Key takeaways
• The Formex AirField expands the brand’s rugged Field platform into aviation, featuring a 40 mm hardened titanium case weighing just 54 grams.
• Designed for ultimate legibility, it incorporates sword-shaped hands, recessed hand-filled Super-LumiNova® numerals, and a classic 12 o’clock aviation orientation marker.
• Powered by the updated Sellita SW200-2 Power+ movement, the watch offers an extended 65-hour power reserve and 150 meters of water resistance.
Born from the same rugged platform as the Formex Field, the new AirField takes its purpose-driven design into the world of aviation.
A hardened titanium case, cockpit-inspired dial architecture, powerful lume and the new 65-hour Sellita SW200-2 Power+ come together in a watch designed for clarity, comfort and dependable performance, on the ground and above it.
Rather than recreating the traditional pilot watch, the AirField brings aviation into the Formex Field universe: lightweight, functional and unmistakably contemporary.
Key Takeaways:
- Field foundations, aviation attitude: The AirField builds on the proven 40 mm titanium architecture of the Formex Field while introducing a completely new dial and hand set inspired by the functional clarity of cockpit instrumentation.
- Instantly readable by design: Broad sword-shaped hands, recessed hand-filled Arabic numerals, the characteristic triangle-and-dot orientation marker at 12 o’clock and a strongly contrasting dial architecture are engineered for immediate legibility.
- Lightweight, hardened and ready for action: The titanium case weighs just 54 grams and is treated to approximately 900 Vickers surface hardness, around five times the surface hardness of conventional stainless steel. A screw-down crown and 150-meter water resistance complete its all-purpose credentials.
- Depth without unnecessary height: A sloped chapter ring rises toward the sapphire crystal, while the finely grained stamped dial, recessed luminous numerals and signature beveled date window create depth and dimensionality while keeping the watch slim and easy to wear.
- Four environments, four dial colors: Desert Sand, Horizon Blue, Jet Black and Tarmac Grey give the AirField four distinct personalities, each paired with a color-matched date wheel to keep the display integrated and visually clean.
- More power for everyday freedom: The updated Sellita SW200-2 Power+ extends the power reserve from 41 to 65 hours, allowing the AirField to be put down for more than two days and picked up again without having to reset it.
(BIEL/BIENNE, SWITZERLAND) – Formex introduces the AirField, a new aviation-focused expression of its rugged Field platform. Built around the collection’s lightweight 40 mm hardened titanium case, the AirField combines the straightforward utility of a field watch with design elements rooted in the clear, highly legible instruments of aviation.
Field watches and pilot watches have long shared common ground. Both emerged from military environments where equipment had to be robust, immediately readable and free of unnecessary complication. Strong contrast, Arabic numerals and functional construction became defining characteristics of both categories, one developed for soldiers on the ground, the other for crews navigating the air.
The AirField brings those shared principles together without simply recreating a traditional pilot watch. Instead, Formex has reinterpreted them through the contemporary engineering and ergonomic approach of its Field collection.
From Field to Flight
The most immediate transformation takes place on the dial.
Broad sword-shaped hour and minute hands provide strong visual presence and allow the time to be read at a glance. At 12 o’clock, a triangle flanked by two dots references one of the most recognizable orientation markers in aviation watch design, helping the wearer identify the top of the dial instantly.
A long, slender seconds hand adds another layer to the theme. Its aircraft-shaped counterweight is subtle enough to escape immediate attention but reveals a more playful aviation reference on closer inspection.
“The Field was a natural starting point for this watch because field watches and pilot watches were ultimately developed to solve many of the same problems. They need to be dependable, easy to read and comfortable enough that you almost forget you’re wearing them. With the AirField, we wanted to take those fundamentals into aviation without making something that feels like another reproduction of a historical pilot watch..”
Raphael Granito, CEO Formex Watch SA
Clarity With Depth
The AirField dial is designed around immediate readability, but the simplicity of the display hides considerable detail. Its finely grained surface is achieved through a stamping process, giving the dial a tactile, instrument-like texture. The Arabic hour markers and numerals are recessed into the dial and individually hand-filled with Super-LumiNova® BGW9, producing strong nighttime visibility while maintaining crisp contrast during the day.
A sloped chapter ring rises toward the sapphire crystal, creating additional depth around the perimeter of the dial without adding unnecessary height to the watch itself. The architecture draws the eye naturally toward the center while giving the numerals and minute scale a more dimensional appearance.
At 6 o’clock sits Formex’s signature beveled date window. Its angled construction improves visibility from different viewing angles while helping prevent the surrounding dial from casting a shadow over the date indication. Each date wheel is matched to its respective dial color, keeping the display visually integrated across the four versions: Desert Sand, Horizon Blue, Jet Black and Tarmac Grey.
Titanium Made Tougher
The AirField retains one of the defining features of the Field collection: its lightweight 40 mm titanium case. Together with its short lugs and slim profile, the case contributes to a total watch head weight of just 54 grams, giving the AirField an exceptionally light presence on the wrist. To improve resistance to everyday wear, the titanium undergoes a special hardening treatment that increases its surface hardness to approximately 900 Vickers, around five times the surface hardness of conventional stainless steel.
A screw-down crown and 150 meters of water resistance reinforce the practical character of the watch, extending its usefulness far beyond the cockpit. The solid case back carries the aviation theme to the reverse side of the AirField with a depiction of a classic radial aircraft engine and propeller, a mechanical reference to an era when aviation, engineering and watchmaking became increasingly interconnected.
Strapped In
The AirField is offered with two distinctly different strap configurations, allowing its character to shift with its surroundings. The lightweight nylon straps use an elastic, water-resistant construction with a Velcro closure. Easily washable and adding only a few grams to the watch, they are particularly suited to travel, outdoor activity and warmer environments where flexibility and breathability matter.
For a more refined appearance, the AirField can also be paired with a leather strap and Formex’s carbon fiber deployant clasp. The patented clasp provides 7 mm of gradual fine adjustment, allowing the fit to be adapted throughout the day without changing strap holes or removing the watch.
““Comfort has always been a big part of how we engineer our watches. A watch designed as a tool shouldn’t become something you have to think about once it’s on your wrist. Whether it’s the extremely light nylon setup or the fine adjustment built into the carbon clasp, the goal is always the same: make the watch work around the person wearing it, not the other way around.”
Raphael Granito, CEO Formex Watch SA
More Power, Same Purpose
Inside the AirField is the updated Sellita SW200-2 Power+, increasing the movement’s power reserve from 41 to 65 hours. The added autonomy turns a technical specification into a practical everyday improvement. The watch can be taken off for more than two days and picked up again without needing to reset the time and date, particularly useful for a watch conceived to move easily between different activities and environments.
It is an upgrade that fits naturally with the philosophy behind the AirField: meaningful engineering should make the watch easier to live with.
A Pilot Watch, the Formex Way
The AirField does not attempt to recreate a cockpit instrument from another era. Instead, it takes the principles that made aviation watches effective in the first place, legibility, durability, lightness and functional simplicity, and applies them to the established Field platform. The result sits deliberately between categories. Rugged enough to retain the character of a true field watch, unmistakably influenced by aviation, yet sufficiently versatile for everyday wear. Field-ready. Sky-bound.
Pricing and Availability
The new Formex AirField will be available in four dial colors: Desert Sand, Horizon Blue, Jet Black and Tarmac Grey. Pricing is CHF 830.00 on a nylon strap and CHF 970.00 on a leather strap including the Formex carbon fiber fine-adjustment deployant clasp. Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of October 2026.
