Ressence Introduces a Limited Edition Type 1 for Dubai Watch Week

Ressence continues to capture our interest and imaginations thanks to their ingenious time telling display, powered by their proprietary Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) module. The platform of circular discs orbiting one another is unlike anything else in watchmaking, and Ressence could probably dine out on this technology alone for years. But as releases like the new Type 1 DX3 prove, they don’t seem content to just make the same watch over and over again. The fact is, the physical characteristics of the ROCS system provide a great canvas for a design team to really go to town, and experiment with aesthetic choices that wouldn’t be possible on a normal watch. 

The new Type 1 DX3 is a limited edition collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons for this year’s Dubai Watch Week. It’s the third and final watch in a series of collaborations between Ressence and the luxury retail group behind the Dubai Watch Week concept, and continues Ressence’s exploration of traditional Arab art. In this execution of the Type 1, the dial is a canvas for Arab geometric art, with a motif in gold and brown hues. The DX3 is a play on popular fumé dials, with darker tones at the perimeter and lighter shades in the center. Of course, like every Ressence, the smaller dials move throughout the course of a day, so the character of this effect changes gradually from moment to moment. Adding further to the dial’s visual complexity, virtually the entire surface is lumed, filled in a cloisonné style that highlights the geometric pattern.

The vessel for this design is the Ressence Type 1 “Round” case in grade 5 titanium, measuring 42.7mm in diameter and 11mm tall. Behind the ROCS module is a modified ETA 2892 base movement providing 36 hours of power reserve. This is, in my opinion, the most interesting example of a brand doing something almost brazen with an off-the-shelf ETA caliber, and anyone who dismisses Ressence for using mass produced movements should note that the ROCS module is quite an engineering accomplishment in and of itself. 

The Type 1 DX3 is a limited edition of just 35 pieces, and carries a retail price of CHF 23,600. Ressence