In a line-up of watches, bright colours are remarkably good at getting the first date. Ice Blue catches the light; Coho Salmon turns heads.
Basalt Grey, meanwhile, sits at the end of the table quietly getting on with things. That is precisely why the Formex Field Automatic 40mm in grey deserves a closer look.
The dial isn't trying to win a colour competition. It is building a watch you might still love after the excitement of the new purchase has worn off.
Formex Field Automatic 40mm Basalt Grey
The real pleasure is in the detail. Recessed Arabic numerals seem carved into the dial, catching light along their edges, while the sloped minute track and colour-matched date disc make the whole design feel considered. A bright white date window could have interrupted everything. Here it is almost politely invisible. On the grey version, that restraint is not a lack of character: it is the character.
There are two ways of spotting what Formex has done here. At a glance you can follow the large numerals round the dial and ignore the engineering altogether. Linger over a photograph and the edges of the recesses begin to show. Formex has used the thickness of the dial itself to give the numbers a shape. It's a particularly good decision in grey, where each change in tone has to earn its place. Look at the date next. Once you've found it, try letting your eye wander back to the hands. The calendar quietly disappears into the composition again.
Ice Blue shifts the emphasis. You notice the broad expanse of colour first, then the way the numerals sit in it. Coho Salmon is warmer and more immediately expressive, especially if everything else you wear tends towards navy. My temptation would be the salmon if I were adding one field watch to a box full of sober black dials. If I were picking one to wear for the next fortnight with whatever came out of the wardrobe, that's where grey would get my money.
Formex uses hardened grade 2 titanium for the 40mm case, with a 48mm lug-to-lug span and 10.5mm thickness. A Sellita SW200-1 automatic and 150m water resistance supply the reassuring mechanical backbone. Those numbers describe a watch that should be comfortable in a working week and capable of a wet weekend. The field-watch label isn't permission to pretend you're crossing the Andes every time you walk the dog.
Which dial and strap would you live with?
Now for the part that makes grey interesting: the straps.
Black nylon turns the watch near-monochrome. Khaki nylon adds a military note without overwhelming the dial. Brown Bolgheri leather lends it warmth and makes it look unexpectedly smart.
Ice Blue and Coho Salmon are appealing alternatives if the dial itself should lead the outfit; Basalt Grey lets everything else change around it. It's the watch equivalent of owning a very good grey jacket — vastly more useful than the exciting one you wear twice.
Imagine packing for a couple of nights away. Brown leather and a clean shirt will do dinner on Friday. Saturday's forecast involves a walking route, a determined dog and the sort of rain described locally as “brightening up”. Khaki nylon makes sense there, and it takes up rather less room in a bag than a second watch. The clever bit is how much the change achieves. Brown picks up the softer side of the grey. Khaki brings the recessed numbers and matte case back to the fore. You get two quite distinct looks from the part of the watch that costs least to change.
I'd pay attention to the 48mm span before ordering, too. The diameter gets top billing, yet the distance between the ends of the lugs determines where the strap can begin to wrap downwards. Measure a watch you already wear comfortably along that same axis. It's a more revealing comparison than holding a ruler across the dial, and considerably cheaper than finding out what you like by buying three field watches. Though I appreciate some readers have already committed to the latter research programme.
Winding Things Up
Nylon fastens with hook-and-loop, while the leather folding clasp allows up to 7mm of fine adjustment. That's genuinely welcome when the weather changes and wrists expand.
My choice would be brown leather during the week and khaki nylon at the weekend, with the quick-release system making the switch a realistic proposition rather than a Sunday afternoon project involving tiny spring bars and some inventive language.
The grey Formex may not shout from the display case, but it makes a persuasive argument for staying on your wrist.
All watch photography featured in this article is credited to its respective owners, including brands, photographers and publications.