Few watch brands can claim truly to be doing their own thing. It’s hard to make a watch that doesn’t look like anything that came before, that has a new way of functioning. That’s what Ressence has done, though. Along with other brands like Urwerk and (recently revived) HYT, Ressence has created a collection of timepieces that are unique. We’ve covered many of their releases in the past, and even spoke with founder Benoît Mintiens for a quick interview way back in 2011. The brand has come a long way since that interview, and it just released a pared down interpretation of its trademark satellite display, the Type 8.
Despite the moniker, the Type 8 is the sixth distinct model from the brand, and drills down even more on the brand’s imperative to make legibility the driving force of their design. Gone are the running seconds, temperature gauge, weekday hand, and other indicators seen on other models. The Type 8 is Ressence’s attempt at a dress watch: the hour displayed by the rotating subdial, the minute by the long hand tracing the periphery, and nothing else.
The 42.9mm watch is made of grade 5 titanium, and the entire package weighs just 42 grams. Given the massive dial and relatively thin bezel, the Type 8 will undoubtedly wear every bit of its dimensions, if not larger, but will feel like it’s barely there. And looking down at the wrist will be a treat: the matte blue dial seems to be rich and the white hands and indices will ensure easy time-telling, even at night, as it’s all lumed up.
Like all Ressence watches, the Type 8’s ROCS 8 movement (which uses the framework of an ETA 2892-2) is wound and set by rotating the caseback, making it workable regardless of handedness. This novel winding/setting system keeps the silhouette clean and reminds me a bit of the old Bulova Accutrons, which featured a flip-up tab for setting the time. Fortunately, the Ressence doesn’t require a sizeable fingernail to get going.
I think this watch is a natural progression for the brand. It’s delivered plenty of variations on its satellite display, including a dive watch and a partially skeletonized dial, but there’s always been a sense of sporty futurism to the models. With the Type 8, Ressence keeps the futurism and reduces the display to the essentials, offering fans of the brand a more elegant option. The Ressence Type 8 is available now from authorized retailers and will run CHF 12,500. You can visit the Ressence for more information.