Glycine Watches SA History & Timeline

Charles Perret ( Banker ), Georges Flury ( Watch-fabricant ), Fernand Engel ( Watch-fabricant ) founded the company on 20th of May 1914 and registered it with 70,000 CHF capital 

From its creation in 1914 until mid '30s Glycine specialized in small calibers' manufacture. 

Glycine's first recorded activity in history was registering 13 different models and configurations on 18th July 1914 and first advertisement in Swiss chronicles is from 23rd Dec 1915 showcasing several movements in different lignes along with their factory building. 

Within the first decade Glycine pursued perfection in small size movements including 5 lignes. Glycine is the founder of baguette shape movement, registering a patent for it and was crowned with a chronometer grade movement in 1923 and 1926.  

After the big recession and just before the hit of WW II the watch industry was pretty competent. Pointer dates, wrist chronographs, automatic watches were in the market. 

During the war many watchmaking companies have manufactured timepieces for allied or axis powers, and some even supplied both sides. The dirty dozen is a good set of 12 watches supplied for allies, which is a desired collection for many, even though non of them saw the trenches- they were delivered only after the war. Glycine received an order from German army and complied with it, delivering land forces timepieces. Markings are with DH letters and 5-6 digits on case-back. Pictured here are DH ( Deutsches Heer ) German Army issued watches manufactured by Glycine. The wrist watch contains the movement AS 1130 aka Wehrmachtswerk ( army movement ) due to its proven durability. Military issued watches is a term that is widely misused in today's world as a marketing gimmick. Issued watches were ordered by governments from the companies and had certain markings and specifications.  

In Nov. 1942 Fernand Engel, owner of Glycine and co-owner of Pretto Watches, passed away. His son, Vital Engel continued to sail Glycine until 1951. In '51 we see interesting names on the board of Glycine;

Charles Hertig and Kurth Freres. Kurth Freres ( brothers ),Hans, Erwin& Adolf Kurth ( who own also Certina back then ). Both families are already watchmaking in the industry and have cross brands activities.

Charles Hertig acquired Glycine while having Altus and Hertig watches under his umbrella. Samuel Werner Glur is a brilliant manager and sales person at Altus whom Hertig brings on board of Glycine at that time.

Hertig's Altus was initailly found by Hans Troesch who in late '20s manufactured movements for Lange watches and is known as a niche brand with manufacture capacity. The acquirement of Altus seems to happen in '40s.

The Hertig family will sail the ship until 1984 through Glycine's most successful decades. Hertig, even though operated Glycine and Altus together under the same roof since his take over in 1951, he decided to merge both companies only a decade later in Aug. 1963 with a romantic announcement as if two persons were getting married. 

The period from 1951 to 1984, Hertig's ownership is the peak of Glycine's horological and commercial activities.

Airman, the flagship model of Glycine expanded the companies' manufacture and distribution capacity. In 1964 Hertig Jr moved to the US to set-up Glycine service center in order to meet overseas demand. But in Nov. 1965 just when Werner Siegrist, who just graduated from watchmaking school joined Glycine, Charles Hertig Sr. passed away. The loss of his father urged Hertig Jr. to come back from the US. The next 2 years leave the growing American market without authorized service center. Werner Siegrist, already graduated school as master watchmaker caught up with Glycine pretty fast and therefore has been sent to the US in 1967. 

Samuel Glur, company director of Glycine then, is a noteworthy person who is behind the 24h bezel invention and also ensured that Glycine's success in Airman sales keep Glycine fiscally healthy. Models like the Airman SST, SST Chronographs, Combat and Compressor models were manufactured during his management. He also initiated the digital watches launch in early '70s so that Glycine doesn't vanish from history like many family owned Swiss watchmaking companies in that decade. Pictured: Samuel Glur

Hans Ulrich Klingenberg, who back then was working for Glycine, has discovered in 1959 that if watch cases are sealed and cased in airless atmosphere, the lubrication doesn't dry out. Vacuumed cases also don't let air, water or condensation penetrate into the case, prolonging the life of the watch and demanding less service. That was his claim, and time proved him right. There are still many Vacuum watches in the market and they are incredibly accurate. Klingenberg took his rightful place in the timeline of Glycine history.Vacuum watches which are still around need people with knowledge to service since it's a monobloc case and access to the movement is from the dial side.
The Vacuum Patent ( CH 355742 applied in 1959, registered in 1961 ) which is marked always on the case-back of these watches, is registered on Klingenberg's name. On January 5, 1966, the day after the expiry of the Statut Horloger ( a protectionist cartel that made it difficult to set up new watch companies in Switzerland), Klingenberg left Glycine and set up the Vacuum Chronometer Corporation and  'Century Time AG' in 1975. You will find double 'C' facing each other logos on some watches, that's Klingenberg's company 'Century Chronometers'. It is said that all watches he manufactured were COSC certified. He continued operating as a casing partner with Glycine and other watchmaking companies.

Glycine started using the crown logo we know today from 1965 onward on few watches. In 1967 most Glycine watches were marked with the new logo. 1967 was also the year when efforts were being made to replicate Airman's success for the people on land, kind of 'Landman', but Glycine called it 'Combat'. Designed, manufactured and promoted for military, sports and industry, all exacting men; states the manual of Glycine Combat. It uses the same seconds hacking mechanism with pin at 12 o'clock position and is the second oldest model line in Glycine after Airman. It did not reach the success level of Airman but opened a new page for Glycine by using EPSA Compressor case. Combat line of watches had a weak presence and small manufacture volume of several thousands only throughout the decades until it has been resurrected in the 2000s.
 

The '60s were also the height of the cold war. Everyone involved was striving for the highest, fastest and furthest. The SST race was fierce and players were; Concorde, the Anglo-French cooperation between Aerospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation, Boeing from the United States with 2707 and the Russian with Tupolev TU 144.

Concorde presented two prototypes in June 1969 Air Show in France along with the Russian Tupolev TU-144 while Boeing was still working on prototypes.

Unfortunately during the same show in 1973 the TU 144 crashed while making a show flight which was a turning point for SSTs. It negatively affected both investors and raised public concerns for the SSTs. Minds shifted due to the sonic-boom, take-off noise and pollution these SSTs were causing. This, along with funding problems has caused the American Senate to cancel the Boeing SST project. 

Glycine, heavily involved in American airspace with its flagship watch Airman opted for Boeing 2707 to diversify its classic design. In 1967 Glycine manufactured the Airman SST models with the Boeing 2707 case-back engraving. Unfortunately after funding has ceased, the American SST project was left as a commemoration on these timepieces. In the meantime Concorde had to improve the addressed concerns for the SST and had to wait several more years until the first scheduled flights in 1976.
With ups and downs, overall the SST was the dream of mankind which came through and made it also into our watches. This is the background story of our Glycine Airman SST ( aka 'Pumpkin' ) case-back markings.
Watch the video below how the public perceived SST in 1967 Americas and what was expected from the future.

In Oct 1953 Ervin Piquerez ( EPSA ) registered the patent CH313813 marking his invention as 'Compressor' case. It took the market some years to understand how this compressor cases work and how they could benefit, therefore EPSA cased watches became popular in '60s and '70s only. His invention was in several levels of compressing the case-back of watches. The more pressure was applied the stronger it became sealed. That's why most divers watches were cased in EPSA cases, so were many vintage Glycine watches including Airman due to rapid pressure changes in pilots cabin. Glycine used the EPSA cases and manufactured several different models in '60s and '70s including the Airman, Combat and Compressor models.

In early January 1972, five people found themselves in a restaurant in Nidau, Bienne​​:

The owners of Glycine & Altus, Wyler, Milus, Delvina and Buttes watch companies, who recognized the quartz emergence, were discussing the latest trend - LED Watches. Conversation focused on their current  traditional manufacture and how it should evolve. They had to catch-up with the trend and switch from mechanical timepieces to technologic manufacture. Buttes Watches owner had to justify to his 84 years old father: ' Father, if we don't cope with the new trends we will lose our company, we have to transform, it's not a choice anymore....' 

As a result of this meeting on 11 March 1972 ' Ditronic ' was born. 5 companies whose annual turnover was appr. 50 Mil Swiss Franks back then,united and started LED watches manufacture. Samuel Glur from Glycine was experienced in the US market due to the successful Airman launch. He contracted Optel Corporation from New Jersey, USA to produce the digital watches for Ditronic. Even after the launch of Ditronic, all 5 companies hoped that one day the manufacture can come back to the Swiss Valleys. The joint venture presented in April 1972 Baselfair the Ditronic line of watches. This was the start of a new era for Glycine which would help them survive the so called Quartz crises. This was also the last contribution of Samuel Glur to Glycine company, he passed away in 1974 and Charles Hertig Jr continued alone until 1984.