
Formex is a relatively new, niche brand, within the grand scheme of the watch world. They were founded in 1999 and have focused primarily on the development of extreme sports racing watches, which is right there in their name Formex – which stands for “forme extrème” in French. You see a lot about them online, on social media and various watch publications, but it’s uncommon to come across them at your local watch store.
Today I’m pleased to announce that I’ve spent many weeks with their new and limited release, the Blue Agate Essence ThirtyNine. Apart from writing about this new release on Forbes, and handling some of their watches at watch events, I admittedly haven’t spent any prolonged time with any of their offerings, until now that is. I’m really quite intrigued by their use of authentic Blue Agate stone on the dial of this watch. Cool dials combined with what appears to be really well done overall proportions should make for an outstanding watch.
Overall Aesthetics and Wearability

When I think Formex, I immediately think about their Essence Thirtynine line of watches. It’s akin to thinking Submariner when you hear Rolex, or Speedmaster when you hear Omega. This model is truly Formex’s flagship model. Weirdly, unlike any other brand I also immediately think about their Logo, which is very modern in comparison to all the legacy watch brands founded much further back in history. The font is stout, sharp, and direct – very similar to Norqain’s vibe which also happens to be a relatively young watch company.

While Formex may be a young company, and the Essence line having only been debuted in 2019 as a 43mm model, this is a brand that has put a lot of effort into perfecting the overall shape and design flares of the watch. They dropped the original size down to 39mm while keeping in consideration the rest of the watches layout, including the thickness of the case, lug sizing, and dial spacing. The bread and butter aesthetics of the watch are fantastic, which not only reflects into a good looking watch during close inspection, but also a very striking daily wear watch.
This is a careful watch brand that made sure to get the basics sorted first, and then has decided to experiment with entry level fine watchmaking design techniques afterwards, and so was born the Blue Agate version of the Essence ThirtyNine. A daring look, and needless to say very unique looking in a sea of lacquered and sunburst dials from their competitors sharing similar price brackets.

Another point of interest regarding the Esssence ThrityNine in general, which also applies to the Blue Agate variant here is its bracelet. Visually, the bracelet suits the watch very well, the links are of excellent manufacture quality – I do feel the tolerances are lacking a touch though. There is some extra play in some areas, mainly near its connection by the lugs which could be perfected further. This is truly not noticeable when on wrist with a good fit, but is apparent to me when off wrist and inspecting the watch.
The Agate Dial

The star of the show for this model is of course the Blue Agate dial. Which is a natural stone mined from volcanic rock. It has a gorgeous gem stone like appearance with drastic shifts in hue depending on variances from the light. It’s actually ever so slightly transparent, and you can see deep into the stone dial during exposure to excessive light from the sun. The natural occurrence of the horizontal banding like appearance gives the stone additional depth and character, exceptionally suited for use as a dial material and I’m sure enthusiast are going to really appreciate this one.

The rest of the dial is your traditional Essence ThirtyNine, with applied baton indices at hourly intervals. The baton markers are filled in with a very slender strip of lume, which does take some time to absorb light in natural settings and activate the green lume but is still functional and useful. The date window is very neatly implemented at 6 o’clock, and for someone who is not a fan of most date window layouts, this one here looks classy with its elongated window opening and polished silver border.
Sellita Movement

The Blue Agate is powered by the Sellita SW200-1, a well documented and trusted Swiss movement, with this particular one being lightly decorated by Formex with a custom rotor. Obviously, many of us watch collectors perk up when we hear about in-house movements, and sadly this is not the case here. We must keep in mind the price point that the brand is working with, so instead of making comproomises elswhere on the watch using a Sellita or ETA movement can make total sense. Often enough if a pre-built movement like this fits the watch well there’s zero practical incentive to invest in the creation of an in-house movement.
The Sellita SW200-1 is still a mechanical wonder, and it also happens to be viewable through the exhibition window on the back of the Blue Agate. It’s only 4.6mm which explains the rather thin case on the watch, and it beats at a regular 28,800 bph. The benefit to a movement like this beyond its smooth function is its serviceability, with costs often cheaper, and access to parts often easier to source.
For more information on this limited release from Formex visit their official website here.
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