The Ressence Type 1° Round Night Blue Joins their Shapely Collection

In classic fashion you wait all year for a new Ressence and two come along all at once. Last week saw the launch of the Type 8 Sage and now they’ve announced the new Type 1° Round Night Blue. It’s the latest version of their classic Type 1 with a redesigned case and updated display.

As the name suggests, the Type 1° Round has a round case, specifically it’s an actual circle. While that wouldn’t be remarkable for many watches, all the previous editions of the Type 1 have either been tonneau or cushion shaped. It invites you to reconsider the traditional wristwatch shape and examine it in new light.

The endless symmetry is gorgeous and it suits any occasion and outfit far easier than a more disruptive design. Plus, it leans into Ressence’s unique niche of rotating displays, highlighting the circular motion of the hour, minute, seconds and days indicators as they waltz around the dial. In terms of structure, the circular case is made from titanium and measures 42.7mm in diameter.

Aesthetically the Type 1° Round has also matured. The understated elegance of the round case is matched by a less cluttered, minimalist display, which is most apparent in the fact that instead of a minute scale with 5-minute intervals, it has 10-minute intervals. As for the finishing, it maintains the circular brushing of previous models but given the new rich blue colour, called Night Blue, it appears glossier and more elegant.

Housed inside is the ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) 1.3 automatic calibre. It’s based on a modified 2892 movement that uses the minute axle to drive the rotating display function. Unsurprisingly, the additional motion requires a greater degree of power, reducing the overall power reserve to 36-hours. Although that can be supported by manual winding via the rotating caseback that also serves to set the time.

Despite the changes to the case and display, the Ressence Type 1° Round Night Blue has the same pricing as the tonneau Type 1 Slim at CHF 16,800 (approx. £14,800). That’s not exactly what you’d describe as accessible, but between the innovative ROCS movement and mature, minimalist design it just about justifies itself.