The Glycine Combat Sub

One of the best "entry-level" Swiss-made divers

One of my favorite watches to wear comes from Glycine, a lesser-known Swiss watch manufacturer. The "Combat Sub" is a 42mm dive watch with a very slim profile. While most dive watches have thick cases that cause the watch to bulge off of the wrist, the combat sub case width is only 11.3mm making it extremely wearable with any type of sleeve. I have a "skinny" wrist and usually avoid divers; however the slim case of the Combat Sub together with its curved lugs work well in preventing this watch from looking too big on me.

For a fifth of the cost of an Omega Seamaster, and a tenth of the cost of a Rolex Submariner, the Glycine Combat sub presents excellent value that cannot be overlooked. Since purchasing mine several months ago, I have been blown away by the build quality. The ETA movement within keeps excellent time (+/- 10 seconds per 24 hours) and the dive bezel moves in precise increments (uni-directional clockwise, 60 positions per rotation). The crown is perhaps the most important element of a dive watch and this one feels bullet-proof, moving between positions smoothly and responsively. I have no doubt that the screw-down crown will do its duty of keeping water out for a lifetime. The date wheel changes precisely at the stroke of midnight and adds to the overall presentation of the dial. Engraved on the caseback is the Glycine logo which is always nice to look at between strap changes.

Glycine produces the Combat Sub in a very wide range of configurations including some rather unusual color combinations. I chose to purchase my own (pictured below) with a black case and dial. I really like the dark case here because it seems to blend into the background and allow focus to shift to the bezel and dial features. Between the various online retailers that carry Glycine, you can find this watch in many other interesting color schemes. The model here on Amazon achieves a similar effect as mine with a standard case and solid white dial. I actually prefer the extra detail on the hour hand in this configuration.