Formex Essence Leggera Electric Blue

In my review of the Formex Essence Leggera, I went to great lengths to share my antipathy to its dial. And for good reason. The Leggera’s battleship gray dial was horological Xanax – the one and only reason I wouldn’t add the carbon fiber timepiece to my collection. So I bought the Formex Essence Leggera Electric Blue . . .

Back in December 2019, Chrono24.com reported that black dials were the most popular choice, blue second. I don’t have any data to support my suspicions, but I bet dollars to donuts the sales stats have been reversed. And why not? Blue has a lot going for it. verywellmind.com:

• Because blue is favored by so many people, it is often viewed as a non-threatening color that can seem conservative and traditional.
• Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.
• Blue is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability. Businesses that want to project an image of security often utilize blue in their advertising and marketing efforts.

Calmness, stability, security. What’s not to love?

“Blue can also create feelings of sadness or aloofness,” verywellmind.com cautions, citing Picasso’s Blue Period paintings, somehow failing to mention the musical genre called the blues.

Yes, well, there’s little chance a blue dial’s gonna bum you out. But just as there’s ice cream and there’s Ben & Jerry’s AmeriCone Dream, there are blue dials and then there’s the Essence Leggera’s Electric Blue dial.

The key difference: it’s dégradé, as the French would say. In plain English, the color fades ever-so-subtly from the watch’s velvety blue heart to its black outer edge.

Make that imperceptibly. OK, if you tilt the watch at a certain angle and look REALLY closely you can see the transition. Otherwise, it’s all-of-a-piece; the enviable result of expert hand application.

Add in the “sunray effect” – where reflected light creates a bright blue band that extends across the dial and rotates around it as you change the angle – and the Electric Blue dial is an endlessly satisfying visual delight.

The light blue raised rehaut (with white minute marking indices) matches the sunray effect and contrasts with the dial’s black outer edge and the matte black carbon fiber bezel, which contrasts with the shiny outer bezel, which contrasts with the matte black carbon fiber case, which blends elegantly with navy blue nylon strap. In short, schwing!

That’s saying nothing about the highly legible lumed-filled applied indices, the elegant typeface, the perfectly judged date window or all the other stuff I highlighted in my five-star review (e.g., COSC accuracy, featherlight weight, spring mounted case and AR-coated sapphire crystal). Suffice it to say, the Formex Essence Leggera Electric Blue is as comfortable as it is beautiful. As affordable as it is desirable.

Or maybe that’s backwards. It’s so desirable because it’s so affordable: $1650. Only you have to wait; the Electric Blue variant sold out. Formex promises to ship out a fresh batch at the end of May. If you like what you see, I recommend you pre-order now. The Formex may not make your gray skies blue, but it will be a source of faithful service and aesthetic satisfaction until you’re old and gray.

Click here for our previous review providing specifications and ratings.