Ressence Introduces The Stunning New Type 1° Round
It’s been only a week since Ressence graced us with its new Type 8 in sage green. It’s a unique piece in both its design and choice of color. Seeing that uncommon green shade shows the brand’s individualistic character once more. But if you thought that was it from Ressence, you are mistaken. Today, the brand introduces the new Type 1° Round. It is a new take on the brand’s Type 1 that introduces a great new case design. But it doesn’t stop there. Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens also updated the dial design, making this new Type 1° Round a surprising next step for the brand and the Type 1 collection. Time to find out what makes this such an exciting development for Ressence.
Great design is all about details, especially when you are in the minimalist design universe as Benoît Mintiens is with Ressence. Every little change and every tiny characteristic will stand out to the fans and especially the wearers. This is why you must have great courage to change a winning formula. Last week’s Type 8S was a fantastic example of this. You might think that a change of color is far more than a small detail, and you are right. But picking the proper color, especially for the Type 8’s convex dial, is not as straightforward as it seems. The color must suit the design and make all the elements work on top of creating a great overall visual impact. The result is a stunning piece with a sage-green dial and gray leather strap that totally change the presence of the Type 8 but maintain the integrity of the design.
The idea behind the new Ressence Type 1° Round
Now Mintiens shows once more that he is amazing at pinpointing and perfecting all the elements of his watches. For the new Ressence Type 1° Round, he designed a new case shape and updated the dial design. What we see today is a watch that seems familiar at first glance but reveals plenty of new details when you compare it to the Type 1 Square and Type 1 Slim that came before.
The main attraction is, of course, the new case shape. Mintiens took inspiration from the pebble-like form of the brand’s Type 3 and combined it with the sleek design of the previous Type 1 models. I, for one, love the result because the oil-filled Type 3 in white is probably my favorite watch in the current collection. Now, I say “probably” because it’s never that simple, and I love Type 1 Slim and the Type 8 as well. But overall, the Type 3 is probably the most impressive timepiece the brand makes, and that’s why it is my overall favorite. So, as you can imagine, a combination of the Type 1 and Type 3 seems like a dream to me from the get-go.
The case of the new Type 1° Round
Let’s take a closer look at the new case design. From these images, it seems to be the perfect marriage between the pebble-shaped Type 3 and the slim lines of the Type 1 models. The rounded shapes of the new case are sexy, and from the side, it looks like there are no straight lines anywhere. The wire lugs give the watch a healthy injection of character, and I love their modern rather than old-fashioned look. Usually, we associate wire lugs with watches from way back, but they add modern flair to the new Type 1.
The Grade 5 titanium case measures 42.7mm in diameter, is 11mm thick, and weighs only 64 grams. It comes with a double-domed sapphire crystal and has a water resistance rating of 1 ATM (equivalent to 10 meters if completely static). Essentially, this means the piece is only splash resistant. I would certainly not want to take my Ressence for a swim. A few raindrops are the most I would want to expose it to, and only if absolutely necessary! All jokes aside, the new case shape looks simple at first glance, but if you look closer, you’ll find intricate design elements that make it a great case. For example, the contrasting looks of the sapphire crystal, polished case sides, and brushed case back create a visual feast.
The details of the updated dial design
Mintiens also decided to update the dial, and that’s where it gets even more interesting. Is it possible to tweak the dial of the Type 1 so that it creates even more impact? As it turns out, simplifying things makes the design even more effective. For the minute track on the periphery, Mintiens chose to only use numeric indexes every 10 minutes instead of every five minutes as in previous models. It cleans up the dial perfectly, which seems weird to say about a dial design that was already minimalist.
The Ressence Type 1 Square
I had a chance to wear George Cramer’s stunning Type 1 Square, and once on the wrist, it felt like minimalist perfection. The new design, however, manages to make it even more so. The true magic for me, though, is in the new font type for the Type 1° Round. The new numerals for 1, 3, and especially 4 have a beautiful design. The 4 numeral looks simple, but finding the perfect execution is one element that needs a great eye for detail.
More dial updates…
And as you might have noticed, another design update is the connection between Saturday and Sunday. On the dials of previous models, the two separate weekend days had a contrasting color and/or an outlined execution. For the new Type 1° Round, Saturday and Sunday are outlined in a contrasting orange hue but are connected to form the non-working days. In the last design step, the hands for the weekday and seconds have gotten a slight increase in size for better readability.
But that’s not where the story of the dial ends. The new Type 1° Round will be available in black and Night Blue, two familiar Ressence colors. However, the Night Blue hue was updated to create even more impact. The metallic color of the convex German silver dial features a sunray pattern and looks even more vibrant than previous Night Blue editions, which already looked impressive.
The ROCS 1.3 movement
Technically, the new Type 1 Round is similar to its predecessors. The watch is powered by the ROCS 1.3 (Ressence Orbital Convex System) caliber. This patented display module features a main disc with three sub-dials, or satellites, that are constantly in motion. The three satellites display the hours, seconds, and days of the week. The rotating central portion of the dial with its large white hand indicates the minutes on the engraved peripheral 60-minute track.
The movement is based on an ETA 2892-A2 but is highly modified to create its unique visual display system. This automatic movement features 212 parts, operates at 28,800vph, has 40 jewels, and has a power reserve of 36 hours. The ROCS 1.3 features 27 gears that are created from 107 parts. These gears calculate the seconds, hours, and days. Only the minutes are taken as a reference from the base movement. The slim profile of the watch is achieved by placing the winding and day/time-setting system on the case back, which, in turn, is operated by a lever.
Initial impressions of the new Ressence Type 1° Round
As you can tell, I am a fan of Ressence and of this new Type 1° Round. Not only does the new case design show the incredible power and versatility of the Type 1, but the dial updates make it an even more magnificent release that shines in all its design simplicity. After the already impressive Type 1 Square and Type 1 Slim, this new Type 1 Round is another great step forward for the brand. You can check out the piece in all its glory in Geneva at the Ressence booth at Watches and Wonders from March 27th to April 5th, 2023. The Type 1° Round will be available in black and Night Blue starting in June 2023 for CHF 16,800 (excluding taxes). I am sure plenty of fans would love to see it up close and possibly add it to their collection.
For more information, visit the official Ressence website.
