Ressence: Type 2 e-Crown Concept
1 February 2018Ressence anticipates the times introducing the the new Type 2 e-Crown Concept, the first self-setting mechanical watch ever.
Just set once the time of your Type 2 e-Crown Concept via the lever on the case back and you are ready to go. No need to think about setting or adjusting your watch anymore, the Type 2 e-Crown Concept does it for you. And when operating, the e-Crown technology, combined with the Ressence display by discs, is simply magical.
The Type 2 e-Crown Concept introduces an all‐new generation of ROCS, which stands for Ressence Orbital Convex System. Fully designed and developed in-house, this unique horological module is composed of grade 5 Titanium co-planar discs and rings of different sizes that are spherical with a radius of 75mm. Each of the time indications of the Type 2 e-Crown Concept is generated by the ROCS from the information provided by the automatic base movement. On Type 2 e-Crown Concept, all discs are mounted on jewel micro-ball bearings for a slimmer architecture and the gaps between the discs are reduced to 35 microns for a seamless design.
e-Crown Architecture
The Type 2 e-Crown Concept is the Ressence of many firsts but one in particular. It is equipped with e-Crown: An in-house electro-mechanical embedded system capable of registering, monitoring, adjusting and most importantly setting the time of the Type 2 e-Crown Concept without human intervention. It is essential to notice that the Type 2 e- Crown Concept is a cognitive mechanical watch, meaning the watch learns the time you set and does not rely on external signals. It is controlled by simply tapping the glass of the Type 2 e-Crown Concept. A double tap awakes the embedded system while a single tap pilots the selector in the mode menu. Located on a sub-disc, the selector always indicates in what mode you are in. You can set and display two time zones manually via the lever on the case-back or connect via Bluetooth with the e-Crown app.
e-Crown Cluster
e-Crown Nerve Center
The e-Crown app is not compulsory but brings the Type 2 e-Crown Concept to an unseen level of ease and avant-gardism. Instead of manually setting the time zones, the app offers you a geolocation and a drop-down menu of cities. You can then choose, pre-set and finally send the time zones information to the Type 2 e-Crown Concept. Accurate to the second, it has never been more user-friendly to change time zones on a fully mechanical watch. If set via the app, the Type 2 e-Crown Concept will even change winter or summer time automatically. Furthermore, the e-Crown app offers you the comfort of being notified when to service your watch as it will monitor the accuracy on a daily basis.
e-Crown App
The Type 2 e-Crown Concept is a fully self-sufficient mechanical watch relying on two natural sources of energy: Wrist movement and outside light. The automatic base movement is powered by a self-winding rotor while the e-Crown is powered by a kinetic generator and photovoltaic cells. The kinetic generator, made of grade 5 Titanium, surrounds the base movement and has its own barrel. The custom-build and developed triple junction photovoltaic cells are hidden under 10 micro-shutters located around the selector sub-disc. They will open automatically when the energy balance is low and can be controlled via the app.
e-Crown Kinetic Generator
e-Crown Photovoltaic Shutters
The Type 2 e-Crown Concept capabilities and experience vary according to the way you use it. In full e-Crown mode (e-Crown + App setting) your watch is set and adjusted to the second by your smart-phone. In semi e-Crown mode (e-Crown + Manual setting) your watch is set and adjusted to the minute. In mechanical mode (no e-Crown + Manual setting) your watch is running without any assistance, like in the “good” old days of traditional fine- watchmaking.
