Ressence: Type 5X Amos “10th Anniversary”

Ressence is a brand made to amaze. In ten years of life it has changed the sense of telling and living time, changing the way of creating mechanical watches. It is not surprising that, to celebrate its tenth birthday, the founder and creative mind of the brand Benoît Mintiens, created a special watch, the second of Collection X: Type 5X Amos, limited to 40 pieces.

Do we need to remember all the innovations introduced by Ressence? From the dial with rotating discs filled up with oil, to the replacing of the traditional winding crown by a special lever on the back, to the creation of the E-Crown, the automated setting technology for mechanical watches? Those who have been reading us for some time know them very well; those who read us recently, will find everything at this link.

AUTOMOBILI AMOS

So, let’s get down to business. What persuaded Mintiens to choose the inspiration for the new Type 5X? The durable link between watches and sportcars. Ordinary stuff, some might think. Not at all, we say, because for a brand like Ressence, which is anything but homologated, this bond has developed through a collaboration with a special guy and a special brand: Eugenio Amos, founder of Automobili Amos.

Entrepreneur, driver and collector, Amos designed, created and presented the Lancia Delta Futurista in 2018. Based on the projects of the Lancia Delta Integrale Gruppo A, dominator of the World Rally Championship between the 80s and 90s, the car was built in 20 units. A revelation for Mintiens, whose collaboration with Amos started in the form of a question, when Eugenio Amos visited the Ressence studio in Antwerp: «Would it be possible to make a genuine driver watch that has a function related to time and cars?».

Today, looking at the Ressence Type 5X Amos, it is clear that the answer to the question is yes. Because the watch is more than a timepiece inspired by a car: it carries its characterizing features, transforming design elements into functional elements, starting with the most immediate ones.

The dark olive green of the dial or the green of the strap – an easy reference to the livery of the Lancia Delta Futurista -, or the second strap made in Alcantara, like the car interiors, are in fact only the most evident winks of Ressence at Delta. The real stroke of genius lies elsewhere. In the bezel, for example.

RESSENCE PUTS THE TURBO ON THE TYPE 5X AMOS

To understand its design and functionality, we must remember that the Lancia Delta Integrale was powered by a turbo engine. Every racer knows that it’s essential to warm up your car and turbos up before racing. Allowing the engine to run sees the oil up to temperature rise to suitable levels before taking off.

The same is true when you finish a drive, you can’t simply switch the engine off immediately. You need to let it cool down. After racing, the turbos are still significantly hotter than your engine oil temperature. If you shut off the engine, the oil no longer flows, and thus pockets of oil heat up to very high temperatures, leaving behind heavier oil that won’t have ideal flow characteristics.

Now, let’s think of a pilot who has to keep the engine under control, but let’s also think of keeping under control the moments of our daily life, from the start of the day to the evening “decompression;” we need the bezel of the Type 5X Amos to set them at their best, thanks to its original markers related to the collaboration with Automobili Amos and to the turbine work.

The bezel is divided into two distinct parts. The first one is dedicated to the warmup of the engine (15min) – the S stands for Start, D for Drive and R for Race – while the other one is dedicated to the cooling of the Turbos (10 min). Like all rituals in life, from coffee to journaling, this is a distinct process which provides a new framework for drivers to prepare and decompress from races – on the track and in life. A stroke of genius that follows the mission that Ressence has committed itself to: being more conscious of the passage of time.

LEVATI

The other features of the Ressence Type 5X Amos are typical of the Type 5, the first mechanical diving watch to be perfectly readable underwater regardless of the viewing angle: 46 mm grade 5 titanium case, domed sapphire crystal, patented ROCS 5 caliber.

In addition, the touches of yellow and red on the dial and counters recall some of the colors of the Lancia Delta Futurista’s dashboard, while on the hour disc, at 10, stands a dedicated symbol created by the brand for the collection, that is the fusion of an X, or ten in Latin, and an hourglass, which subtly recalls Ressence’s decade.

Is that all? No, because the Type 5X Amos has another gem that Ressence defines as “playful”. On the steering wheel of the Delta, which does not have a light switch, Amos has inserted the buttons for the turn indicators and a special button called “Levati” (literally, “get out of my way”), useful for blinking at those in front of you and inviting them elegantly to get out of your way. While the Type 5X Amos is already highly legible from low angles thanks to the oil, the Levati rubber accessory adds a new dimension of function, enabling the driver to wear his watch on the side of his wrist. A perfect fit while driving.

In short, as the brand reminds, “built on the expertise of yesterday, crafted with today’s technology, Ressence watches are designed for tomorrow“. The Type 5X Amos is not just the perfect racing co-pilot, but a reminder that your time at the wheel is precious. Maybe without giving up a pinch of playfulness and lightness. (Price € 34.200)

By Davide Passoni