FORMEX Ceramica Skeleton COSC

FORMEX launched its 25th anniversary year with an introduction of the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC in Midtown NYC. This event marked a pivotal moment for the brand, uniting the Formex community, watch enthusiasts, and industry experts to witness the unveiling of its newest innovation in ceramic watchmaking. CEO Raphael Granito presented the new collection, emphasizing the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC as the highlight. The event included a discussion with Granito, offering deeper insights into the timepiece's innovation and the brand’s dedication to superior craftsmanship and design.

The Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC, priced at CHF 3,970 for the "Stradale" and CHF 4,150 for the "GT" edition, redefines the standard for value in luxury watchmaking. It combines advanced engineering, detailed finishing, and innovative design, all achieved with zirconium oxide ceramic. This watch is not just an evolution but a major advancement in engineering, durability, and design, offering exceptional comfort and the inherent balanced feel of ceramic. It features a case seven times harder than steel, a COSC-certified skeletonized movement, and the first-ever micro-adjustable ceramic clasp, setting a new standard for ceramic timepieces. These features highlight FORMEX's leading position in innovation.



Raphael Granito, CEO of FORMEX, stated, "Our vision is to make exceptional watchmaking accessible. With the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC, we’re bringing over 40 years of my family’s expertise in ceramic watch components to a timepiece that seamlessly blends advanced materials, industry-leading finishing, and engineering innovation—while staying true to our commitment to exceptional value." This quote underscores the brand's dedication to merging high-quality craftsmanship with affordability.

The Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC highlights advanced ceramic expertise through its blend of vertical-brushed and diamond-polished finishes. Achieving this level of refinement in ceramic demands significant skill, specialized diamond tools, and deep material knowledge. FORMEX leverages over 40 years of specialized expertise from Dexel, a prominent entity in watchmaking and a leader in ceramic components owned by the same family. This partnership pushes the boundaries of what is achievable with advanced materials. Each component of the case and bracelet undergoes extensive finishing, creating a vibrant interaction with light that brings the ceramic to life and gives the watch a noticeable presence on the wrist.

The concept of the Essence was completely redesigned to fully exploit the design and engineering potential of ceramic. This watch was developed over three years, with every element optimized for performance, durability, and aesthetics. The design features brushed and polished ceramic, unlike many ceramic watches that use a uniform sandblasted or fully polished finish. The Essence Ceramica Skeleton offers a dynamic texture contrast, mirroring the design of FORMEX’s popular stainless-steel models.

The architecture of the watch is equally striking. The openworked dial, crafted in-house by the family-owned Swiss dial maker Cadranor, includes intricate brushed and polished elements across multiple levels, creating depth and visual drama. Additionally, the watch features a screw-down crown and Case Suspension System, marking the first Essence model to include a screw-down crown, ensuring 100m water resistance while maintaining FORMEX’s patented Case Suspension System. This results in a watch that not only looks exceptional but also maintains its pristine appearance indefinitely.

Inside the Essence Ceramica, a COSC-certified movement ensures top-tier chronometric performance. The movement, with ruthenium-plated and vertically brushed bridges, is prominently displayed through both the front and back of the watch. The openworked dial, a product of Cadranor’s micro-engineering, showcases brushed and polished surfaces that interact with the skeletonized movement, emphasizing its complex structure. Carefully applied colored Super-LumiNova® accents improve readability without disrupting the design, achieving a smooth integration of artistry and technical precision. This design approach creates a balanced combination of depth, visibility, and functionality.



The Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC is available in four distinct versions, each offering a unique character and combination of color and contrast. The Ceramica Skeleton COSC - GT features a gear-inspired dial with rose gold hands and indices, adding a touch of warmth and sophistication. The Ceramica Skeleton COSC - Stradale offers a more subtle design with a clean, openworked dial, black hands and indices, and white Super-LumiNova®, providing a strong yet balanced contrast. The Ceramica Skeleton COSC - Stradale Viola is a variation of the Stradale, featuring black hands and indices with deep purple Super-LumiNova®, adding a subtle but expressive flair. Lastly, the Ceramica Skeleton COSC - Stradale Blue presents another elegant Stradale variation, with black hands and indices highlighted by vibrant blue Super-LumiNova®, enhancing its modern look.

A standout feature of the Essence Ceramica is FORMEX’s patented Case Suspension System, designed to protect the watch and ensure a snug fit on the wrist under any conditions. This system protects the mechanical movement by absorbing shocks and increases comfort with four integrated springs. These springs allow the watch to adjust dynamically to wrist movements and slight changes in wrist size due to temperature variations. To incorporate this system into the ceramic design, it was carefully re-engineered to maintain structural integrity within the ceramic framework. This innovation ensures optimal ergonomics, improving both the durability and comfort of the watch without sacrificing its elegant design.

Extending the meticulous engineering beyond the case, the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC includes a full-ceramic bracelet that matches the case’s refined finish. Its brushed surfaces and diamond-polished bevels capture light with every movement, creating a lively display of reflections. A significant innovation is FORMEX’s patented micro-adjustable ceramic clasp, a pioneering feature seamlessly integrated into the ceramic bracelet. Unlike traditional metal clasps, which are easily machined or stamped, ceramic’s hardness makes such precise engineering extremely difficult. FORMEX has successfully created a ceramic clasp that perfectly matches the bracelet and includes its patented micro-adjustment system. This mechanism allows for adjustments over a 5 mm range in 1.5mm increments, enabling precise fit tuning on the fly. This ensures the bracelet can be expanded or shortened in both directions for optimal comfort while the watch is worn, with the clasp closed, and without any tools.



FORMEX enhances versatility with its interchangeable bracelet and strap concept, offering additional options for personalizing fit and comfort. The quick-release system allows for effortless switching between the ceramic bracelet and fitted rubber or leather options, all without tools. Each version includes a deployant buckle with FORMEX’s patented micro-adjustment system, providing further customization.

Ceramic offers unique aesthetic and performance benefits, being scratch-proof and seven times harder than steel, with a Vickers hardness of 1200 compared to steel’s 155 and titanium’s approximately 145. It is fade-resistant, impervious to UV exposure, and hypoallergenic, making it safe for sensitive skin without causing irritation. Additionally, ceramic is amagnetic, protecting the movement from magnetic interference, and thermally adaptive, avoiding the trapping of heat or cold like metal, thus ensuring consistent comfort. Ceramic is made from zirconium oxide, a naturally abundant material, making its production more sustainable by requiring less energy and generating less waste compared to steel or titanium.

Ceramic’s role in high-performance engineering is evident in both motorsports and watchmaking. In motorsports, ceramic is used in carbon-ceramic brake discs, which withstand extreme heat without fading, and in turbocharger turbine wheels, enhancing engine efficiency under demanding conditions. Heat shields made of ceramic protect critical components from thermal stress. These applications highlight ceramic’s lightweight, durable, and thermally stable properties, making it essential in racing.

FORMEX’s deep connection to motorsport is reflected in its pursuit of speed, precision, and performance. The Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC embodies this philosophy, leveraging Dexel's 40+ years of expertise in ceramic machining and finishing. This collaboration enables FORMEX to push the boundaries of watchmaking with advanced materials, resulting in a timepiece that merges motorsport-inspired performance with Swiss-made excellence, offering a perfect blend of durability, refinement, and all-day comfort.



Precision is crucial in both motorsport and high-end watchmaking, where every detail contributes to overall performance. The Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC features a COSC-certified automatic movement, ensuring chronometric excellence that meets Switzerland’s highest precision standards. Like a race car’s meticulously engineered engine, this watch operates within strict tolerances that define true Swiss accuracy. The skeletonized movement further reflects this engineering ethos, exposing the intricate components in a manner similar to motorsport design, where every contour and structure serves a specific purpose. By removing excess and revealing only the essential, the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC perfectly combines form and function in pursuit of excellence.

With the Essence Ceramica Skeleton, FORMEX not only enters the high-end ceramic watch market but redefines it. This timepiece represents innovation, performance, and luxury without compromise. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, FORMEX continues to push the boundaries of performance, precision, and innovation, principles that have defined the brand since its inception. CEO Raphael Granito emphasized, "Performance is nothing without control. In motorsport, power means nothing if you can’t keep it on the road. The same applies to watchmaking—precision and innovation must be matched by perfect ergonomics. That’s why we developed our patented Case Suspension System and the world’s first micro-adjustable ceramic clasp, ensuring the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC doesn’t just perform—it fits and moves with you, effortlessly."

Following the excitement of the NYC launch, FORMEX is maintaining momentum by heading to Geneva for another major showcase. As the brand marks 25 years of relentless innovation, 2025 is set to be a landmark year, featuring groundbreaking releases, innovative ideas, and events that bring the FORMEX community together.

Founded in 2000 and Swiss Made, FORMEX has consistently pushed the boundaries of high-performance watchmaking. Operating independently from its Biel/Bienne headquarters, the brand was revitalized in 2016 under Raphael Granito’s leadership. His family’s ownership of Dexel, a key component supplier, and Cadranor, a high-end dial manufacturer for the Swiss watch industry, brought new technical expertise and vertical integration to FORMEX. The name FORMe EXtrême, meaning "extreme shape" in French, reflects FORMEX’s origins on the racetrack and its evolution into a leader in precision engineering, ergonomic design, and innovative materials. Its signature patented Case Suspension System enhances comfort and shock absorption, while exclusive interchangeable strap and clasp systems set new standards for adaptability and ease of wear.



With a hybrid distribution strategy and direct access to state-of-the-art development and manufacturing, FORMEX continues to redefine expectations. The brand offers timepieces that combine cutting-edge craftsmanship, uncompromising quality, and true Swiss innovation, all at price points that offer exceptional value.

The GT on a ceramic bracelet is priced at CHF 4,150.00 / $4,390.00 / €4,590.00 / £3,850.00, while the Stradale on a ceramic bracelet is priced at CHF 3,970.00 / $4,250.00 / €4,450.00 / £3,750.00. These prices include international shipping, a 30-day free return policy, and a 3-year international warranty. Taxes and duties are included for shipping addresses within the USA, UK, Australia/NZ, Switzerland, and the European Union. The watches will be available for order starting March 21st, 2025, at 9 AM Swiss time (UTC+1), as a Limited Edition of 88 pieces per version, with shipments expected to begin in July 2025. They will be available through the FORMEX Online Boutique and select local partners.

Case: 41 mm diameter, 11.2mm height, 22mm lug width, 46.2 mm lug-to-lug. Weight 56g (case only), 137g with ceramic bracelet. Scratch-resistant Zirconium Oxide Ceramic (Zr2), vertically brushed and diamond-polished bevels. Patented Case Suspension System, titanium grade 2 container. 100 meters / 330 feet water resistance. Sapphire crystal, five layers of anti-reflective coating. Zirconium Oxide Ceramic (Zr2) case back, sapphire crystal display window.

Movement: Self-winding Swiss Made SW200-1 SC, skeletonized. 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 26 jewels, 41 hours power reserve. Officially certified by COSC. Skeletonized rotor.

Dial: GT: Machined dial gears, vertical brush finish, diamond-cut bevels. Grain-textured subdial. Rose-gold colored indices, vertical brush finish, diamond-cut bevels, Super-LumiNova® BGW9 Grade A. Stradale: Subdial, vertical brush finish. Gun-metal finished indices, vertical brush, diamond-cut bevels, Super-LumiNova® BGW9 Grade A. Viola and Blue variants: Matching Super-LumiNova® X1 Grade A. Hands with vertical brush finish, diamond-cut polished bevels, Super-LumiNova® BGW9 (Viola and Blue with matching X1 Grade A).

Strap: Zirconium Oxide Ceramic (Zr2) solid-link bracelet, vertical brush finish, diamond-polished bevels. Taper 22mm to 20mm. Removable pin & tube links, tool provided. Ceramic clasp, patented micro-adjustment system (5 mm over 4 increments of 1.25mm). Rubber, Nylon, and Italian leather straps available. Carbon fiber composite clasp, 7mm micro-adjustment system. Quick-release system, no tools required.

Price: GT on ceramic bracelet: CHF 4,150.00 / $4,390.00 / €4,590.00 / £3,850.00. Stradale on ceramica bracelet: CHF 3,970.00 / $4,250.00 / €4,450.00 / £3,750.00.

Reference Number:

0336.9.6051.410: Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC 41mm - GT

0336.9.6011.410: Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC 41mm - Stradale

0336.9.6027.410: Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC 41mm - Stradale Viola

0336.9.6023.410: Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC 41mm - Stradale Blue

Notes: Features world's first micro-adjustable ceramic clasp. Patented Case Suspension System integrated into the full-ceramic case. Limited Edition of 88 pieces per version