Great watches that are really fun to wear. The lugs are really long and the watch feels bigger than 36mm when you are wearing it.

Good reference here: https://andres55.home.xs4all.nl/frames/airman25years.htm

The crowns and the hack mechanism are the main issues. Hands also. Sometimes hands are replaced with period-incorrect hands or just the wrong hands altogether (the hands are very distinctive). Different versions have different seconds hands (lollipop vs straight). Sometimes they have the wrong crystal (some have magnifier some versions have no magnifier). Sometimes the date wheel has been replaced with a later version (some are all black, some red). Sometimes the case-backs have been swapped. There are a lot of different versions and sometimes parts get swapped.

I would not buy one if it didn't have the proper cross-hatched crown unless the price was really, really good and the watch is amazing otherwise. Those crowns can be really hard to find and you might have to troll eBay for months. If the hacking mechanism isn't working that's not great, but there is an excellent watchmaker in Nevada who can repair that (Jim Sadilek, Vintage Glycine Airman Watches Repair Price List), but it can be expensive depending on what exactly is broken. If the lower clamp is missing its clamping piece (clamps the bezel to keep it from rotating), that's not great either since somebody will have to fabricate it for you. Jim can also do that, but again it can be expensive. The lower crown is not crosshatched. Don't let someone tell you that a particular version didn't have the hacking mechanism. If the hack isn't working, it's because it's broken. Pull out the crown and wait until the second hand gets to 12, it should stop. If it doesn't, the hack is broken.

 

Dan, very informative and helpful. Thanks you for describing the red flags. That website is a goldmine! I will let folks know what happens. The seller also has some "chronometers" though don't know what make/model.

 

What years are they?

 

Seconding Dan's recommendation of James Sadilek in Carson City. He replaced the crystal and hacking mechanism in my mid-60s Airman and serviced it for a very reasonable price. I was lucky in that he had a hacking mechanism handy and didn't have to fashion a new one.

I subsequently got an earlier 50s Airman with a champagne dial and working hack. I really love both watches. Neither of them have hatched crowns, incidentally. Sources I've seen say the hatched crowns didn't come into being until the 1960s.

A lot of old Airman examples have lume that looks terrible in photos-smeared, missing, whatever. I got my first Airman on eBay and when it arrived it looked so much better than the photos that I thought I might have been sent a reissue instead. If you can eyeball the watches you're thinking of buying you'll feel a lot better about your choice. Good luck!

 

I subsequently got an earlier 50s Airman with a champagne dial and working hack. I really love both watches. Neither of them have hatched crowns, incidentally. Sources I've seen say the hatched crowns didn't come into being until the 1960s.

Very nice examples, and you're right about the hatched crowns. The link I posted previously clearly indicates which models should have hatched crowns, red date-wheels, crystals with magnifiers, arrow-hands, etc.

 

Thanks guys. I drove out there today, and the older Glycine airmans had not arrived. I guess they are in a safe somewhere. I am going to head back out later to see what he's got. There was an unworn, modern tribute Glycine, but I have no interest in these.

 

Well, that's a little frustrating. Maybe he can send you some photos next time so you can judge whether it's worth your time.

 

I am happy to hear the positive feedback for Jim Sadileck,it's just one of the previous dozens. When we started the Heritage watchmaker project across the globe Jim from CONUS and Ronald from Europe were assigned. We have also Matt Henning in CONUS for manufacturing the original parts.
Airman models have cross hatched crowns only after 1964 when they are in EPSA case. So all the 'A 12345 'and 600K to ~680K serial numbers,with screw-in caseback should be straight and plain crowns.
I am confident that unless you have wrong dial, hands set or case, everything else is restor-able at this time thanks to those skilled watchmakers mentioned above.These watches were faked at some time but there is enough information in the web to see correct and franken-botchered differences. Andre's website is a leading one in this platform.
You can also post them here so we can share our observations and experience with you before you purchase them.

 

I am confident that unless you have wrong dial, hands set or case, everything else is restor-able at this time thanks to those skilled watchmakers mentioned above.

I would also add the hatched crown to this list of things that are not easily replaced (for post-1964 models). It would be great if Glycine (or someone) would manufacture these, because everyone is looking for them (for Airman and super-compressors) and they are snapped up whenever they appear on eBay.

 

Well, my attempt to pick up the Glycines was a big nothing burger. The guy organizing the estate sale never responded to my texts. Not meant to be. I'll have to wait for another opportunity to pick one up. Folks, thanks for all of the helpful information and suggestions.

Edit: I will also add that when or if I have the opportunity to buy Glycine Airman this thread will be a valuable resource.