The Ressence TYPE 1° Round Is All About Essential Shapes

Belgium-based indie watchmaker Ressence has always been a brand apart, whether for its minimalistic, almost industrial approach to design, its display that looks like nothing else on the market, or certain functions that you would usually not expect in a high-end mechanical watch. Among all of the brand’s creations, one stands apart for its longevity, being the direct descendant of the very first collection presented in 2010. Refined on multiple occasions, and available in various designs, it’s time for the most classic of the Ressence Type 1 models to be revamped, with the new, essential Round version. 

The Type 1 is basically the backbone of the collection. It’s the watch that once defined the entire concept of Ressence, with its display using a module named Ressence Orbital Convex System, using a series of gears and discs to display the time (hours, minutes, seconds) on rotating discs, all on the same level on a domed dial. This idea first came to completion with the 2010 Zero Series, a watch that still had a crown back then… But nevertheless, most of the signature design elements were there already. The Type 1 will follow a couple of years later, as a slightly refined take on the original concept. And then, we’ve seen gradual evolutions, first by removing the crown, then by changing the case design. First came the Type 1 Square, and then the Type 1 Slim.

Now Benoît Mintiens, Founder of Ressence, comes back to the most classic model, with a new take on the Type 1 that’s all about the essential. Dubbed Ressence TYPE 1° Round, this is nothing more than a modernized take on the brand’s signature watch, slightly redesigned to remain coherent with other creations currently available. It perpetuates Ressence’s minimalistic incarnation of time with ergonomic design, sleek shapes with a certain tactile sensation, and a slightly redefined dial. In this context, it’s all about evolution rather than revolution.

This new Ressence TYPE 1° Round reaffirms “the beauty of simple essential and sensual shapes.” A bit more curves, a bit more sleekness and a new sapphire crystal and case seamlessly merged in a simple minimalistic and pure radius. The grade 5 titanium case measures 42.7mm in diameter (which feels, as always, much smaller on the wrist) with a compact 11mm height. Fully polished, it retains the signature wired lugs of the collection and adds a bit of the emblematic pebble design of the Type 3 collection.

Some work has been done to the dial too, but not so much about the emblematic display (I mean, why would you want to touch it anyway…) Available in a classic black edition too, it’s mostly the circular brushed blue model that is there to catch the attention. The discs have now a sunray-brushed surface, adding depth to the whole assembly, while the dial has been graphically simplified with indexes every 10 minutes and a weekday dial that subtly unites the 2 non-working days of the week with a touch of colour. Also, the seconds and weekdays hands are larger for improved reading.

What remains true is the mechanics behind the display of the TYPE 1° Round, with the ROCS 1.3 module driven by the minute axle of a customised ETA 2892 base calibre. Through a series of 27 gears, the discs are rotating on a single, slightly convex plan to indicate the hours, minutes, seconds and weekdays. All operations, time-setting or winding, are done through the caseback with a rotating motion – and when setting the time, the timepiece is simultaneously being wound.

The Ressence TYPE 1° Round will be available worldwide in two finishes – Black and Night Blue – from June 2023 as part of the permanent collection, and priced at CHF 16,800 (excl. taxes). For more details, please visit ressencewatches.com.