Formex Field Watch Review - Innovation Or Gimmick?
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When it comes to recent innovations, few watch brands can compete with Formex. After being founded in the late 90s, they took the internet by storm in 2018 with the launch of the 'Essence,' a stylish chronometer featuring a patented suspension system, allowing the watch to cleverly shift up and down to better conform to the wearer's wrist.
Hidden in the clasp was also a unique ratchet system, enabling easy and precise adjustments, all while the watch remained on wrist. Altogether, this resulted in what many claim to be the most comfortable watch on the market today.
Unless you're in a parallel universe, chances are you never saw my review of the Essence. That's for one obvious reason; price. While not absurd compared to other Swiss Made competitors, the near-$2000 price still put it well out of the modest scope of the Ben's Watch Club blog.
So, the Essence may have to wait until my next Raid: Shadow Legends payday, but I was recently given a different opportunity to try out the Formex brand. Yeah, they got in touch about their new, much more affordable field watch range. The aptly named 'Field' comes in at less than half the cost of the Essence, at a more palatable $800.
I've been excited to know, is this lowest-cost Formex worth buying? Or does it sacrifice too much to justify a purchase? Full disclosure, this is a loaner unit from Formex. I have to return it once this review is over, and they have had no input in this post whatsoever.
Packaging
Unboxing the Field is a great experience. It's a clutter-free process, with a simple rounded-off box that aligns with the brand's functional values. The white stitching matches the logo nicely and helps the box to feel premium and on-brand without going overboard. I don't feel like money has been wasted on something overly extravagant.
Dial Design
Inside is the 'Field,' and despite the unimaginative name, you'll notice pretty quickly that this watch is far from generic. There are currently four versions of this watch available; my wife and I were drawn to the Mahogany Red version, which I think has the most complimentary color scheme of the bunch.
Visually, there's a lot to unpack here. Unlike some higher-end field watches, the dial here isn't plain and flat. Instead, Formex has gone with a sandwich dial, where the cream-amber elements are formed by cutting away to reveal a separate layer beneath. Even the date window is sliced in an unusual angular fashion.
Now, it's not an ugly watch per se, though I can't say it's much of a looker. While I'm no designer, I'm personally just not feeling the stencil numbers or the old-fashioned chapter ring with the dots protruding out of it. I get it; this is a field watch, it's not meant to be dressed up or anything like that. Nevertheless, visually, it's not super functional either. Despite what they say on their site, I think legibility isn't great at a glance due to those obscure, tiny numbers. Personally, I think there are cheaper field watches that look more pleasant than this one. I like the fact they are experimenting; there's nothing worse than when a brand gets stale, though my personal preferences don't align with this design.
Conversely, I've always enjoyed the Formex logo and icon. I know the wording is divisive due to sounding similar to a certain 'pleasure' brand, shall we say. Nevertheless, given that their watches 'conform' to the wrist, it's a logical choice, and the typeface and icon aren't distracting or imposing.
Case Construction
The dial is mattified, as is the case, which I like much more. The Field is constructed of Grade 2 titanium, according to their website. This is a pretty trendy material at the moment. Like elsewhere, it appears to have been treated with some form of special scratch-resistant coating, generating an incredibly muted look. Of course, this approach comes with the expected benefit of significant weight reduction versus steel. You can get an automatic watch at a weight comparable to most steel quartz options, making it an obvious choice for brands prioritizing comfort and functionality.
How come titanium isn't the industry standard for watches then? Well, it's much trickier to work with, so a more challenging production process is required to achieve equivalent finishing to stainless steel.
This Formex has the dull, gunmetal look you might be familiar with. It's very sharply cut, though the final result isn't nearly as impressive as the titanium Casio Oceanus watches I've previously reviewed, which have brushing and polishing that look almost as good as steel. Also, the super-matte coating, while scratchproof, has the side effect of showing up the oil from your fingers, something that the darker tone of the similar Boldr Venture helped mitigate. I do prefer the shape versus the Boldr, though. The lugs conform well to the wrist, and the straps also sit tightly, with no unsightly gaps.
Dimensions
At just 10.3mm in thickness, it's very slick on the wrist, though some of the dimensions on their site are just straight-up incorrect. Firstly, what is this whole 'perceived thickness' thing? I could somewhat understand this for watches with heavily domed crystals. The sapphire on this particular model is flat, though, so what's the deal?
Confusingly, the diameter is supposedly 41mm, yet the case is actually 39.7mm wide and 43.2mm, including the crown. Why does it say 41mm? Is this a typo, or have they tried to average it out? To be fair, due to the 48mm lug to lug, it does wear a tad larger than those measurements suggest, but that sizing claim is still a bizarre one.
The watch is probably a touch too large for my slim arm, though it's still extremely comfortable. I wore this on a recent hike through the British moorlands, and at several points, I actually forgot it was on my wrist, which is perhaps evidence that they achieved their initial objective.
Watch Features
It is to be noted, however, that the Formex Field lacks the fancy suspension system found on their higher-end models. Does the new material selection alleviate that downgrade? Well, it does to an extent, and the watch is still great to wear, though I can't help but feel like I had a similar on-wrist experience with the far cheaper Lorus titanium field watch. Of course, that watch wasn't nearly as well made as this one, hence the price difference, but it got me thinking nonetheless. Is it worth spending this much on a field watch with such a niche design? Would that budget be better spent on a more versatile, do-it-all watch that could see more frequent wrist time? It's certainly food for thought.
The Field does boast powerful specifications, including a nicely engraved screwback that contributes towards a handy 150m of water resistance. It's also got the aforementioned sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating that performs just as well as any of the huge industry giants. The green luminescence isn't spectacular but is at least on par with most watches I've tested at this price. In low light, the sheer quantity of lumed areas provides good readability.
Strap
One aspect where Formex stands out is the straps. The lowest-cost stock options are nylon-velcro straps like this black one, which are smarter than they sound. They are slightly elastic and are more secure than you'd expect once fitted. Would I trust this if I were skydiving? Probably not. But, for daily usage? Yeah, it should do the job. At least these accommodate standard 20mm spring bars, meaning you can switch the strap, unlike the anti-consumer proprietary notches implemented by Casio and Citizen on some of their premium titanium watches.
This Field does have thin notches atop the lugs that look like they're meant to support a bracelet integration. Oddly, there aren't any bracelets to choose from on the Formex website. Additionally, if you want an official Formex leather strap, that'll be a $150 premium at checkout or a whopping $200 if purchased separately. Now the quality of the leather is good; it would be a scam if it weren't. But, what you're really paying for is the clasp mechanism.
This is made primarily of what appears to be a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and uses two flexible beams, which can be squeezed to compress a metal button underneath. This metal button enables the shifting of a tiny ratchet system, allowing the clasp to slide along in microscopic steps. It's secured by a keeper and two prongs that slot into the strap holes below. In practice, this system works incredibly well and permits a huge range of adjustments, meaning you can always find the perfect fit.
Is it worth spending $150 to $200 to get one of these just for usage on one watch? Considering the range of great watches purchasable for that figure alone, I'd struggle to say yes.
A highly adjustable clasp comes as standard on the Casio Oceanus T150; it seems counterintuitive to recommend the additional cost here. Still, Formex deserves kudos for coming up with this design in the first place; it's an innovation that stands proudly as more than just a gimmick.
Watch Movement
Powering this piece is the Swiss Sellita SW200-1, which is a decent automatic hi-beat movement with a 41-hour power reserve. I've tried a few of these and always have been satisfied. While not chronometer certified, this unit clocks in at a consistent +3 to +4 seconds per day, and that nice sweep is the cherry on top.
Final Thoughts
I could delve even more into the finer details, but I'd rather cut straight to the chase. I'm not sure whether you should buy this watch or not. It's clearly a high-quality product, and I've seen far worse for the money. Many of you may love the look too. But, if you appreciate the inventive ethos of Formex, I'm inclined to say save up and go the whole hog on one of their suspension models; so you can get the full experience.
It's difficult for me to feel enthused over this Field model when there's bristling competition at the same price point and significantly lower. $800? I don't know what to think.