FormexMicrobrand

Formex was founded in Biel/Bienne in 1999 by two Swiss brothers, Hans-Peter and Ferdinand Grädel, and its defining feature was set early: a patented Case Suspension System, inspired by racing-car engineering, in which the watch head sits on four small springs inside an outer frame, absorbing shocks and letting the case flex with the wrist. The early collections were sports watches and chronographs sold through conventional retail.

In 2016 Raphael Granito, who had grown up around his father's watch-component business, took over as chief executive and moved Formex to direct online sales. A 2018 Kickstarter campaign for the Essence, a 43mm automatic with a COSC-certified Sellita calibre and the suspension system reworked in a slimmer form, marked the relaunch. Smaller Essence sizes, the Reef diver with a ceramic bezel and the Field line followed, all assembled at the company's Biel workshop. The brand remains independent and family-owned.