Ressence Type 3: design ed innovazione al polso

When you think that watchmaking is inextricably linked to tradition and you find difficult to design something completely innovative that can completely break with classical stylistic features, here comes Ressencecompletely re-shuffling the cards just like a breath of fresh air. Ressence‘s starting point is a brilliant idea: the ‘deconstruction’ of the traditional watch in order to tell time in the purest possible way. The essence of this conviction is embodied in the motto #BEYONDHANDS: the expression of a concept that is as simple as it is essential, and is embodied in the replacement of conventional hands with rotating discs that can offer an intuitive reading of time.

BENOÎT MINTIENS: A CREATIVE MIND

Benoît Mintiens, founder and director of Ressence, shares a distinctive characteristic with other creators working for independent maisons: an unconventional background that allows him to have a fresh and contemporary approach to the world of watchmaking. Indeed, Benoît Mintiens is not originally trained as a watchmaker but as an industrial designer. After graduating in 1998, Benoît started working in Antwerp as a consultant for several companies. At this time, Benoît‘s work was focused on high-speed trains, aircraft interiors, suitcases, and medical devices: this allowed him to gain cross-disciplinary skills and a unique perspective on the role of design within everyone’s life.

In 2010, building on his professional experience and an MBA from 2003, Benoît founded Ressence and presented three functional prototypes at Basel World. What stands out right from the start is the dial’s innovative design characterized by two-dimensional flush rotating discs: exactly at this moment the foundations of the brand’s distinctive DNA are laid! Indeed, Benoît is unhappy with the fact that the watch of his dreams doesn’t exist: he therefore decides to merge his idea of design (in which ergonomics and engineering coexist) with mechanical watchmaking.

Starting with the Zero Series, a limited edition of 50 pieces launched in 2011, Ressence has proven to be a distinctive novelty in the industry. Ressence’s essence is well embodied by its logo: a hand stretching out to merge complicitly with the wearer of the timepiece and, at the same time, a nod to its hometown, the historic port of Antwerp. The watches are in fact designed in Antwerp (in Belgium) while they are produced and assembled in Fleurier (in Switzerland). The question supporting each creation is an effort to understand what people really need: the answer stands in functionality, the starting point for ideation, innovation and creation. These aspects are embodied in one of the most iconic creations: the TYPE 3.

RESSENCE TYPE 3: UNIQUE BALANCE

Shibui is the term that Japanese people use to refer to objects that are apparently simple but in fact hide an extraordinary complexity. And it is precisely the search for this balance, skilfully achieved by Ressence and immediately perceptible as soon as one observes it, that led to the creation of the TYPE 3.

Made up of 376 components assembled with careful craftsmanship, the TYPE 3 skilfully embodies pure minimalism and quiet elegance. Harmony and symmetry stand out thanks to the elimination of a component found on all traditional watches: the winding crown. The absence of that element – which has become distinctive over the centuries – makes, among other things, each model wearable indistinctly on the right or left wrist. Just think that it was in 1842 that Adrien Philippe introduced a crucial invention in the world of watchmaking, a system that allowed watches to be set by a crown instead of a key. It took 176 years and a forward-thinking maison like Ressence to challenge the status quo and to come up with not only a design but, more importantly, a system that allowed all watch functions to be adjusted without the use of a crown.

Managing the time and every setting, as well as winding the movement, is now possible thanks to a clockwise-anticlockwise rotation system located at the back of the watch. But that’s not all, Ressence has gone one step further. In fact, the traditional movement that drives each watch is replaced by an in-house system – researched and designed by the maison – called Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS). It’s a three-dimensional module made up of curved discs rotating to form the dial, thus creating a continuous movement that ensures easy time reading in any situation.

The TYPE 3 is animated by the ROCS 3 module which allows the reading of: hours, minutes, day of the week and oil temperature. The latter is perhaps the most curious and innovative feature: the TYPE 3 is in fact fitted with an edge-to-edge sapphire crystal ‘filled’ with 3.75 ml of oil. This combination makes the watch extremely readable from any angle: no refraction and no distortion, which inevitably characterize any traditional timepiece, are present. In addition, a data ‘projection’ effect is guaranteed thanks to a display comparable to a digital screen which creates the illusion of touching the time itself: a wonder for the eyes.

The oil system deserves a special mention. TYPE 3 has two separate sealed chambers: the addition of the viscous substance takes place in the upper chamber of the watch (dial side) ensuring not only unprecedented crystal-clear readability but also an important improvement from a technical point of view – considering that it provides constant lubrication to the ROCS 3 parts, which thus enjoy low friction. 

The lower chamber, filled with air instead, contains the calibre’s basis. The two chambers are physically separate but communicate through a unique transmission: micro-magnets are present to transmit information from the lower to the upper chamber. Since the oil is affected by temperature variations, consequently varying its volume inside the case, a self-balancing bellows system compensates the liquid’s expansions and contractions.

There is also an ingenious hydraulic system (visible directly on the dial on some Type 3 models) that makes it possible to absorb potential shocks suffered by the watch by avoiding the decoupling of the magnetic drive.

Among the models currently in the catalog, the TYPE 3 Eucalyptus (introduced in August 2023) certainly deserves a special mention: a distinctive colour (eucalyptus green) that gives the model an unconventional feel, evocative of luxurious forests and outdoor life.

As stated by Benoît himself, ‘It wouldn’t be Ressence’s year of colour without introducing a new shade to the TYPE 3 core range. This new Eucalyptus Green TYPE 3 is truly reminiscent of a precious mineral. Holding and wearing a Ressence has never been more akin to experiencing the serene feel of a polished stone’s smooth surface’.

Exactly one year later (on August 29, 2024) Ressence launched the Type 3 BB2 (Black Black 2), awarded ‘Best of the Best’ at the Red Dot Design Award 2024, the Oscars of design. This pitch-black edition further accentuates the hyper-minimal look of the TYPE 3 by showcasing the rotating discs’ magic.

A few days ago, Ressence also revamped the two most iconic versions of the TYPE 3: the white and black editions. The former has been redesigned to offer an even more intuitive reading by making the time on the dial seem like words on paper. The black edition, on the other hand, elevates its graphic expression, making the experience on the wrist even more minimal and dematerialized, giving the viewer the illusion of being in front of a screen.

The iconic nature of the TYPE 3 has led it to receive several awards since its beginnings: it is a model that marked a clean break with the past by introducing unique innovative elements. In 2013, when it was launched, the TYPE 3 took the watch industry by surprise as the first mechanical watch to feature oil inside the dial: this innovation allowed it to receive the ‘Watchmaking Revelation’ award from the prestigious GPHG (i.e., the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) that same year.

Ressence perfectly embodies the ‘Less is more’ concept. And this is precisely the brand’s philosophy, a continuous quest to eliminate all attributes of traditional watches deemed ‘superfluous’, redefining the essence of a 21st century timepiece.

Beyond the technical aspects, we was able to better understand the unicity and innovative vision of these timepieces thanks also to the delightful conversation We had a few days ago with Benoît in person as the Milan Watch Week (the first edition of a unique event that all independent watch enthusiasts cannot miss) just ended: Benoît told us about each single detail of the TYPE 3 while conveying a unique passion and enthusiasm. And this is one of the unique characteristics of independent watchmakers, detached from the big groups’ dynamics: the possibility to engage directly with them and share ideas!

There are not only TYPE 3s in Ressence’s collection – it is completed by more models (TYPE 1², TYPE 1², TYPE 2, TYPE 5 and TYPE 8), each with distinctive innovative elements. 

The TYPE 3 has a retail price of € 41,000 + TAX and is currently available in four versions: TYPE 3B (Black), TYPE 3 BB2 (Black Black 2), TYPE 3 White and TYPE 3 Eucalyptus.

By Alberto Moroso