget, but - if you happen to have a gadget like that - you'd know exactly what I am talking about.
In short, it is a great watch. I was smiling through the Glycine part of the video, as @WatchCrunchOfficial's opinion was so close to what I think about that watch.
I just re-bought a Glycine Sub, having owned one "early" in my watch hobby, I believed it was less-than other higher-priced watches. I think i was wrong... can't wait to get this one back on my wrist.
The Glycine is kind of a steal tbh
💯
it might be bottom grade SW200 but still a steal!
@@CH-yp5bycould you explain the "grade", do you mean number of positions tested etc? I am curious because i am looking at sinn and Christopher Ward which both have sw200-1 but everyone praises sinn and says CW doesn have good mechanism.
@@CH-yp5by0:21
@CH-yp5by 5600ue-1jf 0:37 55
Glycine blows any plastic watch out of the water. The most underrated swiss brand. Bar-none. Absolute value for money. No other brand can give you so much watch, for so little money.
I've bought several Glycines and only regretted one, simply because I don't like PVD bracelets
Finally a video that makes sense recommending a quality watch over junk plastic with a throw away robot movement.
Though I don't own any of these collaborations, I do think that they're great for the watch community. They bring awareness of brand that many may not know of and bring new collectors to the hobby. I can't help but wonder what other collaborations may come...maybe Casio and Audemars for a real "Casi-Oak".
I go with the SwatchPain.
If I wanted a value diver in the Submariner vibe made by an Invicta company... I'd go for *another* Pro Diver for less than $100 (my current one is at least 10 years old and runs great, even after my washing machine "test" last year).
If I wanted a quality watch at a great price but in the Blancpain vibe I'd recommend the Baltic Aquascaphe which has many elements of the BP Bathyscape.
But I can see a day at the beach with the SwatchPain.
It's a fun watch
Your essay on the comparison between the plastic Blancpain and the Combat is so spot on. Enough so that I subscribed. Your point about the deep discounts (thanx Invicta bad press) is absolutely true. This is a situation in which an unused nice quality diver containing a Sellita for under 400 is extremely rare. The only other brand with similar specs that gets routinely discounted this significantly would seem to be Gevril....but the history of Glycine is much more legit. I guess you could occasionally put Certina and Mido in there too, but anything new contains a Powermatic with the "hobbled" regulator---which is why I don't acquire them anymore.
I think it is cool that you buck the typical online trend of only whispering Glycine, due to the instant backlash about them being Invictas. I have a 24 hour "blue/black" Worldtimer, and a gorgeous sunray blue moonphase Combat, and paid relatively nothing for them. I also have Speedies, Seamasters, Ulysse Nardin, Hydroconquests, etc., but will pull out a Glycine when I want a carefree outing not worrying about scratches on the Hesalite. Bang for the Buck baby!
You might want to double check your timeline comparison on the whether the "Fifty" was patented or came to market before the "Sub". Not sure we should always blindly follow the corporate storyline.
You are presenting intelligent narratives, and don't seem to have been ensnared by manufacturers "quid-pro-quo" largesse yet. I will continue to have you on my top half dozen watch stuff views.
SO glad you're looking into Glycine, I've been a huge fan of this brand for years and have several in my collection
Great video. I happen to own both the Glycine and the Swatchpain(Black model) and happy with both.
This affordable Glycine is real food for thoughts. It has provenance, performance, street cred and looks good on the wrist. Do you really need a SeaMaster or a JLC Polaris to feel good ?
Buying a €61 Pagani Design vintage Patek chronograph homage (something I would not have been caught dead doing five years ago) and a €200 1990’s quartz YEMA Superman Worldtime from eBay has had more impact than I expected. I truly enjoy wearing these two pieces, and suddenly made the spending of €5000 on a watch look completely shocking.
Абсолютно, движение вперед возможно только когда есть с чем сравнивать
Both! I have a Atlantic in blue as well as a Submariner and about 30 other automatics 🙂 including a Glycine in bronze
My wife has a 36mm Glycine Combat Sub. It has a brown dial that I thought I wouldn't like. It has a copperish color to it. It's a beautiful dial. Her's is on an oyster bracelet. A little light for my taste but it's a damn nice watch for the money. The new 36mm has better finishing than the larger models. Great value for a Swiss watch and automatic Swiss movement
Glycine makes solid tool watches with ETA/Selita movements.......highly underrated.
For sure!
SwatchPain is the magical way of owning blancpain without paying for the total cost of owning a blancpain, it’s original complications and heritage. The collaboration is welcomed and the colors are fun. We wear watches to enjoy them then realize they can tell time and tales of human resilience in watch making as tools and finesse craftmanship during quartz crises.
I bought a green bezel Glycine combat sub back when they were priced along with Squale and Steinhart from a grey market retailer. Lume dot came off and it became my work watch for the last 10 years. It has been though a lot and has been a great watch. I need to decide if I replace the bezel when I retire or wear with pride the "patina" I have put on this watch.
Ecstatic w this review. Picked this up at Costco for under $300. Wish it were 38 but it's a very, very solid, hearty watch.
You got exactly the point imho, there are tons of video suggesting you how to spend better your money, but all those good suggestions are valid if you have only that watch. If I already have 6 good divers in my collection and I want to have some additional fun I would go for the Swatch (the one you selected is also my favorite one) and not for a Glycine.
The Combat Sub. Literally the best name for a watch in all of watchdom.
If BP has to move to plastic to bump sales, well, that tells you something about BP and SG. Maybe they aren't as awesome as they think they are.
Glycine is seriously underrated. I will look at them more often!
👌
I just purchased the Artantic Ocean, and I love it, it is a great beach watch, since I don’t feel comfortable wearing my more expensive watches to the beach, the Swatch Blancpain works well for my beach days even more than my Longines Hydroconquest (too heavy).
Really enjoyed watching this excellent video. I'm all for living in the moment and having fun with and through my watch collection.
No watch has ever brought me as much joy as my blancpain & speedmaster
I have a GL0083. It's a great watch. The one annoying thing I will note about it is that the lume pip at midnight on the bezel is a different color than the lume on the dial. Of course, this isn't even noticeable in daylight.
The Glycine is a great buy. I first switched out to a NATO band that matched the color scheme-gold yellow and black. Looked very nice, but then I got a gold yellow genuine crocodile band from Vietnam and it looks terrific. I am glad for the Swatch collaborations that raises awareness of the heritage of high end Swiss watches for a generation that doesn’t understand or even wear watches.
I love how swatchpain reads differently to those unaware
I like the Swatch Blancpain cooperation. Especially because more people now learn about the fifthy phatoms history.
But, the disposable movement and bioceramic puts me off. And as you say there are some amazing real Swiss watches or Seikos to buy at that price point! 😎
Besides the Glycine is a steal anyways. Very underrated watches.
I would go step further and say any alternative is a better alternative to the swatch plastic chunk… It would be one thing if the price point was $149. At that price I could see taking a flyer on it and enjoying the fad that it inevitably is.. with that said, the glycine is an awesome watch!
Have that one, the “Coke” and my everyday wear to work airmen worldtimer ghosted blue dial.
Great work watch for the value. The most impressive is most of the movement are 8vps. Good call on a great brand with a rich history.
totally agree! I love this brand, hopefully Invicta doesn't ruin it. I did grab a black SwatchPain in Spain last week and love it for what it is.
Is EU able to jump on the $299? The euro prices I find are almost twice the money. Cheers to the owners, it looks like a great iconic watch!
I have a combat sub quartz I got for a steal and I absolutely love it!!!
I like the sistem 51 fathoms. I understand all of the criticism but just to have for the collection. Btw just picked up a Moonswatch. If anyone is looking for a “real” watch and not a fashion piece the Swatch store is the wrong place to look.
I’ve been eyeing the 39mm combat sub for a while.They have a black dial blue bezel version that looks awesome
Can't go wrong 👌
Best under $500 watch for me is still the Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK
Yep, got one 👍
I bought the same reference Glycine from my local Costco for $240. Certainly the best value purchase I’ve made in watch collecting, including my far more luxurious purchases.
Haha, love it!
Glycines are way underrated.
Max you made me purchase the GL0083 LoL!!!
It is really nice, unfortunately there aren't many on sale at the moment.
Glad you are bringing the love to the Glycine Combat Sub 42. I have had mine for a year.
BTW, this watch has anti-reflective on the inside of the crystal.
It's a steal. Good to know about the AR, it doesn't work 😅
Glycine!!! Such fantastic quality and value proposition! Glycine really deserve more love!
Wonderful video, did not know I could get a swiss movement mechanical diver at this price!
I own a pre-Invicta Combat Sub [along with a pre-Invicta Airman Base 22 [both ETA movements]. I love the Glycine brand for its heritage, reliability and value. The Combat Sub started out as Glycine's field watch and that's what I use it for... Swiss ETA 2824 movement, 10.5mm thin, drilled lug holes, sapphire crystal, 200M WR with a timing bezel makes it perfect. I'm a retired US Marine [and aviator, also dive trained], and I've spent years in the field. I think I l know what is required of a great field watch. My Marathon automatic USMC GSAR and my Rolex Sub fill the dive watch category.
FWIW, I paid $400 USD for the watch five plus years ago.
I’ve owned a Combat Sub and it is a legit, quality Swiss watch. I can’t disagree with your recommendation. I am waiting for my Thrifty Fathoms Antarctic to arrive from Switzerland- bought on Chrono24 for $646 all in. I know it’s a cheap plastic watch, but like my MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon I also bought on Chrono24 for $475 all in, I think they are fun and a social moment in time that I wanted to participate in.
Hype hell yeah. Cash grab duh. Marketing genius - kinda.
I wear my Costco Combat on a mesh bracelet and had someone wearing a Speedmaster ask me if it was a 300m No Time To Die. For the "on the internet" price, it's pretty hard to beat.
Hell yeah 😂. Imagine Bond saying "no, Glycine"
hard to beat is a huge understatement. i just found a brand new green version on the web for under 250.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought the Glycine at my local Costco for $239. Love the watch and a great deal!
I love my glycine combat quartz so much ive ordered the automatic,best watch for the money nothing imo comes close for what you get gor the cash.
Wow great video. I know nothing about watches - I just saw the Swatch in a store and was thinking about it but this Glycine seems amazing.
My son has a Glycine and is proud of it. I am looking more at Tissot and Bulova.
I own two Combat Subs, my favorite is the bronze and both keep excellent time.
I own that Glycine “Phantom” and still bought the Black Thrifty Fathoms. 😂 While long-term cost-performance of the Glycine is unquestionable, the Blanc Pain X Swatch collab has way better lume and a 2X+ longer power reserve, so not everything is better on the combat sub. Love them both for different reasons.
I would prefer the seiko diver prospex SNE573P1.
38,5mm, 11mm hight. It is a solar quartz 200 meter.
It is a verry classic seiko millsubish thing that will work on a lot off wrists and without any problems (solicone strap is not to my liking but easely switched).
I’m considering it for a first main watch for my son.
Advice price around 500€.
Swiss Made™ - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Thanks! The Glycine is very nice. Pick metal over plastic!
The Glycine Combat Sub 36 is amazing. I don't think you can be beat on value.
I’m not much into vintage but I really want a no radiation dial
Such a cool label 👌
amazing look it has that Glycine Combat. Definetely, but no "pain" for me thanks
I have the Glycine quartz GMT- it’s pretty decent. It has one QC flaw, the cyclops is crooked. Seems solid otherwise, and worth more than the price for a Swiss watch.
Consider me influenced. Now trying to find the glycine in the uk - it’s so beautiful
The Glycine combat sub is THE best value Swiss diver available. So much to love about this watch. Invicta's purchase of Glycine has only made it more affordable, and I view that as a good thing. I've owned one now for about two years and am still amazed at how nice it is. The Swatchpain looks like a high priced piece of plastic trash.
I think a lot of people are missing the point of the Swatch collaborations. They are meant to be fun fashion that pays tribute to their multi-thousand dollar counterparts. Too many “watch guys” are taking them too seriously. It’s a sign that they have too much ego invested in their silly, expensive watches. Personally, I have plenty of expensive pieces, but I didn’t have many pieces that are fun and goofy. I’ve since purchased some of the Swatch collaborations and even a couple of regular Swatches. They are fun, easy to wear, and great conversation pieces.
Great video. I like the SwatchPain... except for the fact that it will eventually end up in the landfill. Why not make a serviceable or replaceable movement?
So much respect for Glycine.
I think it was an accounting decision 😕
Live rocking the Glycine for a while, and we both know how I feel about the collaboration. I agree brilliant marketing Greta video, Max. PS: “A Seiko had S3ks with a Rolex floored me”
each to their own, the blanpain feels more robust & durable but the difference is that the blanpain model is one time use only (due to using mechanical sistem 51) while the omega uses replaceable battery..
Nice Glycine. I was thinking about the bronze diver
I throw in the 2 weeks old Hamilton Khaki Scuba i reeled out of eBay for 270 Euros some 12 years ago.
I recently saw the bronze combat sub and was on the fence because they were taken over by Invicta, but after seeing this video and looking at the comments I think I’m going to pull the trigger and get one
Have you seen the Glycine GL0390? It's the Combat Sub in Bronze!! Killer!
I reached the point where I would rather save and buy a quality watch I really want (and there are many of them!) than spend 300-400€ on a disposable fashion statement. An actual beater costs 50-100 max
The cost of the Happy Meal plastic toy is the real kicker for me, $400! Stainless steel will outlast any of the Swatch groups plastic collaborations and where will it end?
The Swatch X Blancpain looks nice, but the Sistema 51 is not accurate having owned one. I will still give it a miss. Great video though, as always. When you think though, that for a similar price you can get a Seiko 5 GMT!
Yep, there are many ways to spend your money 👍
Wow the 39 looks amazing but some quick googling seems to suggest its impossible to find! (unlike the 42 which seems easily available). Who are the official North American sellers?
Good job with the analogy doctor Max :) about the Glycine yeah it’s better watch then Scuba but so many others at that price point which I’m not even bother listing here and still I’ll buy the new Swatch
Wear what makes you feel good 😊👍
Did you say beater? I got Casio GW-M5610. Probably the best beater I've ever had, and I have a handful of beater watches.
i actually love the swatchpain indian ocean. most watch companies do not do to good a job with the color green. ( looh at the omega seamaster 300 in seaweed green ) this indian ocean green is amazing.
I bought the Moon-Swatch because I thought it would look cool to have it side by side with my Speedmaster. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is one of my Grail watches that I've yet to obtain. I will buy the Swatch Collab to scratch the itch for the time being. The Antarctic is hot and not because of climate change. At first glance, the Nato on the Blancpain looks much nicer than the one on the Moon-Swatch. That doesn't matter because I will put a decent strap on it just like I did with my Moon-Swatch. You put a nice sail strap on one of these pieces and you have a hell of a good-looking timepiece.
I own a few glycine watches. Very good quality watch. Can't get my hands on the Swatch blancpain watch due to resellers.
During peak Panerai era, I wanted to pull the trigger on that Glycine but the 42mm case didn’t speak to me upon trying it on at the AD, and thought it would better looking in a smaller case which wasn’t available at that time.
Luckily there's the 39 now 👍
Oh good...the crystal hasn’t scratched after one week...🤦♀️🤦♀️
Would suggest trying on the Glycine first, I bought one from Massdrop and the crown kept digging into my hand so I sold it.
I do like the collabs they do I just wish they were a more reasonable price. This shouldn't be more than £200 IMO and the moonswatch should be around £150 maybe £175
Omg, I have the GL0083 and it’s a very comfortable piece! Only the fabric NATO starp are so ugly and uncomortable 😢
LOL I love the name "Swatch Pain"
maybe we can combined with the name I give them and become "Swatch Pain 50 Millimetres"
Swatch Micro painis
The Combat Sub is a tremendous watch. I’ve owned one but it wears large so it never fit me comfortably and I ultimately sold it off.
I got my Glycine at Costco!
Love it !!
Good buy 👌
Glycine's parent company is Invicta. So you can annoy snobs and tell them you have an invicta watch 😂
I got the bronze combat sub as my first and only bronze watch. Happy with it so far. About 1 year of ownership.
But snobs dont generally buy Glycine so who exactly are you annoying?
@@roytofilovski9530 you buy it for yourself and annoy snobs with it- telling them you have an invicta watch.
Invicta seems to be one of the watch brands on the "hate" list of watch snobs.
I purchased a Combat Sub as my return to watch collecting perhaps ten years ago. It’s built like a tank, no doubt but in the end, it’s just decent if unspectacular. Once you’ve experienced nicer watches, its shortcomings are pretty obvious. At that price, I’d go for a Seiko Turtle.
The regular turtle isn't built amazing either. The Willard on the other hand 👌
@@WatchCrunchOfficial We are talking sub-$500 watches, so expectations should be managed, right? To my eye, the Turtle is an iconic design that screams “Seiko” - it’s recognizable and unique where the Glycine is just a generic “diver.” I love the Willard, it might be my favorite diver but then again, they’re considerably more expensive. You can buy a Turtle for $350 or so. The Willard reissues start at over $1100 from an AD, prior to any discounts you might wrangle.
Have a combat vintage, great watch!
I'm looking forward swatch's take on the casio f91. Maybe the next release, the casiswatch? The cheapest of the bunch at something like 150 bucks, built with their incredible bioceramic material.
Then we'd be in biZzaroland 😂
@@WatchCrunchOfficial who knows? We might be already there... 😅
Swatchpain is the agreed nickname for this thing?! I was hoping for Swifty Swathoms. I definitely like the "what if" nature of the moonswatch and this watch. There's never going to be a brightly colored ceramic Blancpain. There is probably never going to be a red ceramic Moonwatch (which I would jump through hoops to buy). These are just fun and even the Swuba costs about as much as a leather strap from Omega. Hating these things is silly. Wear what you want to.
I have one of those GL0083 never will i believe that it was ever a $1000+ watch the lume sucks! i bought one of these NEW and had to send it in for service under their warranty. It ran fast by 45 minutes a day
Nice Glycine. I can think of a dozen other watches that cost less and are better than the swatchpain. And don't get me started on value for money
I googled Glycine but all I got were links to amino acid supplements... maybe the name is just not that great. 😅