If you’ve chatted with the Formex team at a Windup event over the course of the last year or so, they have subtly teased their latest release, the Stratos UTC. It’s a watch that’s been in the works for some time, and a pretty big move for the brand. Formex has built a large following and an impeccable reputation in the enthusiast community through their ingenious solutions to all manner of issues pertaining to the physical case and bracelet. Their case suspension system designed to reduce the effect of shock is of course a prime example, but they’ve also developed a fantastic carbon fiber folding clasp that fits most straps and can easily adjusted on the fly, plus they make watches with interchangeable bezels, and they have a great bracelet with a simple and effective micro-adjustment capability of its own. But in terms of their movements, they’ve always been off the shelf (though chronometer certified). The Stratos changes that, introducing a clever travel complication similar to what you mind on watches well over twice the cost.
What we’re dealing with here at a high level is a watch that’s still easily recognizable as a Formex. It’s a modern, somewhat burly sports watch with an angular case that recalls the Essence design that many will be familiar with while cranking it up a notch or two in complexity. Like the Essence, we can expect the Stratos to wear small thanks to short, integrated lugs – the lug-to-lug measurement is just 46.5mm against a 41mm diameter (the case height is 12mm).
What sets the Stratos apart are those pushers on the 3:00 case flank. They are used to jump the local hour hand backwards and forwards in one hour increments – a rather elegant travel solution that doesn’t require the movement to be hacked, or even for the crown to be unscrewed and pulled out. Formex has partnered with Duois-Dépraz on the module that makes this complication possible. It’s worth noting that the date can also be quick adjusted through a small pusher on the 9:00 case flank, and the watch is equipped with a 24 hour indicator on the dial. This is largely the same functionality that we see in the various executions of the Porsche Design Globetimer, and is also present in watches from brands like Patek Philippe and other luxury brands. The Stratos UTC, however, is priced at an ultra competitive CHF 3,500.
At launch, three dial variants will be available: a dark gray, blue, and green. All have fairly intricate finishing with distinct sections featuring a sunray pattern at the center and fine graining in the outer sector and date subdial. Each watch also gets a color matched bidirectional 24 hour bezel, useful for tracking a third time zone in conjunction with the inner (fixed) 24 hour scale. The handset is standard issue for a travel watch, with skeletonized hour hands in a brushed finish for the local time, and an arrow tipped 24 hour hand (or UTC hand) that can be used to track home time while on the road. Other specs are what you’d expect from a robust sports watch from a brand like Formex, including 100 meters of water resistance, a screw down crown, and the brand’s excellent bracelet which can be removed without a tool.
This is an ambitious launch for Formex given the mechanical complexity. While CHF 3,500 repreesnts, in our opinion, a fantastic value given the complication and the competition, it’s a higher price point for Formex, whose Essence line starts at around $1,400, with the Field Automatic collection coming in at even less. That said, this is the benefit of growing a dedicated following slowly over time – their owners should be well aware of the quality Formex tends to offer, and might be willing to jump at something more premium. We hope to have hands-on impressions of the Stratos UTC soon. Formex
