When something sounds too good to be true, it very often is; however, there are those occasions when it’s worth taking a closer look. Formex, known for its rugged watches, is about to launch a mechanical timepiece, rich in details and features, with a decorated, automatic Swiss Made movement that is officially COSC-certified. With the Essence, Formex brings a highly precise and top-quality mechanical everyday chronometer with a very affordable price tag. Early Bird Specials are available now.
A highly precise and officially COSC-certified movement
The Essence is powered by Sellita’s highest quality grade SW200-1 Swiss made mechanical automatic movement, beautifully decorated and wound by Formex’s in-house-developed and custom-built skeletonized rotor. Each one of these movements is certified by the COSC (the official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) and undergoes the meticulous 15-day rate test to ensure extraordinary levels of mechanical accuracy and precision. Each certified chronometer is unique, identified by a number engraved on its movement and a certificate number issued by the COSC. While less than 3 percent of Swiss watch movements are officially certified, Formex further rate tests these according to the same criteria after assembly, to measure if there is any deviation from the certification rates.
Created from the finest raw materials and finished with a wealth of details
The watch is understated at first glance, but beneath the apparent simplicity lies exceptional craftsmanship in every respect. Take the symmetrical 43-mm stainless steel and titanium case, with its incredibly detailed brushed finish on both base and bezel, perfectly rounded off with hand-finished mirror-polished bevels. The machined indexes and hands, filled with strong BGW9 Super-LumiNova, ensure maximum legibility, day or night. They harmonize with the case’s finishing and provide a perfect balance between elegance and the brand’s high-octane spirit. The dial, with its vertical brushed and horizontal lines, is one of the watch’s most defining features. To achieve the crisp lines and sharp angles, each line has been CNC-machined into the dial individually. Scratch-resistant sapphire glass protects the dial in the front and allows an unobstructed view of the movement’s intricate decoration, together with its thermally blued screws and custom built skeletonized rotor, from the back.
Unique features contribute to function and comfort
Besides contributing to visual appeal, the details on the Essence also serve a purpose. For a timepiece to be a watch for all occasions, it needs to feel exceptionally comfortable on the wrist. Formex decided to integrate its tested and proven, patented Case Suspension System. This unique mechanism provides shock absorption to protect the movement while also adapting to the wearer’s wrist motion, not unlike the suspension on a car or a mountain bike. For even more wrist comfort, Formex added its patented Carbon Fiber Composite Folding Clasp, which allows for fine adjustment of the strap length on the go, making for a perfect fit on the wrist in all conditions and temperatures. The Essence will be available on a rubber strap and a metal bracelet, both with their own fine-adjustment system. All the straps and bracelets can be changed without tools.
Formex comes to Kickstarter
In keeping with the brand’s reputation for doing things a little differently, Formex has chosen to unveil the Essence via Kickstarter, making it the first ever officially COSC-certified automatic chronometer launched on a crowdfunding platform. Utilizing the benefits afforded by a Kickstarter campaign, together with the advantages of its direct-to-consumer approach, Formex is offering the Essence watch, with its impressive specifications, at an equally impressive price. Early-Bird prices start as low as $680, with an automatic version (without COSC certificate and with sunray dial) available from $385. After the Kickstarter launch, the models will be offered on Formex’s Online Shop at about $1,100 and $650, respectively.
Formex CEO Raphael Granito said of the launch, “I’ve spent the past 10 years developing and producing watch parts for the most famous brands out there. Now, here at Formex, I can use that knowledge and experience to create the best possible watches with the quality attributes and design features that are usually only found in high-end timepieces at a much higher price tag. Launching the Essence on a crowdfunding platform enabled us to really max out the price-performance ratio of this highly accurate mechanical everyday watch. Early backers will probably land the best deal currently available on the Swiss made watch market.”
Early backers can now secure the Early Bird Special with a small deposit. Both Essence models launch on Kickstarter on September 25th, 2018. Save the date by adding it to your calendar and get a timely reminder.
Technical Specifications:
Dimensions | 43 mm diameter, 10 mm height, 22 mm lug width |
Water Resistance | Water-resistant to 100 meters/330 feet |
Case | Stainless steel 316L with titanium grade 2 container. Patented Case Suspension System |
Glass | Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment |
Case back | Exhibition caseback with sapphire crystal. Laser-engraved stainless steel 316L |
Dial | Black, blue, brown, or silver dial with vertical brush and individually CNC-machined horizontal lines. Machined indexes filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
Hands | Filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
Movement | COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1 automatic Swiss Made movement, fully decorated with custom-made skeletonized rotor. 25 jewels. Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz). 38-hour power reserve. |
Strap | Calf leather available in black, blue, or brown. Rubber strap and stainless steel bracelet as upgrade. All straps and bracelets can be changed without tools. |
Certification | COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) |
Price | Kickstarter Early Bird price limited to first 250 pledges: $680; after Kickstarter Price: around $1,100
Essence model without COSC certificate and with sunray dial available on Kickstarter from $ 385; after Kickstarter price, around $650 |
I love the strap adjustment, however the watch is just too heavy and thick at 10 mm for my taste. I am just spoiled with my vintage Omegas !
Hi- are there available photos of the $385 watch? Particularly the dial and case back?
Best, L
Hi L Glover more images are available at https://www.formexwatch.com/essence-watch-launching/choose-your-essence/ . Also, you can follow @formexwatch on instagram as we’ll be posting more images up to the launch date September 25th. Thanks, Markus – Team Formex
I just placed a deposit for your Essence COSC watch, and I am wondering when you might expect to ship? I understand that you could not possibly have a date at this point, but for when are you hoping? Thank you…
Larry Grupp
Hi Larry. With your deposit, you secured yourself the best price plus delivery with our first production batch. We’ll handle assembly and shipping on a first come first served basis and want to deliver all Early Bird order before Christmas. Thank you for your trust and let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks, Markus – Team Formex
A Great buy, compare to others brand’s going for much more money. Were can I buy one?
Hi Armand, Markus with Formex Swiss Watches here. The way to secure the best price possible is by paying a deposit on https://www.formexwatch.com/essence-watch-launching/choose-your-essence/ now. When we are live on http://www.kickstarter.com (on September 25, 5pm CEST) you’ll be able to pledge the remainder ($680 minus your $50 deposit). Let me know if this helps.
Lazy journalism, seems to be have been copied and pasted from Fratello Watches of 2 days ago
Thank you for your comment. It’s indeed is the same posting that can currently be found on several websites as part of a paid campaign from Formex (hence the „Promotion“ category), which allows us to keep WatchTime.com editorially independent. As you may have noticed, advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many special interest platforms, WatchTime hasn‘t put up a paywall or started to sell watches – we want to keep our journalism as open and independent as we can. Subscribers and partnering brands like Formex make that possible.
Thanks for explanation. Makes sense now. My apologies
Almost pulled the trigger on this one – beautiful looking watch – almost reminiscent of a Patek Philippe nautilus – but it lost me at 43mm – pity
Same here. Seems unnecessarily big.