Before the unveiling of Type 3, nobody was paying much attention to Belgian watchmaker Ressence.
The company, created by industrial designer Benoît Mintiens in 2010, was into its third year when it unveiled its first oil-filled mechanical timepiece that wowed the judges of the 2013 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève where it won the Horological Revelation” award.
Ressence’s Type 1 and Type 2 collections may have set the direction for the signature dial designs of its watches, but it was the Type 3’s more liquid iteration that brought the company to global prominence.
More than a decade on from that break-through year, Ressence continues to issue new versions of the Type 3.
Every new piece retains key elements of design and engineering. The wide-open face makes it beautifully simple to read with circles within circles displaying hours, minutes, seconds, date, days of the week, AM/PM and even the temperature of the watch’s oil.
Over the years, various new colour combinations have been rolled-out including black, white and eucalyptus green.
This year has seen the launch of the Type 3 BB2 in titanium, which won the Best of Best prize at the 2024 Red Dot Design Awards in part because of updated fonts on the dial and the way its oil creates a projection effect that gives the illusion of information displayed directly on the glass.
The BB2 comes in black or white, priced at CHF 38,200+tax.
As with all great design, the complexities of Ressence’s watches are almost entirely concealed within their smooth, pebble-like, styling.
But, be in no doubt, the Type 3 is an engineering masterclass. Locking a watch’s internal workings in oil would destroy most timekeepers. For Ressence, it was a design-led decision with engineering consequences.
For example, oil is sensitive to temperature variations. To compensate for the oil’s expansion or contraction under varying thermal conditions, every oil-filled Ressence contains the innovative ‘Bellows System’, preventing any negative impact on performance.
This is a self-equalising pressure-balance system that extends or compresses to compensate for changes in the oil’s internal volume, covering all extreme temperature situations the watch might experience.
Oil is vital to the design because the fluid closes the gap between the dial and the crystal, making the circular indicators appear like they are almost within the glass.
The Type 3, in titanium, is light and easy to wear, and free of sharp edges or visual distractions such as a crown because the watch is controlled from its case back.
“The Type 3 is a minimalist watch that strips away unnecessary elements, leaving behind a piece that is pure in form and function. The seamless combination of innovation, design, and craftsmanship makes the Type 3 a timeless companion, blending cutting-edge technology with an elegant, refined aesthetic,” Ressence says.
Designed in Belgium but entirely made in Switzerland, the Type 3 is the ultimate statement of Ressence’s ability to push the boundaries of horology while staying true to its minimalist roots. It is a perfect blend of forward-thinking innovation and timeless design, offering an experience that is as functional as it is visually captivating.