Mechanical Watches

No battery but a lot of springs, wheels and gears

What is a Mechanical Watch?

A mechanical watch is a timepiece driven by a manual or automatically wound mechanism. They are not powered by batteries like quartz or smart watches. Rather, a mechanical watch relies on a device called a “mainspring,” wound by hand (Manual-wind) or by the motion of the wearer’s wrist (Automatic). When wound, the mainspring powers the oscillating balance wheel. The escapement moves the wheels inside the movement forward each time the balance wheel swings. It’s an intricate dance any watch enthusiast can appreciate. For a more detailed explanation, we recommend to watch a video by The Watchfinder

Mechanical Watch Key Features

Mechanical movements consist of a vast amount of parts, each just as important as the last. A commonly advertised feature is the number of jewels in the movement, and the power reserve that indicates how long the watch’s movement will run without winding it. Gemstones, usually ruby or synthetic sapphire, keep the movement in top working order by reducing friction between the components and preserving bearings.

Another distinguishing characteristic is the seconds hand, which sweeps smoothly around the dial, compared to most quartz watches which tick once per second. The easiest way to distinguish between a mechanical and quartz movement is to look at the second hand.

Mechanical Watch Key Features

Formex Mechanical Watches for Men

The Formex catalog includes many different types of men’s mechanical watches. The brand’s portfolio has a watch to suit nearly any lifestyle, from traditional dive watches with impressive water resistance to GMT watches with dual timekeeping capabilities and classically sport watches with the time and date. Each Formex watch is developed and assembled in-house and lives up to the prestige of the coveted “Swiss Made” distinction, including the movements hard at work inside the case.

Automatic Watch with Date – The Formex Essence

Most of the industry’s top brands sell mechanical watches for men with the date and day either displayed alone or together on the dial, including Formex. The elegant Essence opts for just the date at the 6-hour marker, embracing a clean and practical aesthetic. It features the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with 24 jewels, a glucydur balance wheel, and a unique skeleton rotor. This movement also holds the honor of a COSC certification and a power reserve of 41 hours.

Automatic Dive Watch - The Formex Reef

The Formex Reef is the brand’s signature dive watch. It features everything the wearer needs to safely keep time underwater, such as a substantial depth rating, a unidirectional time-lapse bezel calibrated to 60 minutes, and legible hour markers and hands. What makes the Reef superior to other offerings on the market is its slim profile of just over 11mm, unique fine-adjustment clasp, and its wide variety of customization options, including interchangeable bezels and quick release bracelets.

Automatic GMT Watch – The Formex Reef GMT

The Formex Reef GMT combines the functionality of the original Reef dive watch, waterproof up to 300 meters, with a GMT movement and an interchangeable 24-hour bezel. With this convenient design, the wearer can read up to three time zones simultaneously. At the same time, the case maintains a thickness of just 11.4mm and a perceived height of 9.4mm - comfortable enough for globetrotting and all-day wear. The Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement driving the Reef GMT includes a centrally mounted GMT hand and an impressive 56-hour power reserve.

Officially Certified Mechanical Movements

COSC is an acronym for the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, or Contrôle officiel suisse des Chronomètres. To be COSC-rated means that a watch has met the stringent standards for accuracy and precision set forth by the institute, including a thorough 15-day test performed at various temperature ranges and positions. The movement must be accurate at an average daily rate between -4/+6 seconds per day and must be made in Switzerland.

Benefits of Mechanical Watches

If properly cared for and regularly serviced, the best mechanical watches will continue to read true for decades, if not several lifetimes. They will keep ticking as long as they are wound and don’t need battery charging like a smart watch or a battery replacement every few years like a quartz movement would. And while mechanical watches aren’t as accurate as battery powered watches, they’re still very precise, particularly COSC-rated movements, which require a higher rate of accuracy to secure a COSC certification.

The History of Mechanical Watches

Humankind has always found clever ways to keep time. However, it wasn’t until the early 1500s, when a German locksmith invented the first watch, that men’s mechanical watches as we know them today began to take shape. Early pocket watches were very rudimentary, displaying only hours. Centuries of innovation followed, including adding a minute hand and the invention of the balance spring and lever escapement. The pocket watch eventually became a very reliable means of keeping time.

How To Choose a Mechanical Watch

Choosing the best mechanical watches ultimately depends on the type of movement that best suits your lifestyle. Do you prefer a mechanical or quartz watch? Both have their pros and cons. From there, you can choose between different movement complications, such as a convenient date mechanism, a chronograph with stopwatch functionality, and even a GMT that displays more than one time zone at once. If you often travel or have a vested interest in other parts of the world, a GMT watch is very convenient. If you prefer an understated wristwatch, a simple date or day might also suit your wrist. When it comes to mechanical watches for men, the possibilities are endless.

Mechanical Watches