My family owns 3 Combat Subs. No better deal out there for mechanical Swiss divers. Very nice watches, well made and highly recommended. The Swatch is a disposable plastic toy.
Glycine was at one point my best watch, i loved it. But we tend to move on and move up in watch collecting don't we? Seeking the more refined brand, the more respected brand. Well this video reminded me of what a soft spot i have for Glycine and prompted me to order this model. It came today and it is knocking me out. It demonstrates to me that a great watch is a great watch---regardless of price. I have other more expensive pieces now, but man, this one is great. I mean, the finishing on my Tudor BB is not noticeably different than this. Wears like a thin slab of coolness on the wrist (again, besting the Tudor in thinness and wearability). As a side note, nobody seems to have a problem with Swatch group watches so there's no point making a huge deal about the Invicta ownership here either. Actually, huge props to them for helping Glycine to continue making great Swiss watches and doing it at a price that, as you point out, is a headline itself.
I have the Glycine quartz GMT- it’s pretty decent. It has one QC flaw, the cyclops is crooked. Seems solid otherwise, and worth more than the price for a Swiss watch.
The Swatch X Blancpain looks nice, but the Sistema 51 is not accurate having owned one. I will still give it a miss. Great video though, as always. When you think though, that for a similar price you can get a Seiko 5 GMT!
Glycine's parent company is Invicta. So you can annoy snobs and tell them you have an invicta watch 😂 I got the bronze combat sub as my first and only bronze watch. Happy with it so far. About 1 year of ownership.
@@roytofilovski9530 you buy it for yourself and annoy snobs with it- telling them you have an invicta watch. Invicta seems to be one of the watch brands on the "hate" list of watch snobs.
Swatchpain is the agreed nickname for this thing?! I was hoping for Swifty Swathoms. I definitely like the "what if" nature of the moonswatch and this watch. There's never going to be a brightly colored ceramic Blancpain. There is probably never going to be a red ceramic Moonwatch (which I would jump through hoops to buy). These are just fun and even the Swuba costs about as much as a leather strap from Omega. Hating these things is silly. Wear what you want to.
@@WatchCrunchOfficial when I think of fun (non serious) watches, its the casio, timex that are around $30-$100. At $400, and carrying the “Blancpain” iconic name…it should be serious!
Glycine blows any plastic watch out of the water. The most underrated swiss brand. Bar-none. Absolute value for money. No other brand can give you so much watch, for so little money.
Years ago glycine combat subs were going for 600-1000 and i thought of them like squale. Now the products haven't really changed, but the invicta ownership had changed the business side of things for them and the perception. They aren't exclusive or scarce anymore and that changes value dramatically. They used to be critically acclaimed and now they are simply a fantastic bargain, so their notoriety is for a completely different reason
@@SpaceG95 i agree. I bought a hamilton khaki aviation air race grey market a few years ago for around 300 and was amazed to actually get a swiss watch for that price. I ended up moving that on and i largely gravitate towards german brands or microbrands now because i prefer the designs and value for money. I like some swiss brands and watches, but bending the knee to elitist swiss watch cartels is something i really dont want to do.
I think you struck a great balance. The Glycine is definitely the better watch if you're looking for a daily wear watch. The Swatchpain is the better watch if you're looking for a fun addition to your collection of capable serious watches.
@julienfroidevaux1143 I'd say that the global consumer base would disagree... sneakers, fashion accessories, most clothing, etc., are all "throw away" items. It's cool to not like the watch, but be honest about why, there is no need to parrot a silly talking point.
@@CH-yp5bycould you explain the "grade", do you mean number of positions tested etc? I am curious because i am looking at sinn and Christopher Ward which both have sw200-1 but everyone praises sinn and says CW doesn have good mechanism.
I got that exact Glycine- at Costco- for about $260. I love this watch. The strap looks good but doesn’t wear comfortably so I picked up a black with orange stripe NATO from Crown and Buckle for about $20 and now it’s perfect.
this trash plastic watch wont last you 2 years or even 10-50 or evven a hundred years, and has a non servicable movement, absolutely just yeah its cool but DONT BUY IT.... buy an SKX or TISSOT or STEINHART or SEIKO TURTLE or so many other watches that retain value in the world of watches and will last you 50 years also for the same price the movement in this watch is a over the top timex dollar watch automatic no jewel M72 trash or whatever the movement was again
I have one of those GL0083 never will i believe that it was ever a $1000+ watch the lume sucks! i bought one of these NEW and had to send it in for service under their warranty. It ran fast by 45 minutes a day
This affordable Glycine is real food for thoughts. It has provenance, performance, street cred and looks good on the wrist. Do you really need a SeaMaster or a JLC Polaris to feel good ? Buying a €61 Pagani Design vintage Patek chronograph homage (something I would not have been caught dead doing five years ago) and a €200 1990’s quartz YEMA Superman Worldtime from eBay has had more impact than I expected. I truly enjoy wearing these two pieces, and suddenly made the spending of €5000 on a watch look completely shocking.
Proud owner of the 39mm version, GL0401 ! It's my absolute favorite watch, started wearing it pretty much all the time. It wears amazing, put it on a black/gold Nato strap, the gilt is great and build quality is unrivaled for the price :) My dream was to get a Tudor BB58, but honestly after getting the Glycine for 500€, it's hard justifying spending 4k on a BB.
I go with the SwatchPain. If I wanted a value diver in the Submariner vibe made by an Invicta company... I'd go for *another* Pro Diver for less than $100 (my current one is at least 10 years old and runs great, even after my washing machine "test" last year). If I wanted a quality watch at a great price but in the Blancpain vibe I'd recommend the Baltic Aquascaphe which has many elements of the BP Bathyscape. But I can see a day at the beach with the SwatchPain.
I like the Swatch Blancpain cooperation. Especially because more people now learn about the fifthy phatoms history. But, the disposable movement and bioceramic puts me off. And as you say there are some amazing real Swiss watches or Seikos to buy at that price point! 😎 Besides the Glycine is a steal anyways. Very underrated watches.
Your end analysis is just wrong for "us" in the UK. In London it's non watch people who are buying this. It's the slightly simple people who are desperately seeking fashionability. They might own a reasonable watch, but they only buy it because they want to fit in. It's a market of the weak and stupid. For example, there's a famous RUclipsr who notably bought a brown MoonSwatch, whose popper then fell off, and then subsequently he bought a Mars model???!? Please be your own man (or woman). Buy quality. Buy for genuine love. Being "in on the joke" is just the silliest thing I've heard in years.
@@WatchCrunchOfficialNo doubt. My point was that this might be a continental difference of behaviour. I have held a Swatchpain, and it's not good. Worried about plastic pollution (do you remember that from last year?), and think there's a lack of understanding of the world's problems in different continents. My feedback was to inform your subscribers that the people who are buying (in London)aren't in on any joke, apart from not understanding what watches really are. I appreciate you are trying to keep this "light and positive", but I am afraid this kind of commercialism isn't a joke anymore.
Have that one, the “Coke” and my everyday wear to work airmen worldtimer ghosted blue dial. Great work watch for the value. The most impressive is most of the movement are 8vps. Good call on a great brand with a rich history.
I have been interested in watches for many more decades that I would care to admit and, these days, I have quite a few high-end mechanical timepieces and one sort of high-end quartz (Breitling Aerospace, my go-to travel watch). Even though I decided to stop buying watches 8 years ago as what I had collected was way more than anyone might possibly need, I saw the Glycine Sub at local Costco in December 2022 and immediately bought it as, being interested in watches for many decades, I was well-familiar with the brand and wanted to check it out to see what was the catch and why it was so cheap. During the month after that, I discovered that I gradually started picking it up over other watches I had at that point at home (the vast majority of my watches are in a bank safety deposit box, but I rotate them constantly). Fast forward almost a year. It has been on my wrist practically non-stop since then. I just love it: it is light, comfortable, well-built, accurate (+4.5 seconds a day - totally on par with all my high-end pieces), easy to clean (taking it off the NATO strap takes 10 seconds and it can be rinsed or washed). Unscrewing and screwing the crown back in gives that hard-to-describe pleasure one gets only from operating a precisely built mechanical gadget, but - if you happen to have a gadget like that - you'd know exactly what I am talking about. In short, it is a great watch. I was smiling through the Glycine part of the video, as @WatchCrunchOfficial's opinion was so close to what I think about that watch.
I just re-bought a Glycine Sub, having owned one "early" in my watch hobby, I believed it was less-than other higher-priced watches. I think i was wrong... can't wait to get this one back on my wrist.
You can get fakes of these fake Omegas and Blancpains (because they are fakes, they've never seen the inside of the factory who's name they bear) for $25. And the Speedy's are better as they have Mecha-quartz movements! Hundreds of dollars on plastic, disposable watches? Gimme a break!
I just purchased the Artantic Ocean, and I love it, it is a great beach watch, since I don’t feel comfortable wearing my more expensive watches to the beach, the Swatch Blancpain works well for my beach days even more than my Longines Hydroconquest (too heavy).
Got the black SwatchPain automatic, it's fun, cheap but feels more like a "real" watch vs the actually cheap Moonswatch. Fun daily that may not last but who cares.
I own that Glycine “Phantom” and still bought the Black Thrifty Fathoms. 😂 While long-term cost-performance of the Glycine is unquestionable, the Blanc Pain X Swatch collab has way better lume and a 2X+ longer power reserve, so not everything is better on the combat sub. Love them both for different reasons.
watches are fun, and what's more fun that royalty (Blancpain and Omega) in a goofy comedic suit?! they're the Benny Hill of the watch world and, if one could afford a $400 joke, wear it and lough your ass off. I enjoy my mission to Mars, is it a great watch? C'mon...Love the Combat Sub BTW, but my money goes to Orient, Glycine got me on the Airman, that I still absolutely love.
Though I don't own any of these collaborations, I do think that they're great for the watch community. They bring awareness of brand that many may not know of and bring new collectors to the hobby. I can't help but wonder what other collaborations may come...maybe Casio and Audemars for a real "Casi-Oak".
The Glycine combat sub is THE best value Swiss diver available. So much to love about this watch. Invicta's purchase of Glycine has only made it more affordable, and I view that as a good thing. I've owned one now for about two years and am still amazed at how nice it is. The Swatchpain looks like a high priced piece of plastic trash.
The Swatch Group is trashing great names in the watch industry. This is another garbage and 5 years from now it will end where it belongs "the trash can". It's a piece of plastic, a movement that can't be serviced and this thing won't last 5 years. To spend $400.00 on this junk you've got to be way more than "stupid".
7:04 Looks like Max hasn't done his research again... That's a very special reissue from Citizen with a beautiful story behind it. These so called ''watch lovers/experts'' should really learn how to use Google properly.... But other than that, cool video.
I do like the collabs they do I just wish they were a more reasonable price. This shouldn't be more than £200 IMO and the moonswatch should be around £150 maybe £175
Your essay on the comparison between the plastic Blancpain and the Combat is so spot on. Enough so that I subscribed. Your point about the deep discounts (thanx Invicta bad press) is absolutely true. This is a situation in which an unused nice quality diver containing a Sellita for under 400 is extremely rare. The only other brand with similar specs that gets routinely discounted this significantly would seem to be Gevril....but the history of Glycine is much more legit. I guess you could occasionally put Certina and Mido in there too, but anything new contains a Powermatic with the "hobbled" regulator---which is why I don't acquire them anymore. I think it is cool that you buck the typical online trend of only whispering Glycine, due to the instant backlash about them being Invictas. I have a 24 hour "blue/black" Worldtimer, and a gorgeous sunray blue moonphase Combat, and paid relatively nothing for them. I also have Speedies, Seamasters, Ulysse Nardin, Hydroconquests, etc., but will pull out a Glycine when I want a carefree outing not worrying about scratches on the Hesalite. Bang for the Buck baby! You might want to double check your timeline comparison on the whether the "Fifty" was patented or came to market before the "Sub". Not sure we should always blindly follow the corporate storyline. You are presenting intelligent narratives, and don't seem to have been ensnared by manufacturers "quid-pro-quo" largesse yet. I will continue to have you on my top half dozen watch stuff views.
Lot of misleading info here: Blancpain is a division of Swatch, so there are deep pockets to keep the brand name alive, if not its former uniqueness. And then the 90 hour reserve. users are reporting closer to 60 hours, which is still a good reserve, just makes the company's claim not credible. If they got that so wrong, how is the Swatchpain cerplastic any different from an Asian clone watch. Turns out having a watch that was built on Swiss soil is no longer the status symbol it once was.
The Swatch Omega Moonwatch & the Blancpain 50 Fathoms are just overpriced fakes that ride on the Hype Wave ! They are neither made by Omega nor Blancpain ! There are so many other options out there that give you that look that are way better value ! 😂😂😂
Glycine are real watches that will last a life time. I have a 39mm Brienne 1914; looks and feels as good as my Tudor. I also have a Swatch MoonSwatch and it feels like a toy.
I wish the Swatch Group would stop producing junk. I get it, I really do but you've already cheapened the Omega brand and now you're doing the same thing to Blancpain.
I like the sistem 51 fathoms. I understand all of the criticism but just to have for the collection. Btw just picked up a Moonswatch. If anyone is looking for a “real” watch and not a fashion piece the Swatch store is the wrong place to look.
The Combat Sub. Literally the best name for a watch in all of watchdom. If BP has to move to plastic to bump sales, well, that tells you something about BP and SG. Maybe they aren't as awesome as they think they are.
It's really eye catching, but in a bad way. Like a mustard stain on a white t-shirt. I'm all for pops of colour but this is a toy dump truck condensed into a watch, it just looks ridiculous on a grown man's wrist.
Hi my friend I wonder if you can please help me. I’m trying to find the model number of your glycine sub on your review. Can you please let me know. Ps fab review
As far as preferring a Swancpain to a Moonswatch is concerned: I would prefer to have a catshit, rather than a dogshit, resting on my back of my wrist but that doesn't mean my preferred option holds any particular appeal.
SwatchPain is the magical way of owning blancpain without paying for the total cost of owning a blancpain, it’s original complications and heritage. The collaboration is welcomed and the colors are fun. We wear watches to enjoy them then realize they can tell time and tales of human resilience in watch making as tools and finesse craftmanship during quartz crises.
I’ve owned a Combat Sub and it is a legit, quality Swiss watch. I can’t disagree with your recommendation. I am waiting for my Thrifty Fathoms Antarctic to arrive from Switzerland- bought on Chrono24 for $646 all in. I know it’s a cheap plastic watch, but like my MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon I also bought on Chrono24 for $475 all in, I think they are fun and a social moment in time that I wanted to participate in. Hype hell yeah. Cash grab duh. Marketing genius - kinda.
I will take the glycine over the plastic toy any day… If the price point was $150 OK sure… But it’s not, and for the money that they are asking there are so many many great watches out there for the same or even less money.
neither blancpain nor glyciene exist any more. The first is a swatch owned trademark and the other one belongs to invicta. sellita is manufacturing in hong-kong and just putting the logo on in switzerland. invictas manufacturing is in indonesia.
each to their own, the blanpain feels more robust & durable but the difference is that the blanpain model is one time use only (due to using mechanical sistem 51) while the omega uses replaceable battery..
Hi mate, this watch is just a toy, and if you want to throw out on the window your hard earned money then buy this overpriced plastic toy, if you want for the same money to buy a diver with iso specifications buy an seiko skx used or a citizen promaster diver, and you won't feel sorry, trust me, I own them both,
I recently saw the bronze combat sub and was on the fence because they were taken over by Invicta, but after seeing this video and looking at the comments I think I’m going to pull the trigger and get one
I would go step further and say any alternative is a better alternative to the swatch plastic chunk… It would be one thing if the price point was $149. At that price I could see taking a flyer on it and enjoying the fad that it inevitably is.. with that said, the glycine is an awesome watch!
I always wonder why you all watch reviewers never put the watch model number and brand on the description, or somewhere we could quickly copy paste to search while we watch the video.
I just picked up a Helm Miyako. Design inspired by the Fifty Fathoms. ISO Certified diver, decent Miyota movement. Absolutely solid and incredible build quality for the price. Doesn't have the brand history but an incredible watch for $375 plus $35 shipping. Only real downside.....well not easy to get one...there is a waiting list....you have to be patient unless you want to over pay for second hand but well worth it.
I bought a green bezel Glycine combat sub back when they were priced along with Squale and Steinhart from a grey market retailer. Lume dot came off and it became my work watch for the last 10 years. It has been though a lot and has been a great watch. I need to decide if I replace the bezel when I retire or wear with pride the "patina" I have put on this watch.
My family owns 3 Combat Subs. No better deal out there for mechanical Swiss divers. Very nice watches, well made and highly recommended. The Swatch is a disposable plastic toy.
Glycine was at one point my best watch, i loved it. But we tend to move on and move up in watch collecting don't we? Seeking the more refined brand, the more respected brand. Well this video reminded me of what a soft spot i have for Glycine and prompted me to order this model. It came today and it is knocking me out. It demonstrates to me that a great watch is a great watch---regardless of price. I have other more expensive pieces now, but man, this one is great. I mean, the finishing on my Tudor BB is not noticeably different than this. Wears like a thin slab of coolness on the wrist (again, besting the Tudor in thinness and wearability). As a side note, nobody seems to have a problem with Swatch group watches so there's no point making a huge deal about the Invicta ownership here either. Actually, huge props to them for helping Glycine to continue making great Swiss watches and doing it at a price that, as you point out, is a headline itself.
I love how swatchpain reads differently to those unaware
I have the Glycine quartz GMT- it’s pretty decent. It has one QC flaw, the cyclops is crooked. Seems solid otherwise, and worth more than the price for a Swiss watch.
I throw in the 2 weeks old Hamilton Khaki Scuba i reeled out of eBay for 270 Euros some 12 years ago.
The Swatch X Blancpain looks nice, but the Sistema 51 is not accurate having owned one. I will still give it a miss. Great video though, as always. When you think though, that for a similar price you can get a Seiko 5 GMT!
Yep, there are many ways to spend your money 👍
Glycine's parent company is Invicta. So you can annoy snobs and tell them you have an invicta watch 😂
I got the bronze combat sub as my first and only bronze watch. Happy with it so far. About 1 year of ownership.
But snobs dont generally buy Glycine so who exactly are you annoying?
@@roytofilovski9530 you buy it for yourself and annoy snobs with it- telling them you have an invicta watch.
Invicta seems to be one of the watch brands on the "hate" list of watch snobs.
Swatchpain is the agreed nickname for this thing?! I was hoping for Swifty Swathoms. I definitely like the "what if" nature of the moonswatch and this watch. There's never going to be a brightly colored ceramic Blancpain. There is probably never going to be a red ceramic Moonwatch (which I would jump through hoops to buy). These are just fun and even the Swuba costs about as much as a leather strap from Omega. Hating these things is silly. Wear what you want to.
Hell might as well buy a Aragon DiveMaster.
Almost any watch will make you regret buying the Swatch .
Reduce it by around 20% and make it serviceable I could get on board .
I googled Glycine but all I got were links to amino acid supplements... maybe the name is just not that great. 😅
Invicta not plastic or a Swatch that is known for plastic watches?
The Invicta relationship is such a major turnoff for many. I feel like it really hurts the brand.
I love my Glycine❤
This watch belongs to a 10 year old
Swatch pain looks like a mickey mouse watch.
Swatchplain has nothing to do with loving watches... Is show off! It's a throw away watch, so it isn't for watch colectors...
How can anyone take these colors seriously?
It's not supposed to be serious
@@WatchCrunchOfficial when I think of fun (non serious) watches, its the casio, timex that are around $30-$100. At $400, and carrying the “Blancpain” iconic name…it should be serious!
Glycine blows any plastic watch out of the water. The most underrated swiss brand. Bar-none. Absolute value for money. No other brand can give you so much watch, for so little money.
I've bought several Glycines and only regretted one, simply because I don't like PVD bracelets
Years ago glycine combat subs were going for 600-1000 and i thought of them like squale. Now the products haven't really changed, but the invicta ownership had changed the business side of things for them and the perception. They aren't exclusive or scarce anymore and that changes value dramatically. They used to be critically acclaimed and now they are simply a fantastic bargain, so their notoriety is for a completely different reason
I see that as a good thing. For a man of limited finances, I find it refreshing that a swiss made watch with heritage is actually attainable.
@@SpaceG95 i agree. I bought a hamilton khaki aviation air race grey market a few years ago for around 300 and was amazed to actually get a swiss watch for that price. I ended up moving that on and i largely gravitate towards german brands or microbrands now because i prefer the designs and value for money. I like some swiss brands and watches, but bending the knee to elitist swiss watch cartels is something i really dont want to do.
I think you struck a great balance. The Glycine is definitely the better watch if you're looking for a daily wear watch. The Swatchpain is the better watch if you're looking for a fun addition to your collection of capable serious watches.
Thank you for watching till the Conclusion ;)
Swatch pain ;-)
I view it as a fun watch to wear in the summer.
Nothing fun about a throw away product .
@julienfroidevaux1143 I'd say that the global consumer base would disagree... sneakers, fashion accessories, most clothing, etc., are all "throw away" items.
It's cool to not like the watch, but be honest about why, there is no need to parrot a silly talking point.
I JUST walked out of Costco…they had it for $239! Swiss Made goodness, with a slim case, at this price is incredible!
Really..
Its on discount and its not even an montj after its release
The Glycine is kind of a steal tbh
💯
it might be bottom grade SW200 but still a steal!
@@CH-yp5bycould you explain the "grade", do you mean number of positions tested etc? I am curious because i am looking at sinn and Christopher Ward which both have sw200-1 but everyone praises sinn and says CW doesn have good mechanism.
@@CH-yp5by0:21
@CH-yp5by 5600ue-1jf 0:37 55
I got that exact Glycine- at Costco- for about $260. I love this watch. The strap looks good but doesn’t wear comfortably so I picked up a black with orange stripe NATO from Crown and Buckle for about $20 and now it’s perfect.
this trash plastic watch wont last you 2 years or even 10-50 or evven a hundred years, and has a non servicable movement, absolutely just yeah its cool but DONT BUY IT.... buy an SKX or TISSOT or STEINHART or SEIKO TURTLE or so many other watches that retain value in the world of watches and will last you 50 years
also for the same price
the movement in this watch is a over the top timex dollar watch automatic no jewel M72 trash or whatever the movement was again
I agree... But deep breath my friend 😂
I have one of those GL0083 never will i believe that it was ever a $1000+ watch the lume sucks! i bought one of these NEW and had to send it in for service under their warranty. It ran fast by 45 minutes a day
The SwatchPain looks dreadful, like a kids' toy, ugh!
Pretty much 😂
LOL I love the name "Swatch Pain"
maybe we can combined with the name I give them and become "Swatch Pain 50 Millimetres"
Swatch Micro painis
This affordable Glycine is real food for thoughts. It has provenance, performance, street cred and looks good on the wrist. Do you really need a SeaMaster or a JLC Polaris to feel good ?
Buying a €61 Pagani Design vintage Patek chronograph homage (something I would not have been caught dead doing five years ago) and a €200 1990’s quartz YEMA Superman Worldtime from eBay has had more impact than I expected. I truly enjoy wearing these two pieces, and suddenly made the spending of €5000 on a watch look completely shocking.
Абсолютно, движение вперед возможно только когда есть с чем сравнивать
Proud owner of the 39mm version, GL0401 ! It's my absolute favorite watch, started wearing it pretty much all the time. It wears amazing, put it on a black/gold Nato strap, the gilt is great and build quality is unrivaled for the price :)
My dream was to get a Tudor BB58, but honestly after getting the Glycine for 500€, it's hard justifying spending 4k on a BB.
I go with the SwatchPain.
If I wanted a value diver in the Submariner vibe made by an Invicta company... I'd go for *another* Pro Diver for less than $100 (my current one is at least 10 years old and runs great, even after my washing machine "test" last year).
If I wanted a quality watch at a great price but in the Blancpain vibe I'd recommend the Baltic Aquascaphe which has many elements of the BP Bathyscape.
But I can see a day at the beach with the SwatchPain.
It's a fun watch
Oh good...the crystal hasn’t scratched after one week...🤦♀️🤦♀️
Glycine makes solid tool watches with ETA/Selita movements.......highly underrated.
For sure!
Swiss Made™ - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Kamasu is better than both though. That is, if we omit "heritage" and all other marketing crap.
I have my red dial Kamasu and I do love it, but it probably isn’t better than the glycine.
Best under $500 watch for me is still the Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK
Yep, got one 👍
I've had a Combat Sub for years. It looks great and has never failed me.
Finally a video that makes sense recommending a quality watch over junk plastic with a throw away robot movement.
I like the Swatch Blancpain cooperation. Especially because more people now learn about the fifthy phatoms history.
But, the disposable movement and bioceramic puts me off. And as you say there are some amazing real Swiss watches or Seikos to buy at that price point! 😎
Besides the Glycine is a steal anyways. Very underrated watches.
Your end analysis is just wrong for "us" in the UK. In London it's non watch people who are buying this. It's the slightly simple people who are desperately seeking fashionability. They might own a reasonable watch, but they only buy it because they want to fit in. It's a market of the weak and stupid. For example, there's a famous RUclipsr who notably bought a brown MoonSwatch, whose popper then fell off, and then subsequently he bought a Mars model???!? Please be your own man (or woman). Buy quality. Buy for genuine love. Being "in on the joke" is just the silliest thing I've heard in years.
2 contrasting ideas can coexist in the world...I know that's hard to imagine 😉
@@WatchCrunchOfficialNo doubt. My point was that this might be a continental difference of behaviour. I have held a Swatchpain, and it's not good. Worried about plastic pollution (do you remember that from last year?), and think there's a lack of understanding of the world's problems in different continents. My feedback was to inform your subscribers that the people who are buying (in London)aren't in on any joke, apart from not understanding what watches really are. I appreciate you are trying to keep this "light and positive", but I am afraid this kind of commercialism isn't a joke anymore.
Glycines are way underrated.
Have that one, the “Coke” and my everyday wear to work airmen worldtimer ghosted blue dial.
Great work watch for the value. The most impressive is most of the movement are 8vps. Good call on a great brand with a rich history.
I have been interested in watches for many more decades that I would care to admit and, these days, I have quite a few high-end mechanical timepieces and one sort of high-end quartz (Breitling Aerospace, my go-to travel watch).
Even though I decided to stop buying watches 8 years ago as what I had collected was way more than anyone might possibly need, I saw the Glycine Sub at local Costco in December 2022 and immediately bought it as, being interested in watches for many decades, I was well-familiar with the brand and wanted to check it out to see what was the catch and why it was so cheap.
During the month after that, I discovered that I gradually started picking it up over other watches I had at that point at home (the vast majority of my watches are in a bank safety deposit box, but I rotate them constantly).
Fast forward almost a year. It has been on my wrist practically non-stop since then. I just love it: it is light, comfortable, well-built, accurate (+4.5 seconds a day - totally on par with all my high-end pieces), easy to clean (taking it off the NATO strap takes 10 seconds and it can be rinsed or washed). Unscrewing and screwing the crown back in gives that hard-to-describe pleasure one gets only from operating a precisely built mechanical gadget, but - if you happen to have a gadget like that - you'd know exactly what I am talking about.
In short, it is a great watch. I was smiling through the Glycine part of the video, as @WatchCrunchOfficial's opinion was so close to what I think about that watch.
I just re-bought a Glycine Sub, having owned one "early" in my watch hobby, I believed it was less-than other higher-priced watches. I think i was wrong... can't wait to get this one back on my wrist.
Both! I have a Atlantic in blue as well as a Submariner and about 30 other automatics 🙂 including a Glycine in bronze
You can get fakes of these fake Omegas and Blancpains (because they are fakes, they've never seen the inside of the factory who's name they bear) for $25.
And the Speedy's are better as they have Mecha-quartz movements!
Hundreds of dollars on plastic, disposable watches? Gimme a break!
Have you seen the Glycine GL0390? It's the Combat Sub in Bronze!! Killer!
I just purchased the Artantic Ocean, and I love it, it is a great beach watch, since I don’t feel comfortable wearing my more expensive watches to the beach, the Swatch Blancpain works well for my beach days even more than my Longines Hydroconquest (too heavy).
Got the black SwatchPain automatic, it's fun, cheap but feels more like a "real" watch vs the actually cheap Moonswatch. Fun daily that may not last but who cares.
I own that Glycine “Phantom” and still bought the Black Thrifty Fathoms. 😂 While long-term cost-performance of the Glycine is unquestionable, the Blanc Pain X Swatch collab has way better lume and a 2X+ longer power reserve, so not everything is better on the combat sub. Love them both for different reasons.
totally agree! I love this brand, hopefully Invicta doesn't ruin it. I did grab a black SwatchPain in Spain last week and love it for what it is.
watches are fun, and what's more fun that royalty (Blancpain and Omega) in a goofy comedic suit?! they're the Benny Hill of the watch world and, if one could afford a $400 joke, wear it and lough your ass off. I enjoy my mission to Mars, is it a great watch? C'mon...Love the Combat Sub BTW, but my money goes to Orient, Glycine got me on the Airman, that I still absolutely love.
Though I don't own any of these collaborations, I do think that they're great for the watch community. They bring awareness of brand that many may not know of and bring new collectors to the hobby. I can't help but wonder what other collaborations may come...maybe Casio and Audemars for a real "Casi-Oak".
Did you say beater? I got Casio GW-M5610. Probably the best beater I've ever had, and I have a handful of beater watches.
Max you made me purchase the GL0083 LoL!!!
It is really nice, unfortunately there aren't many on sale at the moment.
The Glycine combat sub is THE best value Swiss diver available. So much to love about this watch. Invicta's purchase of Glycine has only made it more affordable, and I view that as a good thing. I've owned one now for about two years and am still amazed at how nice it is. The Swatchpain looks like a high priced piece of plastic trash.
These comments are hysterical. This is meant to be an everyday knock around watch. The people complaining probably don’t even own a Casio.
Is EU able to jump on the $299? The euro prices I find are almost twice the money. Cheers to the owners, it looks like a great iconic watch!
The Swatch Group is trashing great names in the watch industry. This is another garbage and 5 years from now it will end where it belongs "the trash can". It's a piece of plastic, a movement that can't be serviced and this thing won't last 5 years. To spend $400.00 on this junk you've got to be way more than "stupid".
7:04 Looks like Max hasn't done his research again... That's a very special reissue from Citizen with a beautiful story behind it. These so called ''watch lovers/experts'' should really learn how to use Google properly.... But other than that, cool video.
I do like the collabs they do I just wish they were a more reasonable price. This shouldn't be more than £200 IMO and the moonswatch should be around £150 maybe £175
Omg, I have the GL0083 and it’s a very comfortable piece! Only the fabric NATO starp are so ugly and uncomortable 😢
Your essay on the comparison between the plastic Blancpain and the Combat is so spot on. Enough so that I subscribed. Your point about the deep discounts (thanx Invicta bad press) is absolutely true. This is a situation in which an unused nice quality diver containing a Sellita for under 400 is extremely rare. The only other brand with similar specs that gets routinely discounted this significantly would seem to be Gevril....but the history of Glycine is much more legit. I guess you could occasionally put Certina and Mido in there too, but anything new contains a Powermatic with the "hobbled" regulator---which is why I don't acquire them anymore.
I think it is cool that you buck the typical online trend of only whispering Glycine, due to the instant backlash about them being Invictas. I have a 24 hour "blue/black" Worldtimer, and a gorgeous sunray blue moonphase Combat, and paid relatively nothing for them. I also have Speedies, Seamasters, Ulysse Nardin, Hydroconquests, etc., but will pull out a Glycine when I want a carefree outing not worrying about scratches on the Hesalite. Bang for the Buck baby!
You might want to double check your timeline comparison on the whether the "Fifty" was patented or came to market before the "Sub". Not sure we should always blindly follow the corporate storyline.
You are presenting intelligent narratives, and don't seem to have been ensnared by manufacturers "quid-pro-quo" largesse yet. I will continue to have you on my top half dozen watch stuff views.
Lot of misleading info here: Blancpain is a division of Swatch, so there are deep pockets to keep the brand name alive, if not its former uniqueness. And then the 90 hour reserve. users are reporting closer to 60 hours, which is still a good reserve, just makes the company's claim not credible. If they got that so wrong, how is the Swatchpain cerplastic any different from an Asian clone watch. Turns out having a watch that was built on Swiss soil is no longer the status symbol it once was.
The Swatch Omega Moonwatch & the Blancpain 50 Fathoms are just overpriced fakes that ride on the Hype Wave ! They are neither made by Omega nor Blancpain ! There are so many other options out there that give you that look that are way better value ! 😂😂😂
Glycine are real watches that will last a life time. I have a 39mm Brienne 1914; looks and feels as good as my Tudor. I also have a Swatch MoonSwatch and it feels like a toy.
I wish the Swatch Group would stop producing junk. I get it, I really do but you've already cheapened the Omega brand and now you're doing the same thing to Blancpain.
I like the sistem 51 fathoms. I understand all of the criticism but just to have for the collection. Btw just picked up a Moonswatch. If anyone is looking for a “real” watch and not a fashion piece the Swatch store is the wrong place to look.
The Combat Sub. Literally the best name for a watch in all of watchdom.
If BP has to move to plastic to bump sales, well, that tells you something about BP and SG. Maybe they aren't as awesome as they think they are.
It's really eye catching, but in a bad way. Like a mustard stain on a white t-shirt. I'm all for pops of colour but this is a toy dump truck condensed into a watch, it just looks ridiculous on a grown man's wrist.
It looks super cheap. The movement will last a few years give or take before having to throw it away. £340!? if it was closer to £200 then maybe.
Hi my friend I wonder if you can please help me. I’m trying to find the model number of your glycine sub on your review. Can you please let me know. Ps fab review
As far as preferring a Swancpain to a Moonswatch is concerned: I would prefer to have a catshit, rather than a dogshit, resting on my back of my wrist but that doesn't mean my preferred option holds any particular appeal.
SwatchPain is the magical way of owning blancpain without paying for the total cost of owning a blancpain, it’s original complications and heritage. The collaboration is welcomed and the colors are fun. We wear watches to enjoy them then realize they can tell time and tales of human resilience in watch making as tools and finesse craftmanship during quartz crises.
I’ve owned a Combat Sub and it is a legit, quality Swiss watch. I can’t disagree with your recommendation. I am waiting for my Thrifty Fathoms Antarctic to arrive from Switzerland- bought on Chrono24 for $646 all in. I know it’s a cheap plastic watch, but like my MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon I also bought on Chrono24 for $475 all in, I think they are fun and a social moment in time that I wanted to participate in.
Hype hell yeah. Cash grab duh. Marketing genius - kinda.
I will take the glycine over the plastic toy any day… If the price point was $150 OK sure… But it’s not, and for the money that they are asking there are so many many great watches out there for the same or even less money.
neither blancpain nor glyciene exist any more. The first is a swatch owned trademark and the other one belongs to invicta. sellita is manufacturing in hong-kong and just putting the logo on in switzerland. invictas manufacturing is in indonesia.
each to their own, the blanpain feels more robust & durable but the difference is that the blanpain model is one time use only (due to using mechanical sistem 51) while the omega uses replaceable battery..
I love my glycine combat quartz so much ive ordered the automatic,best watch for the money nothing imo comes close for what you get gor the cash.
Hi mate, this watch is just a toy, and if you want to throw out on the window your hard earned money then buy this overpriced plastic toy, if you want for the same money to buy a diver with iso specifications buy an seiko skx used or a citizen promaster diver, and you won't feel sorry, trust me, I own them both,
"The Fifty-Fathoms preceded even the Rolex Submariner..."
Be careful what you say!
I own a few glycine watches. Very good quality watch. Can't get my hands on the Swatch blancpain watch due to resellers.
I recently saw the bronze combat sub and was on the fence because they were taken over by Invicta, but after seeing this video and looking at the comments I think I’m going to pull the trigger and get one
glycine ❤❤
I would go step further and say any alternative is a better alternative to the swatch plastic chunk… It would be one thing if the price point was $149. At that price I could see taking a flyer on it and enjoying the fad that it inevitably is.. with that said, the glycine is an awesome watch!
That Swatch is the children's version of Blancpain. For the price, I think there are much better options out there.
I call it The System 51 Fathoms, but that nickname isn't going viral like I thought it would.
I always wonder why you all watch reviewers never put the watch model number and brand on the description, or somewhere we could quickly copy paste to search while we watch the video.
Glycine under the Invicta umbrella; Blancpain under the Swatch umbrella. Humm?
The Seiko turtle is a much better watch than that plastic swatch.
The Seiko turtle can be serviced and is an ISO certified dive watch.
Sistem51 isn’t serviceable. This of a deal breaker. Mechanical watches are meant to be serviced.
They aren't really in the same league. You could also reach and compare it to Sub...
I just picked up a Helm Miyako. Design inspired by the Fifty Fathoms. ISO Certified diver, decent Miyota movement. Absolutely solid and incredible build quality for the price. Doesn't have the brand history but an incredible watch for $375 plus $35 shipping. Only real downside.....well not easy to get one...there is a waiting list....you have to be patient unless you want to over pay for second hand but well worth it.
Consider me influenced. Now trying to find the glycine in the uk - it’s so beautiful
Forget the name on the dial I'll take an Sw200-1 over a system 51 any day.
wtf. I always thought the ones at costco ae fakes because the prices were too good to be true ? those are real ?? damn it.
I hate this swatch BS
I bought a green bezel Glycine combat sub back when they were priced along with Squale and Steinhart from a grey market retailer. Lume dot came off and it became my work watch for the last 10 years. It has been though a lot and has been a great watch. I need to decide if I replace the bezel when I retire or wear with pride the "patina" I have put on this watch.
For your information, the dinosaurs went extinct just the week before, so...
Nothing to disagree with here! Love my SwatchPain OoS.
I'd take a Glycine over the Swatch but not since the Invicta ownership.