The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

A fantastic watch with a GMT complication, precise, versatile, and easy to use. The straps can be changed in 30 seconds and are of excellent quality. I have a fairly physical and demanding job, and this watch is just perfect for it. I wear it every day! I own Omega, JLC, GP, Squale, and Alpina watches, and this one easily ranks among my top three.

Super Adventurer

Formex is an independent Swiss watch brand founded in 1999 in Biel, whose DNA blends industrial design, user-centric ergonomics, and a signature invention: a patented case-suspension system inspired by motorsport that shaped the company&rsquo;s identity before its digitally driven relaunch.
<h3>Formex origins in Biel: from motorsport cues to practical watchmaking</h3>
Emerging at the end of the 1990s, Formex immediately embraced the Biel/Bienne watchmaking tradition while staking out its own path: building contemporary tool watches by translating automotive and motorcycle solutions to the wrist, which is why the name &ldquo;Formex&rdquo; &mdash; short for &ldquo;Forme Extr&ecirc;me&rdquo; &mdash; signals a candid, function-first aesthetic.
<h3>Patented case-suspension system: dynamic comfort and movement protection</h3>
Since day one, the brand&rsquo;s hallmark &ldquo;Case Suspension System&rdquo; has used four springs between the lower and upper case to absorb shocks and wrist-size micro-changes, enhancing comfort and safeguarding the calibre; still present on current lines, the mechanism remains central to the product story, showing that Formex grounds differentiation in lasting mechanical innovation rather than styling alone.
<h3>Direct-to-consumer pivot and product focus under CEO Raphael Granito</h3>
From 2016 onward, Formex exited traditional brick-and-mortar retail in favor of direct online distribution, refocusing the lineup on use-value; this shift came under CEO Raphael Granito &mdash; raised in a watch-component environment &mdash; which explains the emphasis on engineering, materials, and service, and ensures that money saved on mass marketing is reinvested where it matters most: development and perceived quality.
<h3>Essence &amp; Essence Leggera: COSC chronometers, visible suspension, and carbon lightweighting</h3>
Showcasing the Formex language, the Formex Essence pairs refined finishing with an exposed case-suspension architecture and, in many references, COSC-certified automatic movements; the Formex Essence Leggera pushes comfort with an in-house carbon-composite case, ceramic bezel and crown, and a 7 mm on-the-fly carbon deployant micro-adjust, so that wearing comfort becomes as tangible a differentiator as timekeeping precision.
<h3>Reef 300 m: a modular diver with a hand-swappable ceramic bezel</h3>
The Formex Reef anchors the modern dive offering: 300 m water resistance, COSC chronometer calibres, tool-free strap changes, and &mdash; crucially &mdash; a zirconium-oxide ceramic bezel engraved by femto-laser that can be pulled off and swapped by hand in seconds, enabling contextual personalization without tools, which means the watch adapts to the moment without compromising pro-grade dive specs.
<ul>
<li>Formex Reef &mdash; 300 m, femto-laser-engraved ceramic insert, &ldquo;click-off&rdquo; hand-swappable bezels, COSC chronometer (dimensions vary by reference).</li>
<li>Formex Essence &mdash; Patented suspended case, alternating finishes, numerous COSC-certified versions.</li>
<li>Formex Essence Leggera &mdash; In-house carbon composite, ceramic components, carbon deployant with on-the-wrist fine-adjust.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Field Automatic: bead-blasted titanium, 150 m and a screw-down crown</h3>
Designed as a versatile adventure piece, the Formex Field Automatic uses Grade-2 titanium with a hardened, bead-blasted finish, a diver-style screw-down crown, and 150 m water resistance, with matte, high-contrast dials for clarity; the lightweight, robust package launched at accessible microbrand pricing, which explains why it is frequently cited as one of the field segment&rsquo;s best spec-to-price offerings.
<h3>Stratos UTC: a traveler&rsquo;s true GMT built for frictionless time-zone changes</h3>
The pilot-styled Formex Stratos UTC brings a pusher-actuated, &ldquo;true flyer&rdquo; GMT developed with Dubois-D&eacute;praz on a Swiss automatic base, inside a 41 mm steel case rated to 100 m with a bidirectional 24-hour bezel; ergonomics focus on local-hour jumps, and pricing moves up accordingly, with an integrated bracelet featuring a hidden micro-extension for daily comfort, so that the collection now cleanly spans sea, land, and air with dedicated use-cases.
<h3>Ergonomics and user experience: micro-adjust, tool-less changes, and comfort</h3>
Beyond complications, Formex sweats the touchpoints: carbon or steel deployants with 7 mm on-the-fly micro-adjust, tool-free strap swaps and &mdash; on the Formex Reef &mdash; bezel swaps, letting owners dial-in fit and context in seconds without a bench, which underlines that the most meaningful innovation is often in the wrist&ndash;product interface.
<h3>Positioning, pricing, and channels: use-value and transparency</h3>
The brand&rsquo;s value stance combines DTC logistics, clear policies, and keen pricing for the spec sheet (Field launched from ~$795 on nylon; Stratos about $3,990 on steel; Reef sitting mid-to-upper depending on options); the aim is to deliver Swiss watches with real finishing, certification where it counts, and attention to &ldquo;invisible&rdquo; parts (clasps, inserts, surface treatments), so that quality perception remains high long after the first wrist shot.
<h3>Who Formex is for: spec-hunters, rational buyers, and active users</h3>
Core customers include precision-minded enthusiasts (COSC, credible WR), rational buyers sensitive to ergonomics (micro-adjust, titanium, lightweight comfort), and active users moving between desk and outdoors; the families simplify decisions: Formex Essence for precision and finishing, Formex Reef for modular diving, Formex Field for robust lightness, and Formex Stratos UTC for frictionless travel, which reframes selection by mission rather than fashion.
<h3>How to choose: mission, material, comfort</h3>
Start with mission (office, sea, trail, flight), then material (steel vs titanium vs carbon), then ergonomics (micro-extension, quick-change, suspension), as these variables shape daily use; practically, sensitive wrists will favor the carbon of an Formex Essence Leggera, frequent flyers the convenience of a Formex Stratos UTC, and style switchers the hand-swappable bezel of a Formex Reef, ensuring that you&rsquo;ve nailed the right compromise before debating dial colors.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Formex offers a contemporary Swiss path: a core mechanical innovation (suspension), thoughtful ergonomics (micro-adjust, tool-less swaps), and clear families (Essence, Reef, Field, Stratos) answering real-world needs. The brand suits buyers who want precision, comfort, and rational value without sacrificing identity. To decide between models, audit your routine: COSC precision and finishing? 300 m modular diver? titanium lightness? or a true GMT made easy? Finally, pressure-test your shortlist against real usage by consulting Dialicious customer reviews.
(Updated August 2025)

Atelier Jalaper est une marque horlog&egrave;re franco-belge fond&eacute;e en 2019 par Louis Jalaber et Simon Szleper. Elle se distingue par une approche unique qui fusionne l'horlogerie traditionnelle avec l'h&eacute;ritage automobile en int&eacute;grant des &eacute;l&eacute;ments authentiques de voitures l&eacute;gendaires dans ses montres.
<h3>Origines et Fondation</h3>
Louis Jalaber et Simon Szleper se sont rencontr&eacute;s lors de leurs &eacute;tudes &agrave; l'ESCP Europe, partageant une passion commune pour l'horlogerie et l'automobile. Leur ambition &eacute;tait de cr&eacute;er une montre qui ne se contenterait pas de s'inspirer du design automobile, mais qui int&eacute;grerait v&eacute;ritablement une partie de l'histoire automobile. Cette vision les a conduits &agrave; fonder Atelier Jalaper en 2019.
<h3>Concept et Philosophie</h3>
La philosophie d'Atelier Jalaper repose sur l'id&eacute;e de donner une nouvelle vie &agrave; des voitures embl&eacute;matiques en les int&eacute;grant dans des montres de haute qualit&eacute;. Chaque garde-temps est con&ccedil;u avec des cadrans fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques de voitures l&eacute;gendaires, offrant ainsi aux passionn&eacute;s une connexion tangible avec l'histoire automobile.
<h3>Collections et Mod&egrave;les</h3>
Collection DB5
La premi&egrave;re collection d'Atelier Jalaper rend hommage &agrave; l'Aston Martin DB5, une ic&ocirc;ne des ann&eacute;es 1960. Les cadrans de ces montres sont d&eacute;coup&eacute;s dans le capot en aluminium d'une v&eacute;ritable DB5, conf&eacute;rant &agrave; chaque pi&egrave;ce une patine unique. La collection comprend quatre mod&egrave;les :
<ul>
<li>AJ001-S : Mod&egrave;le avec affichage de la date, bo&icirc;tier en acier inoxydable</li>
<li>AJ001-B : Version avec bo&icirc;tier en PVD noir</li>
<li>AJ002-S : Mod&egrave;le avec affichage du jour et de la date, bo&icirc;tier en acier inoxydable</li>
<li>AJ002-B : Version avec bo&icirc;tier en PVD noir</li>
</ul>
Ces montres sont &eacute;quip&eacute;es de mouvements automatiques Miyota, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche de 42 heures.
Collection Miura
La deuxi&egrave;me collection s'inspire de la Lamborghini Miura, souvent consid&eacute;r&eacute;e comme la premi&egrave;re supercar au monde. Les cadrans sont fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques de la Miura, et la collection propose plusieurs variantes :
<ul>
<li>AJ-P400-V : Version avec r&eacute;haut vert</li>
<li>AJ-P400-N : Version avec r&eacute;haut noir</li>
<li>AJ-P400-O : Version avec r&eacute;haut orange</li>
<li>AJ-P400-B : Version avec r&eacute;haut bleu</li>
</ul>
Ces mod&egrave;les sont anim&eacute;s par des mouvements &agrave; remontage manuel Sellita SW270-1 M, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche d'environ 45 heures.
Collection Jaguar Type E
La troisi&egrave;me collection s'inspire de la Jaguar Type E, l'une des autos les plus reconnaissables entre toutes. Les cadrans sont fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques d'une Jaguar Type E semi-lightweight de 1962, et la collection propose deux variantes :
<ul>
<li>AJ-003-B : Version au cadran stri&eacute;</li>
<li>AJ-003-W : Version au cadran noir anodis&eacute;</li>
</ul>
Ces mod&egrave;les sont anim&eacute;s par des mouvements &agrave; remontage automatique Sellita SW300-1, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche d'environ 42 heures.
<h3>Processus de Fabrication et Savoir-Faire</h3>
Atelier Jalaper collabore avec des artisans et des experts horlogers bas&eacute;s &agrave; La Chaux-de-Fonds, en Suisse, pour assurer une qualit&eacute; exceptionnelle. Le processus de fabrication implique une d&eacute;coupe pr&eacute;cise des pi&egrave;ces automobiles pour cr&eacute;er des cadrans uniques, suivie d'un assemblage minutieux pour garantir la fiabilit&eacute; et l'esth&eacute;tique de chaque montre.
<h3>Engagement envers l'Authenticit&eacute; et l'Innovation</h3>
La marque s'engage &agrave; pr&eacute;server l'authenticit&eacute; des mat&eacute;riaux utilis&eacute;s tout en innovant dans le design et la fonctionnalit&eacute;. Chaque montre est num&eacute;rot&eacute;e et porte en elle l'&acirc;me de la voiture dont elle est issue, offrant aux collectionneurs et aux passionn&eacute;s une pi&egrave;ce de l'histoire automobile &agrave; leur poignet.
<h3>R&eacute;ception et Perspectives d'Avenir</h3>
Depuis son lancement, Atelier Jalaper a re&ccedil;u des retours positifs pour son concept novateur et la qualit&eacute; de ses montres. La marque continue d'explorer de nouvelles collaborations avec des voitures l&eacute;gendaires, &eacute;largissant ainsi sa collection et renfor&ccedil;ant sa position unique &agrave; l'intersection de l'horlogerie et de l'automobile.
En conclusion, Atelier Jalaper se distingue par sa capacit&eacute; &agrave; fusionner l'art horloger avec l'h&eacute;ritage automobile, cr&eacute;ant des montres qui racontent une histoire unique et offrent une exp&eacute;rience &eacute;motionnelle aux passionn&eacute;s des deux univers.
Inspirez-vous des avis clients Dialicious pour choisir la montre Atelier Jalaper qui vous convient le mieux. D&eacute;couvrez &eacute;galement le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_de_sports_mecaniques">classement des marques de montres inspir&eacute;es du sport automobile</a>.
(Mise &agrave; jour Mars 2025)

Atelier Jalaper is a Franco-Belgian watch brand founded in 2019 by Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper. It is distinguished by a unique approach that merges traditional watchmaking with automotive heritage by integrating authentic elements of legendary cars into its watches.
<h3 dir="ltr">Origins and Foundation</h3>
Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper met during their studies at ESCP Europe, sharing a common passion for watchmaking and automobiles. Their ambition was to create a watch that would not only be inspired by automotive design, but would truly incorporate a part of automotive history. This vision led them to found Atelier Jalaper in 2019.
<h3 dir="ltr">Concept and Philosophy</h3>
Atelier Jalaper's philosophy is based on the idea of ​​giving new life to iconic cars by integrating them into high-quality watches. Each timepiece is designed with dials made from authentic parts from legendary cars, providing enthusiasts with a tangible connection to automotive history.
<h3 dir="ltr">Collections and Models</h3>
Collection DB5
Atelier Jalaper's first collection pays homage to the Aston Martin DB5, an icon of the 1960s. The dials of these watches are cut from the aluminum cover of a real DB5, giving each piece a unique patina. The collection includes four models:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ001-S: Model with date display, stainless steel case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ001-B:&nbsp;Version with black PVD case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ002-S: Model with day and date display, stainless steel case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ002-B: Version with black PVD case
</li>
</ul>
These watches are equipped with Miyota automatic movements, offering a power reserve of 42 hours.
Collection Miura
The second collection is inspired by the Lamborghini Miura, often considered the world's first supercar. The dials are made from authentic Miura parts, and the collection offers several variations:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-V: Version with green flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-N: Version with black flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-O: Version with orange flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-B: Version with blue flange
</li>
</ul>
These models are powered by Sellita SW270-1 M hand-wound movements, offering a power reserve of approximately 45 hours.
Jaguar E-Type Collection
The third collection is inspired by the Jaguar E-Type, one of the most recognizable cars of all. The dials are made from genuine parts from a 1962&nbsp;Jaguar E-Type semi-lightweight, and the collection offers two variants:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-003-B: Version with vertically brushed dial
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-003-W: Version with black anodized dial
</li>
</ul>
These models are driven by Sellita SW300-1 self-winding movements, offering a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.
<h3 dir="ltr">Manufacturing Process and Know-How</h3>
Atelier Jalaper collaborates with artisans and watchmaking experts based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, to ensure exceptional quality. The manufacturing process involves precise cutting of automotive parts to create unique dials, followed by careful assembly to ensure the reliability and aesthetics of each watch.
<h3 dir="ltr">Commitment to Authenticity and Innovation</h3>
The brand is committed to preserving the authenticity of the materials used while innovating in design and functionality. Each watch is numbered and carries within it the soul of the car from which it comes, offering collectors and enthusiasts a piece of automotive history on their wrist.
<h3 dir="ltr">Reception and Future Prospects</h3>
Since its launch, Atelier Jalaper has received positive feedback for its innovative concept and the quality of its watches. The brand continues to explore new collaborations with legendary cars, expanding its collection and strengthening its unique position at the intersection of watchmaking and automobiles.&nbsp;In conclusion, Atelier Jalaper stands out for its ability to merge the art of watchmaking with automotive heritage, creating watches that tell a unique story and offer an emotional experience to enthusiasts of both worlds.
Take inspiration from Dialicious customer reviews to choose the Atelier Jalaper watch that suits you best. Also discover the <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_brands_of_motor_sports_watches">ranking of watch brands inspired by motorsport</a>.
(Updated March 2025)

Formex Reef GMT Owner Review : Adventurous, comfortable and remarkable

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