Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334

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 Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334

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 welcomes their latest collection of elegant dress watches in an enchanting 39mm case, delivering a great all-rounder package with a classic, timeless appearance. Rediscovering the former 44mm Glycine Bienne 1914 Ref. 3794 with refreshed specifications and dimensions that will undoubtedly appeal to the crowd, the Bienne 1914 Collection derives its name from Glycine’s historic roots as a Swiss brand that was established in Bienne, Switzerland in 1914. 

Constructed out of 316L stainless steel, the Glycine Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334 presented with pleasing dimensions perfectly fitting for a dress watch. Measuring with a case diameter of 39mm, a lug to lug distance of 48mm and a thickness of merely 11.5mm, you can expect this piece to fit splendidly on the wrist. This is gratifying to see Glycine embracing more compact dimensions in recent releases, exactly what many ardent watch enthusiasts were hoping for. Finished entirely with fine satin brushing, the case finishes are executed beautifully to a high level of refinement. Accompanying its exquisite appearance, the watch is paired with a 18mm black grained leather strap that notably evokes an attractive retro character. 

Heritage case profile

The attribute that truly defines the Glycine Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334 dwells in the blue, radially brushed sunburst dial that shimmers gracefully under the light, exhibiting a simple and incredibly elegant no-date dial design with a prepossessing set of Arabic hour markers and slim leaf-style hands. This cohesive combination is definitely fitting for a dress watch, creating a stylish look that will stay timeless for many years to come. At the 6 o’clock position, the printed text ‘Bienne 1914’ is executed in a delightful script font that adds a touch of vintage flair without too much complexity on the dial. 

Protecting the dial, the domed scratch-resistant sapphire glass captures the warm appearance of vintage domed plexiglass crystals while offering superior scratch resistance. The domed sapphire glass beautifully accentuates the elegance and retro charm of the dial, creating alluring distortions at different angles that play with the light along with the sunburst dial effect, what a stellar detail by Glycine. On the underside of the crystal, three layers of anti-reflective coating minimizes glare to allow a crystal clear view of the dial. 

See-through case-back

Under the hood, the Glycine Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334 runs on Glycine’s Cal. GL224 Swiss automatic movement. Based on the ETA 2824-2/SW200-1, this 25/26 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. Revealed through an exhibition case back, intricate parts of the movement and Glycine’s custom signed rotor is visible at the back of the watch. Despite only having a push-pull crown at the 3 o’clock position, the Bienne 1914 achieves an effective water resistance of 100m, a welcoming feature that adds value for a dressy piece like this, especially with water resistance often being an afterthought when it comes to dress watches. 

Glycine definitely got the dimensions right here, 39mm sits right on the sweet spot for the wrists of many. While Glycine isn’t exceptionally renowned for producing dress watches, the Glycine Bienne 1914 Collection Blue Ref. GL0334 is an excellent release that simply looks amazing, expressing a ton of classical elegance alongside great specifications we’ve come to expect from modern timepieces.