Formex: 11 Days—A Mini Review of the Traveling Watches

Thanks for the chance to test these Formex watches. I had them for a total of 11 days, and during that time, they accompanied me to my wife’s birthday celebration at the Mexická restaurant and to the final stop of the Hrady.cz festival near Bezděz. Since it was right at the end of summer vacation, I also enjoyed a few beers and some ice cream, and I tested their water resistance after about a year and a quarter of them being submerged in Lake Mácha.

Formex on the wrist for 11 days

I won’t lie and say I’m the biggest watch expert at our company—definitely not—but I just wanted to try on the watch because I was curious about the Case Suspension system. I have to admit that I rotated my wrist more than was probably healthy just to trigger this effect. And I also wanted to try on a watch with a red dial—because I’ve never worn that color on my wrist before. 🙂

43 mm and comfortable to wear

The 43-mm case size fit my wrist well. The vast majority of the watches I own have a 42-mm case, so I didn’t even notice that extra millimeter. The watch’s weight was also within the normal range. If that were too much for some people, I think a leather strap would look good on it, which would reduce the weight.

I also really enjoyed the view of the decorated movement with its blued screws. According to the specifications, the case houses a COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1 movement, which should ensure a precision of -4/+6 seconds per day.

For the unit I tested, the total deviation was +75 s/11 days. So over 24 hours, we end up with a deviation of +7 seconds per day, which is slightly above the manufacturer’s stated tolerance. Perhaps this is because I was the last to test the watch, and before me, it had already been worn on dozens of other wrists.

For me, though, it’s nothing I can’t accept. From my point of view, it’s just part of what automatic watches are like. If I want accuracy, I have two Citizen radio-controlled watches at home.

What would I criticize about the watch?

The watch is comfortable to wear on the wrist, and the luminescence is good. I have one minor complaint about the butterfly clasp: you have to follow the correct procedure when fastening the strap.

With the butterfly clasps I have at home, it doesn’t matter which side I start with. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. You have to start with the underside of the bracelet first, and then the top side folds over it. It’s a minor detail, but I eventually got used to it toward the end of my testing.

Thanks again for the chance to test these Formex watches! 🙂