Formex is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, and to kick things off the brand is introducing a new Essence Ceramica collection featuring four new references. The Essence collection is a celebration of the brand’s heritage in the world of motorsports, and has made use of semi-exotic materials such as forged carbon (in the Leggera collection) to create an ultra-lightweight experience. The Ceramica collection takes that a step further by using Zirconium Oxide Ceramic (Zr2) for the case and bracelet construction, all while maintaining signature Formex elements, such as their case suspension system, and their micro-adjustment system.
The Essence Ceramica dials up the drama with the use of finely brushed ceramic for the case and bracelet, but also by opening up the dial to reveal the inner workings of the COSC certified Sellita SW200-1 SC. A thin perimeter is present, which hosts applied hour markers which hang over the open portion of the dial to create a better sense of legibility. The baseplate bridge gets a vertical brush, and reveals raw bridges underneath, as well as offering a view of the mainspring, the keyless works, portions of the going train, and the gold toned balance wheel. The finishing won’t be winning any beauty awards, but it’s an interesting view nonetheless, particularly at this sub-$5,000 price point.
The design and dimensions of the case remain familiar, at 41mm in diameter, and 11.2mm thick. It’s important to note that the Formex suspension system is fit within these confines, allowing the central portion containing the dial and movement to flex and move under force. This is a patented feature built by Formex, and is the kind of thing you might expect much further up the food chain, and represents the level of innovation present in this space of the industry.
The design is angular and geometric with converging flat surfaces, all while remaining flat and easy to wear. Thanks to the use of ceramic, the case itself is still extremely lightweight, at a mere 56 grams sans the bracelet. They’ve even included the quick release tabs so swaps to third party options is quick and easy. Influences of old-school Formex design is there, but it’s taken big steps in maturing and as a result feels far more accessible to a broader audience.
The use of ceramic is still far from ubiquitous, but I’m not surprised to see a brand like Formex bringing into new territory in the independent brand space, as they are first and foremost a parts manufacturer used by some surprisingly high-end brands. My feeling is that we’ll start to see it used more broadly and in more interesting ways in the coming years, though at the moment it enjoys a somewhat niche appeal. The fear of it chipping and shattering is still needing to be addressed with more materials akin to IWC’s Ceratanium (which is a notoriously difficult material to wield).
The new Formex Essence Ceramica collection is launching with four limited editions, including a “GT” variant with gilt accents, and three “Stradale” variations that bring white/black, purple, and blue into the mix. The Stradale models are priced at $4,250 while the GT is priced at $4,390. Formex
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