Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Eucalyptus Green Ressence Type 3 EE
A watch said to provide an experience akin to the serene feel of a perfectly polished stone.
Ressence basically threw out the rulebook when it launched its first watch back in 2010, and did it again a couple of times after the inaugural Type 1. Founded by Belgian industrial designer Benoît Mintiens, Ressence seemingly out of nowhere turned the display of time on its head. Instead of traditional hands driven from the centre, everything rotated on satellite-like discs. This unique concept has remained at the very heart of every Ressence that followed but morphed into a whole family of watches using the patented ROCS module in various styles. The brand’s philosophy of “beyond hands” shines through in everything they do, including the latest Type 3 EE in refreshing Eucalyptus Green.
As with anything made by Ressence, nothing is done like in a traditional watch. Sure, the case is made of polished grade 5 titanium but that basically only concerns the baseband and integrated lug section. On top, there is the enclosed sapphire crystal chamber with all elements that make up and drive the dial display (the patented ROCS module) bathing in 35.7ml of oil which renders the display virtually distortion-free. A second sapphire crystal chamber holds the movement, which is hidden from view by the Eucalyptus Green cover. This back crystal is subtly finished with instructions on how to set and wind the movement. The whole package is 44mm in diameter and 15mm in height but looks much smaller thanks to the hugely domed crystals, the short lugs and the lack of a traditional crown.
The unique construction of the case of the Type 3 EE doesn’t lend itself to a traditional flat dial. So, to fill the case as much as possible, the Type 3 EE has a convex dial construction that’s pressed up against the sapphire crystal as closely as possible without causing issues. The outermost ring of the dial, set almost vertically, is reserved for the date with a yellow pointer at 6′ (if seen on a traditional dial’s orientation) on the fixed minute ring.
The eccentric biaxial rotating satellites, the party piece in any Ressence indicate the time with the largest white ‘hand’ for the minutes, the hours on the subdial decorated with the Ressence logo, the small seconds, the temperature of the oil and the movement’s power reserve. All this is now finished in a rather appealing Eucalyptus Green, with the displays being slightly simplified from previous iterations of the Type 3.
Sandwiched between the two highly domed sapphire crystals is a modified ETA 2824-2 automatic, which only transfers energy through the minute axle to the complex 215-piece Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS). The only connection between the ROCS module and the base movement is a magnetic transmission. The movement itself runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and has a running time of 38 hours when fully wound. Despite the fact it has a central rotor, it can also be wound manually by rotating the domed sapphire caseback counter-clockwise. The caseback is also used to set the time, day and date.
The new Ressence Type 3 EE comes on a green-coloured honeycomb leather strap with the brand’s trademark titanium ardillion buckle. As far as we know, contrary to the Type 3 BBB from last year, this one isn’t limited although production volumes are quite low at Ressence. It will be available from early October of this year through Ressence’s official network of retailers for a price of CHF 38,200 before taxes.
For more information, please visit RessenceWatches.com.
