Review: Ressence Type 1
Imagine if evolution could be sped up—what would we see? Prime genes carried through generations before our eyes, the enhancement of species flashing by at a colossal rate. To understand evolution is to be impressed; to actually see it in action would be mind-blowing.
I expect the experience would be something like the history to date of Ressence. It was only five years ago that Ressence was founded; four since the first watch was seen. The Type 1001 was a game-changer, a concept that made people sit up and take notice. ‘There’s no such thing as an original idea’—try telling that to Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens.
If his Type 1001 had seen no progress since 2009 to now, save for the introduction of a few new colour schemes, that would be forgivable, expected even. But that’s not good enough for Benoît, who didn’t give us one new feature, or even two—three have sprung from the man’s brain and made into production.
The Type 3 is the platform for those ideas: it has a magnetic rotating caseback for crown-less adjustment; an oil-filled dial, which further distinguishes the pebbly design; and a date ring that runs around the outer edge of the bulbous crystal, out of the way of the rest of the dial. That’s evolution in overdrive, progress to the power of a thousand. We were still reeling over the Type 1001 when the Type 3 was announced, knocking us clean off our feet.
But evolution isn’t all about the new, right? It’s about the finessing of the existing, too, so the Type 1001 lost the ‘001’, lost some bulk and lost its crown to become the Type 1. If there was one criticism of the Type 1001, it was its thickness (which wasn’t exactly overbearing to begin with), and the more slender case and absent crown do wonders to increase the slick feel of the updated Type 1.
The missing crown has been replaced with a concept inherited from the Type 3: the rotating caseback. With only time to contend with, the caseback simply turns one way or the other without the complex magnetic mechanism of the Type 3, and that’s all it needs. Turn it one way and time moves backwards with the winding of the watch. Turn it the other, and time marches forwards again. Benoît’s industrial design background shines through with touches like that.
The result is a watch so complete it’s hard to believe a group like Swatch or Richemont could achieve the same result in five years, let alone one man on his own. It’s a watch that has heads shaking in disbelief, smiles spreading with childlike delight—ours included. I asked Benoît if there was going to be a Type 2: ‘You’ll see,’ he said with a wry grin. We will, and with the electric pace that Ressence seems to evolve at, it won’t be long until we do.
Watch Spec | Ressence Type 1
Case: Stainless steel Dimensions: 42mm dia, 13m thick Crystal: Anti-reflective coated synthetic sapphire Movement: Based on ETA 2824, automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Power Reserve: 38 hours Strap: Fabric Functions: Time, day
