If you’re not a watch nerd, you may have never heard of Formex. Within the community though, the brand has developed a reputation for consistently punching above its weight on mechanical and material performance. For a few years now I’ve been wondering: how do they pull it off? Is there a catch? What’s the secret? Eventually, I decided to find out.
The brand being based in Bienne, where I live, I knew I could get my info right at the source. So, I first identified its owner, Raphael Granito. I then started to follow him on his way back from work. Then, I hid inside a shelter in his garden for a week. Then… just kidding (hopefully that was obvious). We met by chance at an industry event and then again at an FC Bienne game, as Formex is now the official timekeeper for our local football team.
Spoiler alert: there’s a simple explanation. Formex is the tip of a much deeper iceberg, comprising the two other companies owned by the Granito family: Dexel and Cadranor.
Ingredient One: Dexel
Founded in 1985 by Elio Granito, Raphael’s father, Dexel produces parts for the watch industry. The company, now employing 120 people, specializes in what I’d describe as “metal on your skin”. In other words: cases, bracelets, and clasps. They also produce bezels.
We visited the facility with Jeanne, my sister – and her camera – with the privilege of having Raphael as our guide. Having himself been helping his father since the age of six, the least you can say is that he knows his stuff. In and out. He formerly worked full-time at Dexel for a few years, after his business studies, before relaunching Formex – more on that later. And he still holds a position at Dexel, as Head of Product Development.
Dexel is renowned in the trade for its innovations. Those include micro-adjustments on folding clasps – a first in 2008, interchangeable bezels that always align and interchangeable strap mechanisms. Innovation also includes materials, such as the homebrew “Dexelite”, a composite blending carbon micro-fibers and epoxy resin. Dexel was at the forefront of combining composites, metals and ceramics, manufacturing ultra-thin ceramic bracelets and cases.
Dexel parts are produced at the facility in Bienne. That’s notable because, as you may know, most “Swiss Made” brands have most of their external watch parts produced in Asia. Only a subset – typically in the 8k+ price point range – have them made here in Switzerland. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it actually does make a difference: aside from any gaps in production quality, the fact that the teams ordering the parts can easily come over, touch and feel on an ongoing basis, iteration after iteration, instead of having to wait for a shipment every two weeks, means you just reach that extra level of goodness. For completeness, Dexel also has partners in China and Thailand, with dedicated production units, for customers who need options within a lower budget.
On its brand new, super modern and massive – especially considering the tiny size of the parts produced – industrial site, Dexel uses cutting edge equipment and techniques. Through automated bar feeding, robotic handling, ultrasonic cleaning, microbead blasting and hand-finishing, they produce at scale the most intricate components of everything outside the dial and movement on a watch.
The Formex offices are in the same building as Dexel, and owned by the same family. The proximity – both physical and corporate – explains why Formex is often the one to first commercialize innovations, helping to showcase them for Dexel, such as with the first fine-adjustment deployant clasp for leather, rubber and textile straps to hit the market.
Ingredient Two: Cadranor
The other secret behind Formex’s uniquely compelling offering is a 45 minute drive away. Cadranor, founded in 1981 (my birth year!), is headed by Raphael’s uncle, Romeo Granito. The company specializes in medium to high-end luxury watch dials.
As for the case and bracelets, a brand in Formex’s price range would typically produce its dials in Asia. But they’re all made in Courtedoux. Because Romeo Granito lives in Bienne, he often drops by Formex, enabling Raphael and his team to finetune the product hands-on. For instance, on the green Reef dial, it took 65 trials before landing on the exact hue they wanted!
Cadranor has its own electroplating operation, enabling them to mix their baths directly, and working with an in-house lacquer expert for color mixing and application. Over the years, Formex has gained a reputation for the materials of its dials. Popular ones include bronze, Pinctada maxima shell, malachite, carbon fiber and even the world’s first 18k rose gold-plated meteorite – as you do.
One of the signatures of Formex dials is around the date. To start, the date disc is always the exact same color as the date window. Formex does this by ordering the date disc raw and working with a supplier to color and pad print it. While collectors love matching date discs, the risk is that the lack of contrast can make it harder to read. That’s why Formex date windows are usually chamfered, removing the shade and making it easier on the eye. “We put a lot of effort into beveling the date window,” Raphael explained. “Especially when working on rare and fragile dials such as malachite, it requires a lot of know-how… and patience!”.
And Finally… The Chef’s Special
So now that we’ve explored some of the invisible company and family ties that help Formex stand out, let’s (finally) talk about Formex itself. Formex is the contraction of “Forme Extrême”, French for “extreme shape”. Created in 2000 by two brothers in Bienne, the brand distinguished itself with a patented Case Suspension System. Like a cushion, it protects the movement and also makes the watch a lot more comfortable to wear. It’s hard to explain but, a bit like your first Nike Airs, it’s a very satisfying sensation. The Case Suspension System remains a feature of many Formex watches.
The Granito family had previously worked with one of the Formex founders. When, in 2016, he decided to move onto other projects, and was approaching retirement, Raphel saw the opportunity and the family purchased the brand. He had a vision: keep the sporty DNA , while adding some finesse and elegance to the design and production “from the clasp to the indices.” But he had no funding. So he turned to Kickstarter.
The 2018 campaign was created with Markus Wälchli, Formex’s Brand Director, and Raphael’s best friend. They carefully studied the logic behind the fundraising platform’s algorithm to maximize their chances of success. The campaign offered a COSC-certified Essence at 40% off the future MSRP. And unlike many such campaigns, the discount was real, meaning they had very little margin. “The goal was to get some cash runway but also as many Formex Essence as possible on people’s wrists; that was the best way to advertise our relaunched brand” Raphael explained. The campaign was a massive success: the initial goal of 50,000 CHF was vastly surpassed, reaching 371,723 CHF.
Ever since, Formex has focused on delivering what I’d describe as sincere quality. While the brand in the pre-Granito days used to sponsor motorsport events, that has now ended. “The star is the product,” as Raphael states, and that’s where all the investment goes. As mentioned earlier, it’s all about the details. One I personally appreciate on Formex watches is how the indices are always beveled, both minutely brushed and polished, details barely visible to the naked eye but contributing to a coherent and harmonious design language. Likewise, dials are not just “animations” but always the result of thoughtful design, development, and prototyping. Aside from the entry-level (and yet a personal favorite) Field range, all Formex watches are COSC-certified.
What’s on the Menu
The Field collection starts at 790 CHF. The Essence begins at 1350 CHF and the Reef – 30 ATM with interchangeable bezel – at 1,615 CHF. Last year, Formex entered a higher price range with the introduction of the UTC Stratos. While the gap in price is significant – the model goes for 3,650 CHF – it still felt like excellent value when I took it in hand during my visit: the local hour of the GMT watch is adjusted not through the crown but with pushers, offering extremely intuitive and satisfying haptics. The ETA base movement is modified with a Dubois-Depraz module and protected by a hefty but beautiful hand-finished case.
I was so taken by the watch that I asked Raphael if I could take it for a little “adventure” on my trip to California next week. As he kindly accepted, I’ll have the pleasure to share with you on my Instagram a little “live photo-journal” of what it’s like using the piece over very different time zones. (Update: just got back – the watch was a brilliant travel companion!)
If you want to find out more about Formex, you can of course visit their website. Also, while 80% of their sales are online, they’re increasingly opening brick & mortar presence. I recently had the nice surprise of bumping into a Formex display right opposite the Louvre.
I had just taken my kids on a cultural outing (not at the museum but rather the gigantic cybercafe right next to it – OK fine, I’m a bad father), and for the benefit of their serious education, we visited the Ochrono boutique, which I highly recommend: it hosts plenty of independent brands you typically only find on social media. Other places with Formex physical retail presence include the US, Singapore, Taiwan and notably Ukraine.
Following my little “investigation”, I must confess I really want to own a Formex now (but that would go against my 2025 resolution). What I used to see as a “watch nerd secret” I now see as an “industry insider secret”. Remove huge marketing costs, retailer margin and the cost of sourcing dials, cases, and bracelets from external companies, well, your watch suddenly got a lot cheaper. Having seen first-hand how things are made behind the scenes for Formex, the brand just oozes Bienne watchmaking authenticity at its best. I’m super curious to see how it evolves over the next decade, and beyond.
Photography by Jeanne Grouet for Time Files
A great team that makes truly great watches!