Ressence Brings Some Color to the Type 1

In the big wide world of watches, there is nothing quite like a Ressence. The Belgium-based brand has made its name through futuristic designs that utilize co-planar revolving discs and other dial elements to create a cohesive and interesting time-telling experience. In the brand’s lineup, the Type 1 Round is positioned as the foundation and the most distilled vision of what Ressence stands for. The new Type 1° M, however, reveals a playful side that has not been seen before. Out with the staid black and gray tones for which the brand has been so well known for; it’s time for some color.

The Type 1 Round’s case is, well, round, and measures 42.7mm wide, 47mm lug to lug, and 11mm thick. It is made of Grade 5 Titanium and does away with a traditional crown (more on winding in a moment). The dial is in the classic Ressence regulator style and displays days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Without a number in sight, which is which? On this multi-colored version it’s a little easier to ascertain: the blue chapter ring along the edge of the dial marks the seconds while the green dial tracks the hours. Yellow is for running seconds, and the red segmented ring marks the days of the week with the two outlined sections representing the weekend.

Under the hood, Ressence’s patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS) enables the modules for the hours, minutes, seconds, and days to continuously revolve around one another. The movement is based on a (heavily) modified ETA-2892 and runs off the minute axle. Interaction with the movement takes place from the caseback by turning a handle clockwise or counterclockwise. Both time-setting and winding is done in this fashion. It’s an uncommon mechanism that makes for a fun way to interact with the watch, and if you have yet to see one in action, check out a video, or better yet, get hands on in-person.

But we’re not here to merely talk specs; after all, the Type 1° M is all about its dial. By combining soft primary colors with green for each section of time-telling, Ressence has found a way to harmoniously highlight the design aspects that make their watches unique. It has an energy of its own, and one can’t help but feel lighter and slightly happier simply looking at it. The result is a watch that, if you’ve got the coin, could be your “fun watch” or a daily wearer (though we’d love to see that water resistance beefed up). It will be fun to see how Ressence continues to incorporate more playful designs throughout their lineup through the use of color over time. The Type 1° M will be available starting this winter through the brand’s authorized dealer network for CHF 16,800. Learn more at Ressence.com.