If you’ve never heard of Ressence then you clearly haven’t been following our fictional European Championships of Watchmaking, where they put in a strong challenge to win the tournament. However, where we ranked them in an imaginary competition is far less important than the fact they’re the best thing to come out of Belgium since chocolate. And now they’re branching out into new colours with the Ressence Type 1 Slim RED.
While Ressence watches are innately eye-catching, it’s previously been all about the watchmaking and their unique, carousel layout. The range is full of dark blues, greys and blacks, pared back and restrained without the need for bright, garish colours. Just because it’s not needed though doesn’t mean it’s not welcome.
Enter the colour red. It’s a very simple change, the introduction of a red dial and strap to the Type 1 Slim, which has been around since 2019, but the result is a completely fresh look and feel. This is no burgundy or mauve, it’s a bright, brilliant crimson that can’t fail to draw attention. The legibility, which is a core principle of the brand, is maintained by white and light grey indices and markings.
The story behind the addition of red to Ressence’s palette is an interesting one. A 1-of-1 Ressence Type 3, called ‘MC’, in the same shade of red was produced in 2020 for Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The watch was created as part of a drive to increase environmental awareness and sustainable development.
Other than the colour, this is exactly the same as every other Type 1 Slim. It has the same Orbital Convex System (ROCS) which is their version of a carousel function, a 42mm case in titanium and a height of 11mm – hence Type 1 Slim. It is driven by the modified calibre 2892, an automatic ETA movement and understandably the complexity of ROCS has sacrificed some of the power reserve, which now sits at 36-hours.
This is a pretty simple update and hopefully it means we can look forward to many more colourful Ressences to come. Who knows, maybe they’ll end up as wacky as the most famous carousel watch around, the Ulysse Nardin Freak. The Type 1 Slim RED is priced at CHF16,800 (approx. £13,200) and will only be available for a limited run until the end of 2021.
Price & Specs:
Model: Ressence Type 1 Slim RED
Case/Dial: 42mm diameter x 11mm height, grade 5 titanium, Convex german silver red dial
Movement: Patented ROCS 1 – Ressence Orbital Convex System (driven by the minute axle of a specially customised 2892/A calibre), automatic, 40 jewels, 212 parts
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power Reserve: 36h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, weekdays
Strap: Red rubber
Price/Availability: CHF 16,800 (approx. £13,200), with a limited production in 2021
More details at Ressence.
