Earlier this year when Formex unveiled the Aria, which is unquestionably their most ambitious watch to date, with a price point to match, there was a lot of talk among enthusiasts about what a higher price point could signal. The fear that Formex could be leaving behind more affordable watches (even though, for what the Aria is, it’s quite affordable – but that’s a separate topic) was something we saw articulated all over the Watch Internet. Of course, there was never any real danger of Formex abandoning value oriented watches, and the release of the new AirField, built on their popular field watch format, proves that point.
What we have here is fairly straightforward. The AirField borrows the titanium case architecture of the Formex Field, and adds a reconfigured dial and hand set with a more directly aviation inspired look. The design brief here seems to be immediate legibility and clarity, filtered through a Formex aesthetic in a way that feels similar to how the Formex Field took easy wearing utility in the same direction. The basic touch points of pilot watches that we all understand are very much present here: broad, sword shaped hands, matched with clean and easy to read Arabic numerals (filled with lume, of course). Formex has even included the traditional 12:00 triangle in this dial execution.
The case measures 40mm in diameter and Formex says it weighs just 54 grams. It also has a surface treatment that the brand claims results in a surface hardness rated to around 900 Vickers, which should prevent most scratches. The case is rated to 150 meters of water resistance and is fitted with a screw down crown.
Formex of course is known primarily as a brand that makes real innovations in manufacturing, and while the AirField is a simple watch on its surface, there are some Formex tricks at play in the construction of the watch that are worth noting. In the AirFIeld, this comes down to creating a sense of depth while maintaining a relatively slender case (it measures 10.5mm in height). The chapter ring is sloped and rises toward the sapphire crystal, while the numerals are slightly recessed. This creates just a small amount of additional vertical space between the lowest point on the dial and the tallest on the crystal without adding meaningful dimension to the case height itself. The dials (four colors are available at launch: Desert Sand, Horizon Blue, Jet Black, and Tarmac Grey) have a subtle grained texture for some additional visual interest.
These watches run on Sellita’s new SW200-2 Power+ caliber, which we have just started to see roll out in the past several months. This movement increases the power reserve to 65 from the old SW200 standard of 41.
The AirField is available on a selection of nylon straps at a retail price of $1,060. It can also be purchased on a leather strap for $1,200. More information can be found on the Formex website here.
