Ressence Type I Round Black
Ressence Type I Round Black is a fascinating watch produced by the Belgian watch brand, founded in 2010 by Benoît Mintiens. Loaded with opinions and just enough knowledge to make her dangerous, Meehna Goldsmith brings us her perspective on this plucky independent watch brand.
Ressence Type I Round Black
Ressence first pulled back the curtain on its watches in 2010 at Baselworld. I was there when Benoît Mintiens revealed three working protoTYPEs. As I was wandering around the fair, I happened upon his booth and stopped in to see what this new brand had to offer. I didn’t expect too much. It takes something very special to catch my attention. I planned on a quick visit and a polite, but speedy, getaway. But these watches skidded me to a stop in my tracks. Mintiens had created something unconventional and groundbreaking.
Waving adios to a centuries-long tradition, Mintiens dispensed with hands to mark the time and instead replaced them with continuing revolving discs orbiting the dial like moons orbiting a planet. Reading the time, was like looking in a small, rotating universe. Mintiens explained that just as time is in constant motion and changing, so is the dial.
Benoît Mintiens
What was a complete surprise is that Mintiens isn’t a watchmaker. Not even close. He’s an industrial designer who designed such things as aircraft cabins, medical devices, high-speed trains and hunting guns. He hadn’t ever designed a watch! He came into the industry cold without preconceived notions and that’s probably why he could conceive this watchmaking marvel.
Mintiens started with the idea of deconstructing a watch so that time would become part of a person through an intuitive reading of its passing. User experience is at the heart of every Reseence timepiece. That’s why the Belgian firm approaches its watches from the outside in, which is unusual in haute horlogerie. F.P. Journe is another one of the few companies which conceive watches from the dial side down.
#Beyondhands
The logo, which is an outstretched hand, represents Ressence’s motto of time as #BEYONDHANDS. It also stands for spirit, humanity, universality and proximity. In addition, it gives a hat tip to Mintiens home city of Antwerp and its historic international port, which symbolizes a mix of cultures and perspectives. Pretty heady stuff guiding the brand’s philosophy, but Ressence watches deliver on the promise, making you feel part of the story.
ROCS module
So, let’s see how the Ressence works at its core. A proprietary ROCS module drives the circular movement of the indications, getting its juice from a customized, workhorse ETA 2824/2 base calibre. ROCS is an acronym for Ressence Orbital Convex System. Convex referring to the curvature of the rotating discs so they blend with the lines of the watch for a coherent and sensual aesthetic. In each of the Ressence models, the satellites vary in their tilt so, while the DNA remains consistent, each differs in characteristics from its siblings.
Ressence TYPE 1²N
Notice that Ressence watches don’t incorporate a traditional crown to set the time. To keep the lines smooth and clean, Mintiens integrated the winding and setting system into the sapphire case back. Also, he reasoned, since the crown is rarely used it didn’t need be on stage taking up real estate and interrupting the show. All the watches incorporate neon Superluminova, lighting up in a Halloween-like glow of blue or green (or blue and green on the TYPE 3) in low light conditions, aligning with the legibility-first theme.
Let’s take a look at Ressence’s evolution. In 2011, it brought to market 50 watches called the TYPE 0, based on the protoTYPEs, followed by 150 examples of the SERIES 1, based on the TYPE 0. The TYPE 1, Ressence’s most basic piece, introduced the watch into wider production. Dressed in a 42mm grade 5 titanium case sealed with by anti-reflective sapphire glass, the TYPE 1 is lightweight at just 84 grams. It shows indications of hours, minutes, seconds and day of the week.
After Ressence debuted the TYPE 1, we had to wait three years to see what was next. The brand did not disappoint. In 2013, it unveiled the TYPE 3, which contained an oil-filled movement, a scandalous proposition and the first time it was ever done. Driven by an iteration of the ROCS 1 module, the ROCS 3 is comprised of 215 unique parts that display running seconds, minutes, hours, weekdays, date and oil temperature.
Ressence TYPE 3B
I’m sure you’re wondering how filling a movement with liquid was a good idea, let alone possible. Here’s the secret: the top half of the watch, which contains the ROC 3 module, is flooded with oil, while the movement sits protected behind a watertight titanium barrier. Through magnetic transmission, the module receives the calibre’s power. But isn’t magnetism the nemesis of a watch movement? Through the use of extra small magnets with strong magnetic conductors, the magnetic fields remain relatively contained. Further protection is provided by an alloy around the escapement that acts like a Farraday cage. A very slick solution.
ROC 3 module
Filling the top half of the watch with oil is more than just a technical party trick. By suspending the dial in an oil slick and pushing it flush against the sapphire crystal, not only is friction reduced on the ROC 3 module, but distorting refraction is eliminated. No more tilting your wrist around to see the time. It becomes immediate, taking up the whole surface area of the sapphire crystal by leaving the bezel behind.
In addition to the two innovations of an oil-drenched module and magnetic transmission system, there is yet another. Seven bellows expand and contract to compensate for oil volume fluctuations due to temperature. The system is calibrated to withstand temperatures between -5 degrees and +55 degrees Celsius, eclipsing the industry standard of +10 to +40 degrees. You can view the level of the oil on a fun little gauge on the dial.
Ressence TYPE 3B – Grand Prixe d’ Horlogerie de Geneve 2013
The TYPE 3 was such a pioneering achievement it won the Horological Revelation prize at the Grand Prixe d’ Horlogerie de Geneve 2013. Cased in a larger 44mm grade 5 titanium, the TYPE 5 comes with an interchangeable strap system and weighs 79 grams, lighter than its older brother.
Two years later in 2015, Ressencebrought out the TYPE 5, taking the brand underwater with a dive watch. Using the TYPE 3 technology as a springboard, it advanced micro-technology even further by adding a hydraulic shock absorber to the mix to prevent the magnetic transmission system from disengaging. As the TYPE 5 is officially a sport watch, with the expectation that a wearer will submit it to rough and tumble, this safety feature is necessary, not to mention a gear head’s giddy dream. The hydraulic shock absorber works by increasing oil flow to induce hydraulic friction, slowing down the runner disc when the watch is jarred, preventing disengagement of the magnets.
Ressence TYPE 5B
The idea to take Ressence on a subaqueous journey was quite ingenious. The oil-based construction floats in this environment on all fronts. It cancels total internal reflection so the watch can be read at any angle, something no other dive watch can claim, and since oil compensates for underwater pressure, there doesn’t need to be a heavy case and glass construction to fight off the elements. Additionally, since oil is a lubricating and suspending agent, the parts become lighter and withstand less friction.
Ressence went completely legit on the TYPE 5, earning its dive watch moniker. It is fitted with a unidirectional bezel and larger indexes and hands than previous models, meeting the ISO 6425 standard of 100m. In a 44mm titanium frame, the TYPE 5 is no shrinking violet. However, its size belies its weight. Due to the micro-technology employed, it weighs a mere 87 grams. Compare that to a Rolex Submariner that tips the scale at about 130 grams.
The Ressence Type I Round Black moved the brand into the realm of the dress watch. It features a 41mm cushion-shaped case, a slimmer profile and integrated lugs, unlike the other TYPES, while staying consistent with its hands-free, orbital DNA. This handsome specimen is also differentiated by its polished 316 L stainless steel case, (as opposed to the titanium construction on the others), and retractable setting and winding lever on the satin-finished case back. The TYPE 1² inherits the interchangeable strap system from the TYPE 3, an easy way to change up the look, and, of course, comes painted with a bright blue lume on the dial.
Ressence – Haute Horlogerie
Remember I compared Ressence with other haute horlogerie brands in their design philosophy. That wasn’t a mistake. In 2016, Ressence was officially admitted into the hallowed halls of haute horlogerie by the Cultural Council of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, a huge honour for any brand.
Imagine that. A watch with an ETA base qualifying for high watchmaking. Talk about breaking the horologic glass ceiling. But Ressence has done it, proving technological advancement and avant-garde design can come wrapped in any package, even without hands.