The independent watchmaking landscape is crowded with ambitious brands, but Formex occupies a privileged position.
Unlike most boutique watchmakers, Formex operates under the umbrella of a family that controls two prestigious Swiss manufacturing powerhouses: Dexel and Cadranor.
This relationship grants Formex extraordinary access to premium materials and production technologies typically reserved for haute horlogerie brands commanding much higher price points.
A Family Affair
Dexel, a renowned case and bracelet fabricator, provides Formex with exceptional manufacturing capabilities, while Cadranor, nestled in the Jura mountains, supplies the brand with meticulously crafted dials.
This manufacturing synergy enables Formex to punch well above its weight class in terms of quality and innovation. Earlier this year, the brand demonstrated its technical prowess with the Essence Ceramica Skeleton, which featured ceramic cases, bracelets, and even an integrated extension system within its full-ceramic clasp.
For 2025, Formex has unveiled the Essence Space Glacier—a limited production series that showcases Cadranor’s exceptional dial-making expertise. Building upon the foundation of the flagship Essence collection, available in both 39mm and 43mm cases, the Space Glacier models represent an evolution of one of the brand’s most successful limited editions.
From Outer Space to Wrist
What sets these timepieces apart are their genuine meteorite dials, which undergo an elaborate finishing process involving layers of 98% pure silver and ice blue lacquer.
Formex’s relationship with meteorite dials began in 2020 with a pair of 50-piece limited editions based on their 43mm Essence and Essence Leggera models. The concept later expanded to smaller case sizes with the Essence 39mm and Essence Leggera 41mm Space Rock watches.
However, it was the Essence 39mm Space Gold, released in 2024, that marked a significant advancement in the brand’s meteorite dial manufacturing capabilities—techniques that would become foundational for the new Space Glacier watches.
Unlike traditional stone dials, which typically consist of thin meteorite slices applied to metal base layers, the Space Glacier’s dial is crafted from a solid 0.5mm-thick slice of genuine Muonionalusta meteorite.
Through Cadranor’s expertise, Formex solders the connecting feet directly onto the reverse side of the meteorite sheet. This one-piece structural approach allows for the brand’s signature beveled date window at 6 o’clock to be carved directly into the meteorite itself—a technical feat that highlights the manufacturing synergy between Formex and its sibling companies.
While most colored meteorite dials rely on PVD treatments, the Space Glacier employs a sophisticated two-stage finishing process that enhances the meteorite’s natural Widmanstätten pattern. The raw meteorite first undergoes electroplating with 98% pure silver, creating a brilliant base layer. Then, in a meticulous hand-applied process, six layers of transparent cellulose-based lacquer are added to achieve the distinctive ice blue hue that gives the watch its name.
Beyond its extraterrestrial material, the dial layout follows Formex’s established Essence design language: centrally-mounted hands, applied hour markers, and the characteristic beveled date window at 6 o’clock. A sloped chapter ring carries the minute track around the perimeter, while all printing appears in black for maximum legibility.
Continuing Formex’s attention to detail, the hands and hour markers feature vertical brushing with mirror-polished bevels and are treated with Super-LumiNova BGW9 for a blue glow in low-light conditions.
The case architecture remains identical to standard Essence models, featuring Formex’s patented suspension system. This innovative design consists of a central case section mounted on four miniature springs within an outer framework that forms the lugs. Originally developed for shock absorption, this system enhances wearing comfort by allowing the case to flex with the natural movement of the wearer’s wrist.
In the Space Glacier models, as with all stainless steel Essence watches, the movement container is constructed from grade 2 titanium, while the remaining case components are machined from 316L stainless steel with alternating brushed and polished surfaces that accentuate the angular case profile. Flat anti-reflective sapphire crystals protect both the dial and the display caseback, and water resistance is rated at a practical 100 meters.
Available in two sizes—39mm (ref. 0333.1.6698) and 43mm (ref. 0330.1.6698)—both Space Glacier variants house chronometer-certified Sellita SW200-1 movements featuring custom-fabricated Formex skeletonized rotors. These COSC-certified calibers operate at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 41-hour power reserve and guarantee timekeeping accuracy within -4/+6 seconds per day.
Both models are offered with either a three-link stainless steel bracelet featuring an integrated micro-extension system or a selection of rubber, leather, or fabric straps. The straps include Formex’s carbon-composite folding clasp with a hidden 7mm fine-adjustment mechanism, while both bracelet and strap options utilize quick-release springbars for tool-free changes.
Despite their different sizes, both versions of the Formex Essence Space Glacier COSC Automatic are priced identically: $1,870 USD with a strap or $1,990 USD with the stainless steel bracelet. Production is limited to 100 pieces of each size, though Formex’s description of these as “production editions” rather than “limited editions” suggests we might see future iterations of the Space Glacier concept.
