Combat Classic 40 "MoonPhase" Blue Ref. GL0385

With the landscape of watches getting crowded with the ever-growing competition, many strong players dominate the market to overshadow brands like Glycine. Nevertheless, Glycine continues to produce a wide array of compelling watches that hold their own. Established back in 1914, Glycine was founded by Eugène Meylan in Bienne, Switzerland, a place where countless prestigious watchmakers call home. Meylan was an accomplished watch engineer who strove for perfection and nothing less. Through his strong will and determination, he brought Glycine to greater heights with the successful production of extremely precise and fine miniature movements that were encased in precious gold and platinum cases.

Glycine Combat Classic 40 "MoonPhase" Blue Ref. GL0385

Meylan’s core beliefs and strong determination for perfection are embodied in Glycine watches even until this day. Perhaps Glycine is most distinguished for their historic Airman and Combat Sub collections, carrying great horological significance that influenced many prominent watches today. Alongside these impressive watches, Glycine also offers another range of mechanical field watches that leans toward a dressier appeal. The Glycine Combat Classic collection features elegant yet functional Swiss made watches with vintage inspired designs and appealing modern touches.

Glycine’s Combat collection showcases a range of timepieces that explores a dressier side of the brand. Focusing predominantly on clean and classical designs, skilfully crafted with an impressive build quality and capable Swiss-made workhorse movements, packing exceptional value we’ve come to expect from Glycine. Today, the centuries-old Swiss brand managed to add some

Beautiful moonphase is showcased beneath an intricate cutout

Built from a 316L stainless steel case, the Glycine Combat Classic 40 “Moon Phase” Blue Ref. GL0385 comes with perfect dimensions truly fitting for a watch with such a dressy character. Measuring in with a tasteful diameter of 40mm and a slim case profile of only 12.2mm thick, you can expect an elegant appearance on the wrist, sliding under a cuff easily. Combining an intricate mix of skilful finishes, fine satin brushing on the case beautifully transitions to a smoothly polished bezel for a sophisticated, well-refined appeal. The watch is paired with a 22mm brown leather strap worn with a steel tang buckle.

The dial of the Glycine Combat Classic 40 “Moon Phase” Blue Ref. GL0385 with a subtle sunburst blue dial. Keeping the dial rather simple, the slim leaf-shaped hands and numeric hour markers allows for an ultra-legible experience when glancing down to read the time. Right at the bottom of the dial, an eye-catching moon phase, featuring a polished gold moon and stars against a dark blue background. On top of that, the dial is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal treated with three layers of anti-reflective coating on the underside.

True to 60s “MIL-W-3818B” specifications

Under the hood, the Glycine Combat Classic 40 “Moon Phase” Blue Ref. GL0385 runs on Glycine’s Cal. GL280 Swiss automatic movement. Based on the SW280, this 26 jewel movement is renowned for its reliability as a ‘workhorse’ movement with a 4Hz beat rate of 28,800 BPH and a power reserve of 38 hours. The movement is visible at the back of the watch through its screw-down display case back which provides protection against accidental water splashes with 100m of water resistance, a treat to see for a dress watch.

Overall, the Glycine Combat Classic 40 “Moon Phase” Blue Ref. GL0385 is an excellent offering as one of Glycine’s dressier pieces from their wide range of selection. Presented in a lovely 40mm form factor, the watch exhibits great value with a whimsical moon phase complication, especially coming from a brand with such a rich watchmaking heritage.