FORMEX Baby REEF Automatic Chronometer COSC 300M Steel Bracelet / Blue Dial / Blue Bezel

FORMEX Swiss Made Watches presents a more compact, smaller version of their popular 300-meter water resistant Reef diver’s collection, the “Baby” Reef. With its tool-free exchangeable bezels and straps, the Reef stands out as one of the market’s versatile mechanical dive watches. Encased within a meticulously hand-finished 39.5mm stainless steel case is the heart of precision, a Chronometer-grade, officially certified Sellita SW300-1 Automatic movement, offering 56 hours of power reserve. Unique gradual fine-adjustment systems across all strap-and options noticeably increase wearing comfort on the wrist throughout the day.

A more wearable size

The 39.5mm stainless steel case, with its distinctive shape, provides both a functional guard for the screw-down crown and a visual symmetry alike. Originally designed as a 42mm dive watch, the smaller diameter also means a shorter, more wearable lug-to-lug distance of 45.5mm and a height of just 11mm. A double gasket construction is tested for 300 m / 1000 ft of water resistance. Mirror-polished bevels and brushed surfaces throughout the watch case, bracelet and down to the hands and triangle-shaped indices create a unique balance between elegance and the brand’s high-octane spirit.

The four available dials are manufactured in Formex’s in-house dial manufacturing facility in the Swiss Jura mountains. The blue, green and silver dials are finished with a sunburst effect and a hand-applied colour gradient. As for the white dial, the initial application of white lacquer on a mirror-polished surface is followed by the layering of seven coats of transparent lacquer, which are subsequently polished down to achieve a uniquely deep aspect of this dial. To further create visual depth without increasing overall height, the hand-applied indices are triangle-shaped and imitate a chapter ring. To increase legibility and to reflect the case finishing, the indices, as well as the broad hour and minute hands, are vertically brushed, while the bevels are mirror polished. The date window is angled on both sides to increase the legibility of the color-adjusted date. Hands and hour markers, as well as a capsule on the bezel’s zero marker, are deep-filled with Swiss Super-LumiNova® BGW9 that emits a long-lasting blue glow in dark conditions.

Tool-free interchangeable bezels for more versatility

With 112 possible configuration options, the key components of this watch are fully exchangeable. Without any tools, all straps, clasps and bezels of the Reef dive collection can be changed by hand. Formex engineers developed a one-of-a-kind bezel mounting system that allows one to pull out the bezel from the case by hand and exchange it with another of their four colour options. Once mounted on the case, the 120 unidirectional click action is highly responsive with minimal backplay. Being one of the most exposed parts, the bezel is made of an extremely hard and scratch-resistant Zirconium oxide ceramic. Femto-laser pulsations engrave graduations and numbers and then mirror-polished, whereas every single piece takes 60 minutes of precision engraving to achieve its three-dimensional effect. Machined gear-like indentations on the bezel’s edge allow a diver the ideal grip to set and monitor diving time and decompression stops safely.

Straps with patented features that increase wrist comfort

Besides contributing to visual appeal, the details on the Reef also serve a purpose. For a timepiece to be a watch for all occasions, it must feel exceptionally comfortable on the wrist throughout the day. All strap options (except the nylon pin buckle) feature a proprietary, gradual fine-adjustment system, allowing for a perfect fit on the wrist in all conditions and temperatures. While the stainless-steel bracelet has a 10mm adjustment hidden in a compact folding buckle, the rubber and leather straps come with a carbon fibre deployment buckle with a 7 mm adjustment that allows for gradual adjustments while wearing the watch on the wrist (in closed position). Although the steel and rubber options were made to fit seamlessly between the Reef’s lugs, third-party straps with a width of 22mm and straight springbars are compatible.

COSC-certified Automatic movement

Powering the hands is a self-winding Swiss-made SW300-1 with date feature that comes in Sellita’s highest quality "Chronometer" grade, using top-of-the-line components only found in Chronometer-grade movements. Formex purposely chose this thin movement as it allowed construction of the REEF at just 11mm thickness and a perceived height of 10.5mm(the height that is visible when wearing on the wrist). Each of the movements undergoes the COSC certification process, a meticulous 15-day rate test to ensure extraordinary levels of mechanical accuracy and precision. Only the movements that pass the stringent assessment will be certified and engraved with a unique serial number. The movements’ power reserve extends to 56 hours.