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The sun was setting, taking with it the extra degrees that had accompanied us during our ascent. After a well-deserved meal and before going to bed we decided to enjoy once again this magnificent panorama. A moment out of time and conducive to deep conversations.
It is in this environment that Raphael Granito shared with us in exclusivity the design of its next novelty, the REEF GMT Automatic Chronometer 300m.
“The GMT was the next logical step in the collection. I want to grow the family of collections but without adding a completely new platform.”
The REEF GMT, a diver’s base to travel the world and remember where you come from.
While the GMT complication is one he enjoys and which he has in his personal collection, Raphael explains that to match the brand’s DNA, the watch had to bring something new. “I wanted to make a GMT with a rotating bezel to be able to display 3 time zones. So, the REEF was the ideal platform to realize this project and desire.”
By using the space of the REEF Diver’s bezel to put a 24-hour scale, the 3rd time zone could be displayed. A twist that highlights the ingenuity of the teams. They use their skills and the limited means of a small structure like Formex to get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to always offer something new.
And of course, the interchangeability of the bezels without tools is also present on the REEF GMT, allowing, thanks to its 6 different dials and 6 different bezels, to have 36 possibilities of configuration. For my part, I made my choice:
When there’s a GMT there’s a travel watch and therefore a robust watch. Especially when this GMT was made by Formex.
This GMT project was once again made possible by the encounter of the customers’ desires and the CEO’s. This direct contact with customers is necessary for their business model and it is a strength. As the customer feels considered and listened to, his interest in the brand will exceed the product to become stronger. This is once again proof of the human being’s power. It is thanks to this connection that the teams were able to know there was a growing demand for a new product incorporating a GMT.
In addition to its rotating bezel displaying a 3rd time zone, “the REEF collection was created with the belief that high performance tools can also be elegant and very versatile.” It is thanks to the design of its case and the work that has gone into the dial, markers and hands that a REEF can be worn as much in a swimsuit as at a party.
Its stylistic balance and its details make all its strength and beauty. Details like the roundness of the case at 9 o’clock to balance the crown guard. As well as the magnificent soleillage of the dial and bezel that counterbalances the massive shape of the markers. If you want to know more about Formex dials, here is a video of our visit to their dial maker.
This attention to detail and the desire to offer a robust but elegant watch is also found in the case back. The case back is openworked and through a sapphire crystal, one can admire the decorated SW330-2 GMT. This opening of the case back does not weaken the water resistance of the watch which remains fully sealed up to 300 meters.
Finally, this attention to detail also concerns the bezel. Its markers have been engraved and filled with SuperLuminova. So even in the night you will be able to keep this contact with the place that is dear to you.
Going back to the genesis of the project was not possible. Raphael was working on several projects at the same time, so there was no one event that caused the creative process to begin.
I asked him what he liked best about his work and he shared, “What I like most about my work is creating. I would like to be able to dive more intensively into the project from the beginning without having to worry about anything else. My dream would be to do a full week workshop with our engineers and designers and have it not be distilled over time.”
The pleasure of creating is strewn about, but that’s the downside of running a creative company that’s a victim of its own success. But let’s get back to the creation of the REEF GMT.
Not being in the office when the project was launched nor working at Formex, I took the opportunity of this article to ask Raphael about the creative process. “Usually in our creative process, we always start by working on the case, then on the dial and finally on the hands. For the REEF GMT we first worked on the bezel. Both the case and the dial already have a strong DNA specific to the REEF collection. We just had to rely on them.
But you don’t get this visual result just like that. If the case and the dial of the REEF give guidelines, they will not design the bezel or the details of the dial by themselves.
“We achieve this result through a lot of discussions with the teams. At Formex, we are lucky to have designers who are also engineers. This saves a lot of time because the question of the project’s feasibility can be quickly resolved, allowing us to move on to other creative elements. This allows us to move on to other creative elements.
The REEF GMT is therefore a new expression of the creativity of the brand’s teams. At first, I was surprised to see this function on this base. But Raphael’s explanation made sense.
I hope that this article will be more interesting for you and that its less technical but more human approach will allow you to understand the product a little more. Do not hesitate to express your opinion in comments. You will find below all the technical elements of the watch.
