Rethinking the travel watch with the Formex Stratos UTC
Time+Tide- Formex presents its take on a travel watch with UTC and GMT functionality.
- Using a Dubois-Dépraz UTC module on an ETA 2892, Formex regulates the movement to +/- 7 seconds per day.
- Priced starting from US$3,850, the Stratos UTC features Formex’s excellent on-the-fly adjustment clasps.
Watch collectors have always appreciated a good travel watch – GMT or otherwise – but this style of watch has seen renewed popularity as the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and we can all travel again. Barely two years after the onset of COVID, mechanical GMT watches have become arguably more attainable than they’ve ever been thanks to the release of the Seiko NH34 and Miyota 9075 calibres. In 2024, we find ourselves with a plethora of options at various price points, and of greatly varying quality. Things are starting to feel a bit stale already, and the market is saturated (or perhaps fatigued), so it was about time for a brand like Formex to push the envelope a little. The Formex Stratos UTC offers a more complex take on a GMT watch, reimagining the complication in the style of some ultra-high-end offerings, but for a smaller cost.
Measuring 41mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, and 11.8mm thick, the case of the Stratos UTC has a distinct Formex look, featuring a similar design language to the brand’s other collections. However, a new collection begets a revised look. The most striking visual element of the new case is its sides which, just like the dial, have a two-level construction. The centre portion is cut out and showcases a sand-blasted finish, which is very soft to the touch. The outer portion is made up of horizontally brushed frames, which encompass the screw-down crown and pushers on the right side and a button to adjust the quick-set date on the left. On both sides of the case run high-polished chamfers which contour the entirety of the cut-out and sand-blasted section.
The rest of the case shows fine horizontally brushed treatments except for a polished slither located at the base of the bezel. Speaking of which, the bezel is of the bi-directional, 48-click variety, and the insert is made of brushed steel with resin-filled sections. It is on the bezel that we find the second 24-hour scale which adds further functionality to the Stratos UTC. As is often the case with Formex, the good stuff doesn’t stop here: sapphire crystals top and bottom plus 100 metres of water resistance, which makes the Stratos as adapted to underwater adventures as it is being worn whilst traversing the globe at 30,000 feet.
The dial of the Stratos UTC is quite balanced, despite the fact that it has lots of information to display. Set against a two-level dial in one of three colours (grey, blue, and green), we find raised hour markers showing an alternation of Arabic numerals at the cardinal points and batons everywhere else, and small printed hash marks for the minutes. All the aforementioned is located on the outer part of the dial which has received a matte finish. The centre portion has a sunburst effect and this is where we find the brand logo and name – and perhaps more importantly, a day/night indicator west of the pinion.
The small sub-register at the six has the same finish as the outer portion, and this is where we find the date complication. Printed in a small condensed font are the odd days of the month while the even days are represented by dots. Going a little further out on the dial we find the first 24-hour scale printed in orange on the brushed rehaut, where again only the odd hours are indicated by Arabic numerals. Last, we find a total of five hands on the Stratos UTC: the faceted local hour and minute hands which are partially hallowed out with brushed upper sections/polished chamfers; a fully brushed needle-shaped seconds hand; a polished GMT hand complemented by an orange arrow; and lastly a fully polished hand for the date. All hands (except for the date) as well as the hour markers are lumed with Super-LumiNova BGW9 for added functionality.
The Formex Stratos UTC will be offered on a trio of Italian leather straps with carbon-fibre composite clasps and quick-release spring-bars, or a three-link stainless steel bracelet complete with screwed links, a butterfly clasp with a built-in micro-adjustment system and quick-release spring-bars. Formex also provides a half link to find the perfect size and the brand offers to pre-size the bracelets for the customer.
The mechanical star of the show is the movement within: a Swiss-made ETA 2892 calibre that beats at 4Hz and comes with 42 hours of power reserve. The 2892 is complemented by a UTC time zone module manufactured by Dubois-Dépraz that offers a set of additional functionalities: quick-set of the local hour hand using the pushers, and a quick-set date utilising the small pusher located on the left side of the case (the date can also be adjusted by moving the local hour hand). This ensemble comes with a day/night indicator for the local time zone, and the movements are regulated to run at +/- 7 seconds per day.
There is a lot of love about the Formex Stratos UTC and in particular, the type of horological experience it offers. This type of movement and complication isn’t something we often see coming from an independent brand, even one that has been around for two decades – which is why in the past four years, most affordable GMTs or travel watches that have hit the market have been equipped with more commonplace calibres such as the Seiko NH34, the Miyota 9075 and of course similar offerings from Sellita and Soprod. However, the Stratos UTC offers high-end capabilities for a somewhat reasonable price, all of this wrapped into a finely finished case and dial.
Formex Stratos UTC pricing & availability
The Formex Stratos UTC is currently available for pre-order on Formex’s website. Formex explains that pre-orders will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and shipped in the sequence they are received. Formex currently expects to start shipping pre-orders by the end of November 2024. Price: US$3,850 (leather strap), US$3,990 (stainless steel bracelet)
| Brand | Formex |
| Model | Stratos UTC |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 11.8mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Blue, grey, green |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Leather strap, carbon fibre clasp with micro-adjust system Steel bracelet with micro-adjust folding clasp |
| Movement | ETA 2892 with UTC module by Dubois-Dépraz, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, quick-set hour hand, day/night indicator, GMT |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$3,850, €3,800, £3,200, A$6,150 (leather strap) US$3,990, €3,950, £3,320, A$6,430 (stainless steel bracelet) |