Ressence Type 3 Marc Newson, A Meeting of Two Design Worlds

Ressence is not what one would call a conventional watchmaker, and let’s hope it never will be. Since its founding in 2010, Benoît Mintiens’ Antwerp-based brand has built its catalogue and reputation by rethinking what a mechanical watch should feel like rather than what it should represent. This time, Ressence reaches out beyond its own boundaries as the new Type 3 Marc Newson (Type 3 MN) brings together two influential design minds of the modern era: Mintiens himself and Marc Newson, the Australian-born industrial designer behind some of the most recognisable objects of the past three decades, from furniture and aircraft interiors, the cult Ikepod timepieces of the 1990s, to the Apple Watch. 

This Ressence x Marc Newson collaboration feels like an alignment of philosophies: both designers share a fascination with tactile ergonomics, purity of form, and mechanical expression stripped of excess. Let´s look at the Type 3 MN as it feels inevitable, a watch where form and function are inseparable, which Newson says is “for those who admire coherence – where purity of form, material, and engineering come together.”

At first glance, the new Type 3 MN immediately recalls Newson’s earlier work for Ikepod, the smooth, pebble-like silhouette that defied traditional watchmaking design, yet retains most elements of a classic Type 3. But here, that idea is reimagined through Ressence’s lens of optical and mechanical innovation. The 45mm Grade 5 titanium case is composed of two hermetically sealed chambers, with the upper half filled with 4.15ml of oil, while the lower houses the mechanical base movement. The double-domed sapphire crystal flows into the caseband, erasing the distinction between watch and glass. At 15mm thick and 95 grams in total, it is a continuous form, ergonomic and fluid, truly more an object of design than a case in the classical sense. And there’s undeniable comfort from the new lug-less design, making it wear much shorter than the numbers suggest. 

The dial is where the two worlds truthfully merge. Ressence’s ROCS 3.6 (Ressence Orbital Convex System) replaces traditional hands with rotating, convex titanium discs that orbit in unison. In the Type 3 MN, these discs are made from DLC- and PVD-coated titanium, engraved and filled with Grade A Super-LumiNova in blue and green, and arranged across four eccentric biaxial satellites. The layout displays hours, minutes, running seconds (180s), day, date, and oil temperature, but what attracts is the perception of time, as the entire dial seems to float directly beneath the sapphire, thanks to the oil-filled upper chamber that eliminates refraction.

The colours, chosen by Newson, combine celadon green, grey, black, and yellow accents, a restrained yet vivid composition that recalls his design vocabulary across Ikepod, Apple, and his industrial work. Minimal, domed hands subtly echo the man’s DNA and past creations, while maintaining the fluid legibility that defines Ressence’s aesthetic.

Driving the Type 3 Marc Newson is Ressence’s modular system: a customised automatic ETA 2824 base calibre connected magnetically to the ROCS module above. The two chambers operate independently, one mechanical, one optical and oil-filled, synchronised through magnetic transmission. A compensating bellows system equalises pressure caused by thermal expansion of the oil, while the caseback serves as the winding and setting interface, maintaining the crownless purity of the case. The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations/hour and has a 36-hour power reserve.

Limited to 80 pieces, the Ressence Type 3 Marc Newson will be available from December 4, 2025, through Ressence’s e-shop and select retailers worldwide, priced at CHF 46,000 (excluding taxes). For more details, please visit ressencewatches.com.