Glycine

Glycine is a Swiss watchmaker founded by Eugène Meylan in Biel/Bienne in 1914, and its headquarters and manufacturing are still there. The name is the French word for wisteria. In 1930 Glycine released the first mass-produced automatic watches, and in 1959 it developed vacuum-sealed cases. The company has been owned by the Invicta Watch Group since 2016.

Glycine's best-known watch is the Airman, introduced in 1953 and developed in consultation with pilots. It has a 24-hour dial and a locking, rotating 24-hour bezel, which let it track two time zones. US Air Force pilots used the Airman during the Vietnam War, and astronaut Pete Conrad wore one on the Gemini 5 and Gemini 11 missions. Shortly afterward it also found civilian buyers as intercontinental jet travel grew.