When I first took notice of the Formex DS2100 7020 it was the case itself that initially intrigued me. But I have to admit when I first got this watch in my hands, the bracelet is what immediately caught my attention. So this review will start in reverse order compared how I usually approach my reviews. Let’s mix this up shall we.

Let us established this before going any further with this review. I am not a bracelet guy, I personally prefer a leather, Nato or canvas, so for a bracelet to get my attention, it is something special. The DS2100 bracelet is like a jubilee bracelet on steroids. The bracelet is made of titanium and the finish on the bracelet feels so smooth to the touch. I like how thick the links are and how wide the bracelet is. This bracelet had no problem at all when I took it into the ocean, or when I took it climbing, it handled it all. Cleaning it was no problem, sand and mud washed off with ease. Even with the spaces in between the links, everything just washed through. The clasp is a stainless steel butterfly style clasp that functions without flaw. The links that the clasp attach to are solid, thick and kick ass. I honestly can’t express how much I love this bracelet. It took me by total surprise. You have options in terms of what strap/bracelet you want when you order this watch, but I highly recommend this bracelet.

Getting back to the case that initially intrigued me, you will notice the little details that caught my attention in the picture above. What I first thought were just screws that were holding the case together, are actually something different all together. Spending some quality time with a watch gives you a chance to discover all kinds of special details, sometimes even on accident. Thus is the case in this instance. I squeezed the case and something moved. At first I thought something was wrong, but under further examination I noticed that those support screws are actually mini shock absorbers. A first for me in my many years as a watch loving nut. The lugs are connected to the case suspension. Pressing down on the unique style lugs depresses the shock absorbers/patented case suspension. The 4 hexagon head screws at each of the corners on the top of the case, teamed with the unique solid lugs, gives the DS2100 nice tool watch detail.

The stainless steel bezel rotates unidirectionally. The bezels is quite beautiful but I have to complain about the lack of any lume on the bezel. Now I know this is a racing themed dive watch, but I think on any dive watch a lumed pip/triangle/etc. is crucial to the functionality of the bezel especially when using it to dive and/or in low light situations in the field. The bezel is easy to grip and rotate with a nice ratcheting sound and it lines up perfectly with the 12 o’clock hour marker on the dial. More importantly to my OCD tendencies there is no extra play in the bezel.

The exhibition case back is pretty nice on this watch for a couple of reasons. It is secured in place by four flathead screws which adds to the tool watch feel on this watch. I like little details like this on a watch. The rotor on this watch has some great details which are the red lettering which nicely matches the red accents found throughout this watch and the rotor also features some fantastic old school guilloche work on it. It is my firm belief that if you are going to do a exhibition case back you had better give me something nice to look at other that just a standard movement. Formex gets it right.

The dial on the is simple and simple tends to work much better than cramming a bunch of details into a dial. I have to credit first the flat sapphire crystal for giving us a nice window to see the dial and adding to the overall legibility. The applied hour markers and minute track also add to the legibility but always adds some nice depth to the dial as well. The semi skeletonized white hour and minute hands just pop right off the black dial. The width of the hands work well on this dial. The minute hand length just right touching the edges of the markers. I only wish that the hour hand was a bit longer. I must admit though, that the arrow tip hour hand helps me overlook the length discrepancy. The lollipop style second hand reaches to the minute marker track. The dial has some lume treatment as well, which can be found coating the applied hour markers and all three of the DS2100’s hands.

The text is very uniform and well placed upon the dial. You can tell that Formex gave the text placement some thought here. It nicely forms a cross design. The date window is a bit of a looker in it’s own regard. White date wheel, black printed numerals and a long three number display. Taking it a step further, Formex added red print ‘DATE’ with an arrow pointing to the date numeral. Typically I prefer a standard square date window but on the DS2100 this style works well, and looks good to boot.

The movement inside this DS2100 is the Sellita SW200. The SW200 is used as a replacement for the ETA 2824. The DS2100 has a power reserve of 38 hours, 26 jewels, and this particular watch that is being reviewed has had a +7 seconds per day accuracy rate. The SW200 has been used in Sinn Watches, Limes, Baume and Mercier, Bell & Ross, and others.

The DS2100 is racing themed Formex Watches answer for a dive watch. It has a unique case, a killer bracelet and is well executed. There are a a couple of areas for improvement in my opinion. I would recommend including lume on the bezel triangle/pip which is a must with a dive watch. For my more nit picky recommendations I would elongate the hour hand and I would use a different clasp for the bracelet.

The watch wears comfortably and sits well balanced on the wrist. I realy like the way the bracelet feels on the wrist. The smooth finish is quality. I would recommend this watch to someone looking for a unique dive style watch, that is different enough from other dive watches out there, but still retains some of that style of old charm. This watch will also definitely appeal to fans of speed sports as well.

Formex website is very easy to navigate when ordering your watch. There is a small bit of customization that you can choose, which is nice for that individualization feel. Kind of makes your watch more personal. It took about a week for my watch to arrive after placing my order.

I would like to thank Formex and would like to thank you for reading.

 

Case:

Diameter: 46.5mm
Material: Stainless Steel / Titanium
Height: 14mm
Specials: Patented case suspension
Water resistant to 20ATM (200 m)

Approximately $850