Formex are a Swiss watchmaker that are independently owned, as well as being a genuine watch brand that is run by a family – not a large corporation.
On the whole, you will find that Formex watches reach the levels of “luxury” in terms of both their movements and craftsmanship. Whilst they are not quite up to the level of the likes of the Swiss holy trinity, they are however quite far ahead of other well-known Swiss brands such as Raymond Weil and Frederique Constant. This is true in both the quality of watches made, as well as the price you are expected to pay.
If you haven’t heard of Formex it is not too surprising, since they do not spend money on large advertisements or outlandish celebrities placing their product. Instead, Formex seem to focus on creating watches that are both high quality, as well as having an original design. This original design element is discussed in further detail at the end of the article – as Formex are the only brand with a patented suspension system created to protect the movement of their watches.
The Formex Essence 39 is a dress watch that looks great, as well as being one of the toughest day-to-day timepieces you will find on the market.
Table of Contents
Dial & Bezel
The overall layout and design of the watch dial is great. Horizontal lines are a design that are probably underused in terms of dress watch layouts and really goes well with the color scheme.
A simple dial layout uses only hour indicators as numbers are a little cluttered and not needed for a watch with a 39mm case size. A small date window has been placed at the 6 o’clock position, which is a welcome change from the standard 3 o’clock placement we are used to.
I have not used the lume of this watch since it is just something to wear during the daytime for me. Saying this, I did check it out on the Formex website and it does look very cool in a dark room.
Lastly, the bezel is very understated and basic. This is a nice feature for a dress watch since it doesn’t get in the way and take away from the overall design of the watch either.
Case
As you would expect with a watch named the Essence Thirty-Nine, the case size is 39mm. This is simply so the larger variation of Essence (43mm) is not confused with the former.
You will find that the case is made of industry-standard 316L grade stainless steel, which can be found on pretty much every sports and dress watch from the fashion level all the way up to luxury. The lug width is 20mm – which is once again very normal for both dress and dive watches.
Different straps are available when buying directly from the Formex website including steel, rubber, and leather. This is good for people who do not want a traditional dress watch and want to put their own spin on things. Formex uses quick-release pins which allows you to change the strap without having tools to hand, or risking scratching the inside of the lugs.
You can see from the image above that the bezel is raised quite far above the case itself. This is discussed more later and involves the brand’s patented suspension system.
Caseback
It is not too common for a dress watch to have an exhibition caseback. This view is covered by sapphire crystal (anti-scratch glass), and gives you a view of the very cool SW200-1. One thing I did notice about the caseback is the number of screws does seem excessive. This did not bother me one bit, but 8 screws does seem a lot.
Movement & Specifications
The movement used in the Formex Essence is pretty impressive. You may have already noticed the word “Chronometer” on the dial. This means that the watch has been COSC certified – something that is relatively difficult to get and is not just handed out.
There are 4 grades of Sellita SW200-1, of which Formex use the highest (COSC certified). If you are unaware of the reputation of Sellita SW200-1, it is pretty much a clone of the ETA-2824. Obviously using a COSC certified movement is just about as accurate and reliable as it gets. Overall, this part of the watch is very good value for money and is the standard you would find in a luxury-level watch. It also makes financial sense that Formex would use such a high standard movement since it is heavily protected by its suspension system.
Both the front and back exhibition case window use sapphire crystal, which is expected for a watch of this price point, but good quality nonetheless.
Considering this is a Swiss-made watch with a top level movement, as well as having its own suspension system – you certainly cannot complain about the price point. Formex are a less well-known brand than most of the Swiss bigwigs within the watch industry. This reason alone allows you to pick up a great quality watch with an individual feel, for a price that isn’t too expensive at all.
Patented Suspension System
Perhaps the most interesting and unusual thing about the Formex Essence (and other Formex watches) is the patented suspension system.
When I first bought this watch I did not actually know this was a feature, so I was kind of surprised when I could see the dial moving up and down slightly if I shook my wrist.
The idea of this suspension system is similar to a car and allows the watch movement (including the crown and stem) to have a small amount of movement, rather than just being stuck in the same place.
On the Essence, the 4 circular screws stay in place, whilst the bezel, dial, movement, stem, and crown will all move up and down when impacted or dropped. This isn’t really noticeable in everyday life since there aren’t really many impacts. However, this system will save you a lot of money if you were to have an accident since the chance of damage is significantly reduced.
