The 2011 Glycine Lagunare L1000 (Ref. 3899.18-D9) combines a fairly affordable price with robust design and high build quality. Add to the mix an elegant dial (an important thing in the world where most diving timekeepers spend most of their lives under an impeccably white shirt cuff of an office worker) and you get a potential winner.
According to Glycine, the diving tool will be available with three versions of the dial: black, white, and blue.
While the first two dials look nice, the blue (which, by the way, looks more like turquoise to me in these pictures) is the one that makes my heart beat a bit faster.
The 44mm Case
Maybe, that’s because the Glycine Lagunare L1000 comes in a rather stodgy body with most of its surfaces satin-finished and, combined with a white or black dial, the case looks somewhat overweight and dull. However, when they combine the same case with a turquoise dial, the watch immediately starts to feel light and kind of good-humored!
By the way, this is the first Lagunare that is available in a 44-millimeter case, which makes it two millimeters smaller than previous iterations of the diver.
Being only 11.70 millimeters in height, it is also slim for an automatic diver, which is rated for an impressive 300 meters of depth. Yes, I am sorry to disappoint you, but the “L1000” part of its name stands for the depth rating of 1000 feet, not meters, so do not be confused by the clumsy efforts of people from the marketing department.
The Rubber Strap Disappoints
What I am not particularly fond of here is the choice of strap.
I mean, the black rubber band itself is fine -it is reassuringly thick and looks quite comfortable-, but I don’t care much for the steel tang buckle that accompanies it. Sure, a buckle is what you normally get with rubber and silicone straps, yet a nice deployment clasp would make the process of securing the timepiece on your wrist not only easier but also a great deal faster.
If I was seriously thinking about getting one of these beasts, I would probably have to factor in the price of a nice steel bracelet or, perhaps, a third-party replacement rubber band with a clasp.
The ETA 2824-2 Movement
Of course, playing in the second league, Glycine lacks the resources to design and produce its own in-house calibers, so it is bound to use blank movements from third-party manufacturers. However, the Italian brand offers its watches with high-grade ETA 2824-2 automatic movements. These are known for their robustness, reliability, and accuracy: something that any mechanical “tool watch” needs.
The mechanism only features some minor (almost rudimentary) decor, but that’s not a problem if you can’t see it. Like many other divers rated for 300m and above (or below, idk) the Lagunare L1000 sports a solid case back cover.
The caliber also doesn’t boast any serious modification that would be worth mentioning.
Yes, that extra crown at four o’clock isn’t here to control the movement: it is just a part of a simple locking mechanism designed to keep the rotating bezel in place. While I doubt that it has any practical use here, it still makes the gadget more interesting to look at.
The watch is going to be officially presented in March 2011 at the Baselworld 2011 trade show. No info on pricing* and availability yet.
* UPDATE ON PRICING: It was just reported that the Lagunare L1000 will go on sale at a list price of $1900
See also: Longines Heritage 1969 Automatic (ref. L2.310.4.72.0)
Photos: Glycine
Glycine Lagunare L1000 Automatic 899.18-D9 specification
Price: $1900 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, caliber ETA 2824-2, nickel-coated oscillating weight on ball bearing, decorated Cotes de Geneve, 25 jewels, 25.94 mm in diameter, 28,800 vph, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 38 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 44.00 mm
Lug width: 24.00 mm
Case height: 11.70 mm
Dial: Blue
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Black, nickel, covered with Superluminova
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Black natural rubber with steel tang buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid steel