Review: Glycine Combat 6 Vintage 43

Read the full review here: https://wahawatches.com/review-glycine-combat-6-vintage-43/

In this review, we turn our focus to the newer iteration of a standout model in this series, the Glycine Combat 6.

History behind the Combat

Glycine, already beloved by both military and civilian pilots, decided to broaden its horizons beyond the skies. The goal was to cater to soldiers, athletes, and anyone who needed a rugged watch capable of withstanding the challenges of their daily lives.

That’s how the Glycine Combat was born.

The first Glycine Combat was designated as the reference 645, a number that might ring a bell for vintage Glycine enthusiasts. It was originally associated with the Compressor line, which primarily featured elegant sports watches with Piquerez (EPSA) Compressor cases.

But the question arises: would you really sell a dress watch to individuals fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia?

The engineers and watchmakers at Glycine-Altus once again took it upon themselves to address a real need and to design a watch that combined the merits of two excellent lines that they were producing. The result was this:

Combat ref.645 from March 1968, photo: courtesy of Emre Kiris and Glycintennial

Of course, the new watch needed to incorporate features found in standard US military watches of that era, such as the MIL-W-3818 and GG-W-113 General Purpose watches. The most crucial feature was the 24-hour scale.

And because the hack feature was a must, Glycine brought its iconic take on it, originally introduced with the Airman, to the Combat. When you pull out the crown, a small wire pops up at 12 o’clock, halting the seconds hand there.

Carry On My Wayward Son – the modern Combat

Glycine’s modern Combat line, as we know it today, made its debut back in the early 2000s. The particular model we’re reviewing today, the Combat 6, entered the scene sometime in the late 2000s.

At first, it came exclusively in a 43mm case, riding the wave of the 2000s trend for larger watches. Fast forward to today, and the Combat collection offers three case sizes – 36mm, 40mm, and 43mm – but the Combat 6 Vintage remains the exclusive choice for those who prefer the 43mm option.

The Combat 6 Vintage isn’t trying to mimic the appearance of the original 1967 piece. Instead, it’s more like a nod to the American military watches of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. But there’s a specific Glycine watch that inspired it.

Glycine made GG-W-113 watches under the Altus brand. It’s believed they were only produced for one year, in 1986, exclusively for the United States Air Force. I haven’t found any with a different production year stamped on them, which seems to support that story.

The star of the show – the dial

What first struck me about the Combat 6 Vintage was the dial. It’s an absolute delight to behold, especially with the narrow bezel that makes it almost all dial. The matte black backdrop is just perfect – not too rough, not too smooth.

The date window doesn’t have an applied frame, but the cleverly faceted cut-out and the neatly printed white frame do wonders to make it visually appealing. The previous version of the Combat 6 Vintage had a white-on-black date disk, which some will probably miss. Me? I don’t mind the date disk in white here.

If I had to point out one thing, it would have to be the lume. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not ‘Dan Henry 1970’ bad by any means. You can actually read this watch in the dark, well, at least the hands can be seen, because the hour markers tend to fade out rather quickly. Then again, I’ve learned to not expect too much from tinted lume. Let’s be honest, modern watches inspired by the GG-W-113 style rarely give us that strong, glowing lume we dream of.

Don’t Fear the (43mm) Reaper

The 43mm diameter of the Combat might sound somewhat detracting, if like me you prefer smaller watches. Because of the narrow bezel, the watch definitely looks its size.

However, it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. The case boasts relatively short, gently curved lugs, resulting in a lug-to-lug distance of just over 49mm, which is about the same as the 40mm Longines Spirit. It’s also delightfully slim. At just 10.7mm, it’s impressively thin for a sporty field watch housing a Sellita SW-200 or an ETA 2824.

For the money, the case finishing is also great. The brushed finish with polished chamfers and a polished bezel against a brushed top definitely makes it more elegant – and thus, more versatile – than the sandblasted Hammy Khaki Field.

The movement

Like the previously covered Combat Sub, all varieties of the standard Combat are powered by the Sellita SW-200 aka Glycine GL224. Here, it can be seen through a display back.

It has a rather standard matte-frosted finish on the plates, and pretty simple decoration on the rotor. Is it a looker? Not really. Does it look bad? No, not at all.

My specimen keeps time within +5 seconds per day, which definitely has me happy about the performance.

For What It’s Worth…

I enjoy this watch far more than I expected. I saw the Combat 6 Vintage in all its iterations multiple times on forums. It’s a popular piece, though I think it doesn’t get the love it deserves. Taking into consideration the bang for the buck factor, the design and the finishing, it definitely doesn’t get enough attention from the WIS community.

The modern Combat, in a typically Glycine fashion, gives a lot of watch for not a lot of money. Most importantly, it’s the kind that brings a smile to my face when I put it on in the morning, and that makes me glance at my wrist for more reasons than just to tell the time. Ultimately, that’s what truly matters, and then some.

Technical specs

• Model reference number: GL0459

• Price: 495 euros at the Glycine Europe website

• Case diameter: 43 mm

• Thickness: 10.7 mm

• Lug-to-lug: 49 mm

• Lug width: 22 mm

• Case material: 316L stainless steel

• Crystal: Front – domed sapphire, back – flat mineral

• Movement: Sellita SW-200 aka Glycine GL224 – automatic, 26 jewels, 28800 A/h, date

• Water resistance: 50m/5ATM/5bar

• Lume: Tinted (aged tritium look) Super-LumiNova