Side by side

Glycine Airman Vintage The Chief PuristvsZelos Swordfish 3

The numbers, the dial colors, the calibers — laid out so you can stop flipping between tabs.

Airman Vintage The Chief Purist
GlycineAirman Vintage The Chief Purist
MSRP $2,900
Swordfish 3
ZelosSwordfish 3
MSRP $399

At a glance

17 of 29 specs differ
Diameter
Airman Vintage The Chief Purist40mm
Swordfish 340mm
Power Reserve
Airman Vintage The Chief Purist48h
Swordfish 340h
Water Resistance
Airman Vintage The Chief Purist30m
Swordfish 3200m
MSRP
Airman Vintage The Chief Purist$2,900
Swordfish 3$399

Full specifications

Case

8 specs
Category
GMT
Diver
Thickness
12.25mm
12mm
Lug-to-Lug
40mm
Lug Width
22mm
20mm
Material
Stainless Steel
316L Stainless Steel
Finish
Brushed and polished
Water Resistance
30m
200m
Caseback
Solid

Crystal & Dial

5 specs
Crystal Shape
Flat
AR Coating
Inner
Dial Color
White
Bronze
Indices
Applied
Lume
Luminous
None

Movement

3 specs
Caliber
SW330-2
Seiko NH35
Power Reserve
48h
40h
Complications
Date
None

Pricing

1 specs
MSRP
$2,900
$399

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What people say

Owners + reviewers, side by side

Synthesized for each watch independently from owner discussions, enthusiast forums, written reviews, and video reviewers.

Glycine Airman Vintage The Chief Purist

The Glycine Airman Vintage The Chief Purist is widely praised for its classic pilot watch design and excellent wearability, with owners highlighting its authentic 24-hour dial as a core element of its identity. Reviewers and owners consistently note its accurate timekeeping, with one report stating it keeps very accurate time and another confirming excellent timekeeping. The sun-ray green dial is specifically mentioned as looking great in different lighting conditions, and the lume is described as great for a vintage-style piece. Owners find the purist model's 24-hour dial more logical than GMT versions, and the 40mm size is noted for offering larger, readable dials. One owner calls it the best pilot watch ever made.

From video reviewers

The 24-hour dial legibility is a key strength. Reviewers disagree on the desirability of the current Purist design compared to Glycine's past Airman 18 series.

Zelos Swordfish 3

Owners widely praise the Zelos Swordfish 3 for its strong value, with reviewers highlighting the textured sandwich dial, Seiko NH35 movement, 200m water resistance, and surprisingly good bracelet. The titanium construction is noted for making the watch compact and comfortable, weighing 117g. Some owners find the dimensions fine on paper and based on experience with other models. One reviewer flagged that legibility can suffer in bright light and bracelet edges are sharp. Overall, owners and reviewers rate the Zelos Swordfish 3 highly for its incredible value and fun design, particularly with unique dial options.

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