Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Meet the TYPE 10 DN, Ressence’s First Oil-Filled Watch with the Proprietary Movement
Nicknamed the Dark Knight, the TYPE 10 is sharper and powers the oil-filled module with its own mechanics.
A few months ago, at Watches and Wonders, Ressence introduced a watch to be seen as a pivotal moment for the brand. It was potentially the most important launch for the independent watchmaker since its creation. Dubbed the TYPE 11, this watch remained very Ressence at first sight… Evolutionary more than radically novel. That was until you looked inside, as it introduced the calibre RW-01, an unprecedented proprietary movement developed to drive the ROCS display module reliably and efficiently. Now, this base engine is about to be paired with what’s undoubtedly the most singular feature of Ressence, the oil-filled display and magnetic transmission. And what comes after TYPE 11…? Well, it’s the Ressence TYPE 10 DN.
Meet Ressence’s first oil-filled watch powered by its own movement, the Dark Knight or TYPE 10 DN. A watch that was potentially planned before the TYPE 11 but, being far more complex than its air-filled predecessor due to its two-chamber architecture, has been presented afterwards. Who knows? And who really cares? What matters is that we have a new generation of oil-filled Ressence, following the TYPE 3, TYPE 5 and TYPE 7, which is replacing the power-short ETA base movement with Ressence’s self-developed calibre.
Let’s start with the design, which marks an undeniable evolution compared to previous models of the brand. Most Ressence watches were sleek, minimalistic and soft. Curved, smooth pebbles that were rather organic. The Ressence TYPE 10 is not just a new mechanical generation of watch; it’s a new generation of design language too. Its form draws on the same principles of seamlessness and hydrodynamics, where flowing surfaces meet precise edges. As the brand puts it, “the case continues into the strap; the sapphire follows the form of the case; the dial appears to rise towards its surface.” A sharp, edgier shape delivering one continuous object. Almost monolithic.
The case, dial and integrated rubber strap share the same “Dark Knight” deep blue tone. The case measures 41.5mm in diameter and is made, for most parts, of polished grade 5 titanium with DLC coating, while the domed sapphire blends into the shape of the case thanks to the oil-filled dial – oil visually brings the dial towards the upper surface of the crystal. Another double-domed sapphire crystal sits on the back, and the watch is framed by a bezel that provides contrast. It is made from 24 individual titanium segments, with a radially brushed surface on larger elements and sandblasted inserts filled with luminous paint. The Ressence Compression Lock System provides 50m of water resistance.
The display of the TYPE 10 consists of elements that we’ve already seen in the TYPE 7, meaning a central, convex titanium disc for the minutes (the main driving element) and a series of three eccentric biaxial satellites inclined at 9.75 degrees and 17 degrees, each displaying the hours, a second time zone, a running indicator (rotating on 120 seconds and doubling as a shock absorber) and an oil temperature indication by colour (inside the hour satellite). And being a watch from the oil-filled series, the liquid brings incredible depth to the display, with no visible gaps between the dial and crystal, as well as between the discs.
While visually sleek, the Ressence TYPE 10 is nothing simple mechanically. It contains 538 components, including 196 in the oil-filled ROCS 10 module. TYPE 10 has 49 gears, 47 jewels and eight ball bearings. 252 other components are used for the RW-04 self-winding calibre, an evolution of the proprietary RW-01 found in the Type 11, a movement designed by Ressence and produced with Concepto. As with all oil-filled Ressence watches, the mechanics are based on two separate, hermetically sealed chambers. Half air-filled (base movement), half oil-filled (the ROCS module).
The RW-04 movement drives the minute disc fitted with micro- magnets on the air side. A second, similar disc mirrors it in the oil, bringing motion to the ROCS module without a mechanical connection. The two sets of magnets sit just 0.2 mm apart, separated by a 0.1 mm titanium membrane. And since oil expands and contracts with temperature change, an expansion chamber absorbs these changes in volume, preventing gas bubbles from forming as the oil cools. Temperature can be checked on the dial, and it turns green under normal conditions (around 25 degrees Celsius, +/- 10 degrees).
The base movement, with automatic winding, can also be hand-wound and is adjusted through the caseback. Compared to previous ETA-based engines, this custom development allows for more efficiency, and thanks to its double-barrel architecture, it can now store up to 60 hours of power reserve, even with the complex module and the oil from the upper chamber.
Worn on a blue rubber strap, the Ressence TYPE 10 DN is released as a limited edition of 100 pieces, priced at CHF 45,000 excluding taxes. For more details, please visit ressencewatches.com.
