This watch dial is older than humanity itself

It's often the little details that can separate our favourite watches from those we don't pick. That might be something as simple as a case diameter, or a feature which improves the ease of wear.

The new Formex Essence Space Ghost 41mm is packed with little details which could make this the perfect watch for a lot of people. For starters, that new case diameter is a real Goldilocks size, sitting halfway between the 39mm and 43mm models already in the collection.

It's not just about filling a gap, either, says brand CEO Raphael Granito. The decision for a 41mm case was made to offer the largest sweet spot for a wide range of users, while also pushing a range of updates in the rest of the spec sheet.

That includes a redesigned clasp with on-the-fly micro-adjustment, which offers three different levels of adaptability. Users can select from 0mm, 3mm or 6mm of adjustment, without even removing the watch.

But the real star of the show here is the dial. That's a slice of meteorite which is around 4.5 billion years old – that's older than the origins of the human race!

Meteorite isn't all that uncommon on watch dials, but it's nice to see here and lends a classy appearance to the piece. The grey hue sits close to how the stainless steel appears under lighting, which leaves it looking almost monochrome.

Inside, you'll find a COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1 movement. That's a well-regarded third-party calibre – we see it in a lot of Christopher Ward watches – and offers 41 hours of power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate.

The piece will produced in a limited batch of 150 per year, though we'd anticipate seeing other 41mm Essence models come in the near future. That means you should be able to find something else with the right fit if the meteorite dial isn't to your taste.

Priced at CHF 1,880 (approx. £1,720 / €1,995 / US$2,350 / AU$3,575) on a choice of leather, nylon or rubber straps, the model sits in a pretty sweet spot. Personally, I'd pay the extra to get the steel bracelet though – that one costs CHF 1,990 (approx. £1,820 / €2,100 / US$2,500 / AU$3,780).