The Short Answer
Formex just gave its Essence 39 a real upgrade, not a cosmetic refresh. The automatic movement inside is now a COSC-certified Sellita SW200-2 Power+ with a 65-hour power reserve, up from 42 hours on the outgoing version. The bracelet gets a new tool-free clasp that adjusts in 3mm steps for up to 6mm of extra length, on the wrist, with no tools. Three dial colors are available, including a new Radiant Bronze. Pricing starts at CHF 1,470 on a strap and CHF 1,570 on the bracelet, with orders opening August 27, 2026, and deliveries starting in October.
For a watch already competing well below CHF 2,000, that is a serious amount of real engineering added to the same price bracket.
The Essence 39 was already COSC-certified. The new movement inside just made that certification worth more.
The watch photos in this article were generated with AI image tools, conditioned on real reference photography of the Formex Essence 39mm so the case shape, dial layout, and construction details are accurate to the real watch.
The Movement Is the Real News Here
The outgoing Essence 39 ran a Sellita SW200-1, COSC-certified but capped at a 42-hour power reserve, meaning it needed winding attention if left off the wrist much more than a day and a half. The new SW200-2 Power+ pushes that to 65 hours, comfortably over a long weekend, while keeping the same 28,800 vibrations per hour beat rate and the COSC chronometer certification that puts it within -4/+6 seconds a day.
Sellita's Power+ movements achieve the longer reserve with a redesigned barrel and mainspring rather than an entirely new architecture, which is why Formex could fit it into the same 39mm case without changing the watch's proportions.
The Essence has always shown its movement through a sapphire caseback. Now there is a genuinely better movement to look at.
A Clasp Upgrade That Solves a Real Problem
The other significant change is a new bracelet clasp, developed with Dexel, that lets an owner adjust the bracelet length in 3mm steps for up to 6mm of extra room, directly on the wrist, without a tool. Wrists change size slightly through the day with heat, activity, and swelling, and a bracelet that fits perfectly at 9am can feel tight by evening. Most micro-adjust systems require popping the bracelet open with a tool or a fingernail. This one does not.
A screw-down crown has also been integrated into the case's suspension system without altering the case's outward profile, keeping the 100m water resistance rating intact.
At 39mm wide, 45.5mm lug to lug, and 10.5mm thick, the case wears close to a modern sports-watch middle ground.
The Case and the Case for Formex
The case itself is 316L stainless steel with a Grade 2 titanium inner container, at 39mm across, 45.5mm lug to lug, and 10.5mm thick, with 100 meters of water resistance. That inner titanium container is a Formex signature dating back to earlier Essence models, meant to isolate the movement from case-flexing shocks rather than a marketing footnote.
Formex is a small, independently run Swiss brand that has built a reputation on exactly this kind of unglamorous engineering upgrade rather than flashy limited editions. It does not have the brand recognition of Omega or Longines, and it sells direct rather than through a boutique network, which is precisely why it can put a COSC movement, a titanium suspension system, and a genuinely useful clasp mechanism into a sub-CHF 1,600 watch.
The vertical brushed dial texture is the same across all three colorways: Blue, Alpine White with blued hands, and the new Radiant Bronze.
Pricing and Availability
The updated Essence 39mm Automatic COSC is priced at CHF 1,470 on a strap and CHF 1,570 on the steel bracelet. Orders opened August 27, 2026, with deliveries beginning in October. Three dial finishes are offered: Blue, Alpine White with blued hands, and the newly introduced Radiant Bronze.
Tool-free, 3mm steps, up to 6mm of extra length. A small mechanical detail that most watches twice this price still get wrong.
FAQ
What movement is in the new Formex Essence 39mm?
A Sellita SW200-2 Power+, COSC-certified, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 65-hour power reserve, up from the 42-hour reserve of the previous SW200-1.
How much does the new Formex Essence 39 cost?
CHF 1,470 on a strap and CHF 1,570 on the steel bracelet. Orders opened August 27, 2026, with deliveries starting in October.
What is special about the new Formex Essence bracelet clasp?
It was developed with Dexel and allows tool-free micro-adjustment directly on the wrist, in 3mm steps, for up to 6mm of extra length, without removing the bracelet or using a tool.
What dial colors are available on the Formex Essence 39?
Three finishes: Blue, Alpine White with blued hands, and the newly introduced Radiant Bronze.
Is Formex a well-regarded independent watch brand?
Yes, among value-focused collectors. Formex is a small, independently run Swiss brand known for real engineering upgrades, like its titanium inner case container, rather than marketing-driven limited editions, and it sells direct rather than through boutiques to keep prices down.
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