Glycine Combat Sub 42 GMT Bronze
Dear reader,
As I am writing this column, Utah is experiencing its highest record of snowfall in the last 40 years. With this seemingly unending winter, it helps to introduce something into your life that… Sparks something. A light at the end of this seemingly infinite tunnel, if you will.
Steel is a bit cold, Black PVD is too much of a reminder of the darker times, and Gold is a bit obvious, if for not a bit flashy.
Enter *Bronze*.
The little nugget that has been putting a smile on my face as of late has been a Bronze, 42mm Glycine Combat Sub… GMT.
If you want to just ditch the adjectives, this watch is called the Glycine GL0320 (reference number). In my findings Glycine is like Tudor, in that they will make one watch in seemingly infinite flavors and it can be easily overwhelming to find a particular reference model that you may desire.
Do you want black dial? Green dial? Brown dial?
Okay now how about the bezel? Black and blue? Black and brown? Black and gray? All of these variations can be found on the Bronze-cased version of a GMT watch.
The colorway provided in the GL0320 has a deep gray-ish dial that will descend into black, depending on the angles and overall conditions of the light. Bronze case, screw-down crown (signed), bezel edge, and buckle. In my personal opinion, this is just the right amount to look and feel like a different experience with a new metal, while not being too overbearing and shouting to the world that your watch is well… different.
To be clear, I’m aware that the material Bronze CuSn8 (Phosphor tinbronze) is in fact not a new material or precious metal, but it’s also hardly common in this little hobby corner of ours. As is evidenced by the 1.000 batting average the watch took at a local watch meetup held by the Utah Horological Society, of which I am a member. This particular alloy is known to be rather pure, with a low amount of impurities in its contents. Perfect for a watch to wear every single day and not worry about it withering away to the harsh elements that Utah finds home. Especially when the screw-down crown enables a worry-free 200m of water resistance.
Aside from the case material, the features that stand out to me all contribute to the sturdy feeling of quality that is in the GL0320. The granularity of the inputs required to spin the screw-down crown, the smooth and satisfyingly crisp turns of the bi-directional 48-click GMT bezel (that line right back up to the 12 o’clock position), the soft yet supple strap that doesn’t grip the skin too hard, yet doesn’t feel a need to slide up and down the entire length of the wearer’s wrist. All of these components add to a true feeling of a luxurious daily driver. Right up until you look at the hour hand, and realize that it’s almost a Rolex-inspired Mercedes hand. But instead of housing the three concentric lines that make up the famous design, it is an empty space that doesn’t really contribute to the rest of the design.
I’m sure there was a decision in some sort of board meeting at Glycine when designing the Combat Sub upon which the GMT was based, but like….. Come on. We were SO CLOSE.
The Combat Sub GMT utilizes a Sellita SW-330 movement to power its three local-time telling hands, GMT and date complications. And to note, the Sellita SW-330 isn’t even really its own thing! Loosely, the SW-330 is in fact related to the ETA 2892-2 GMT movement used by numerous other companies within the Swatch Group. It’s high-beat with a 28,800 beats-per-minute, that also includes hacking and hand-winding features. To use all the watch-world cliches, it’s a tried and true workhorse movement for GMTs in the $1000-$5000 region. But to snag one under 900 bucks brand new? Absolutely! So what’s the catch?
The GL0320 has a case diameter of 42mm, and a lug-to-lug of 49mm, while being 11.5mm tall. For an individual with a 6-inch wrist to pull off a 42, I believe that individual would be fairly confident in their own image that they present to the world. Especially with a lug-to-lug length of 49mm long. There are two saving factors here with this watch.
Firstly, the watch is less than 12mm in height. This is good. This is very good. The overall mass and heft of a piece that resides on your wrist dramatically increases with every millimeter in height that it reaches. Being rather slim for a sporty GMT such as this, is a massive plus.
Second, look at how the lugs not only angle away from the case, but also have a distinct curve to them. This can be a deciding factor in how wearable and versatile a watch can be.
Okay I’ll admit, that wasn’t really a catch. But I did mention the half-way Mercedes hand before, so that will have to do for now.
I see people rambling on about how a watch can, or cannot “slide under a cuff”. I don’t hold all watches to this standard. Not everything is a dainty Cartier Tank, pre-Royal Oak AP, or super thin Vacheron Constantin. Thinness is, and can be a fantastic attribute for a watch, but the fun and the spunk of the GL0320 absolutely warrants wearing low on the wrist, and popping out of the jacket sleeve, giving you a friendly “hello” wave every now and again.
I really dig and appreciate this little nugget of a watch. Before wearing it, I would have never thought about diving into the world of Bronze watches. This watch in particular came into my life by my father and his fascination towards the material, and how one could theoretically force-patina the surface of the watch to give it its own, unique look. For that, I commend the watch. After having experienced the watch on-and-off (but mostly on) for 2-weeks, I always smile when I look down. Not just because of the charming sheen from the case, or the glimmer from the gilded hands and indexes, but also I get to think about my dad and how grateful I am to have him in my life.
