In the pantheon of contemporary horology, where most brands turn inward for anniversaries: diving deep into heritage, celebrating milestones past, or resurrecting vintage designs. Ressence takes a decidedly different path. For its 15th anniversary, the Antwerp-based independent has published ‘Ahead of Time‘, a thought-provoking tome that looks not backward but forward, profiling 20 visionary creative leaders who are shaping tomorrow’s world.
“The future offers more than the past,” writes Benoît Mintiens, Ressence’s founder, in his introduction to this remarkable 230-page book. It’s a philosophy that has defined not only this anniversary project but the very essence of what Ressence represents in modern watchmaking.
The Genesis of Something Different
The story of Ressence begins in 2010 with Benoît Mintiens, an industrial designer whose background was refreshingly untethered to traditional horological conventions. Before venturing into watchmaking, Mintiens had spent his career designing high-speed trains for SNCF, aircraft interiors for Air France, and even the ubiquitous Frisk mint tin. This eclectic portfolio proved to be the perfect foundation for disrupting an industry steeped in centuries-old traditions.
Mintiens’ journey into horology was born of frustration rather than reverence. During a visit to the Basel watch fair, he found himself profoundly disappointed by what he perceived as a lack of creativity in the industry. “I was so disappointed by the lack of creativity that I decided to start designing watches myself,” he would later recall. With €30,000 in savings, enough for a Porsche 911 from his birth year, he chose instead to invest in what would become one of the most innovative watch brands of the 21st century.
The brand name itself – Ressence, a contraction of “renaissance de l’essentiel” or “renaissance of the essential”, perfectly encapsulated Mintiens’ vision. This wasn’t about honouring tradition; it was about reimagining what a watch could be in the modern era.
Revolutionary Milestones
Ressence‘s inaugural appearance at BaselWorld in 2010 introduced the world to something unprecedented. The brand’s debut collection, featuring the R1 and R2 models, immediately caught the attention of industry insiders with its patented Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) – a revolutionary display mechanism that replaced traditional hands with rotating discs..
The year 2011 proved pivotal when Ressence unveiled its SeriesOne collection. The reaction was immediate and profound: the brand earned second place and special jury recognition at the Super Watch Awards organized by Geneva Time Exhibition. It was clear that Mintiens had “launched a burning match into a fireworks store,” as one observer noted.
But it was 2013 that truly established Ressence as a force to be reckoned with the Type 3 watch, featuring the world’s first oil-filled mechanical dial, earned the prestigious Horological Revelation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This wasn’t merely an aesthetic innovation: the oil-filled chamber eliminated optical distortion and created an almost digital-like reading experience that was both mesmerizing and practical.
The Type 3’s success was followed by continued innovation: the Type 5 diving watch in 2015, which adapted the oil-filled technology for underwater use; the Type 2 in 2019, which introduced the revolutionary e-Crown system blending mechanical precision with modern convenience; and a succession of models that consistently pushed boundaries while maintaining Ressence‘s core philosophy of user-centric design.
The Philosophy Behind the Revolution
What sets Ressence apart isn’t merely its technical innovation – though the ROCS system, with its orbital convex discs that rotate as satellites around each other, represents genuinely groundbreaking horological engineering. Rather, it’s Mintiens’ fundamental reimagining of what a watch should be in the 21st century.
Traditional watchmaking focuses on the mechanics: the movement, the hands, the visible evidence of horological craftsmanship. Mintiens, drawing from his industrial design background, focuses instead on the user experience. “Traditional hands protruding above the dial are the evidence of the mechanics beneath,” he explains. “I choose to focus on the user experience of reading the time rather than the distraction of the mechanics involved“.
This philosophy manifests in Ressence‘s distinctive design language: no protruding crown (time-setting is accomplished through the caseback), no traditional hands, and a completely flush dial surface where all graphical elements exist on a single plane beneath the sapphire crystal. The result is what Mintiens calls “Simplication” – a dedication to innovation, minimalism, and forging human connection in watchmaking.
‘Ahead of Time’: A Celebration of Vision
With ‘Ahead of Time’, Ressence has created something unprecedented in horological anniversary publications. Rather than the typical retrospective chronicling the brand’s history, Mintiens has compiled conversations with 20 visionaries across diverse industries: from OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Apple’s Phil Schiller to architect Daniel Libeskind and Michelin-starred chef Virgilio Martínez.
“This book is not about watchmaking, it’s about mindset,” explains Mintiens. The luminaries featured in the book, including Kering CEO Luca de Meo, Google’s Ivy Ross, and artist Lonneke Gordijn of Studio Drift, share a common thread: they’re all “daring to take risks, to be ahead of time and to build something better“.
The book, created in collaboration with Belgian publisher Luster, represents more than just anniversary marketing. It’s a tangible expression of the values that have driven Ressence since its inception: optimism about the future, belief in the power of innovation, and the conviction that progress matters more than precedent.
A Clear Design Language for Tomorrow
Looking at Ressence‘s fifteen-year journey, what emerges is a brand with remarkable consistency of vision. From the first Series One watches to the latest iterations of the Type collection, every timepiece bears the unmistakable hallmarks of Mintiens’ design philosophy: organic, flowing lines inspired by nature; the complete absence of traditional hands; dial surfaces that appear to float beneath perfectly flush sapphire crystals; and an unwavering focus on legibility and user experience.
The ROCS system itself has evolved through multiple iterations: ROCS 1 through ROCS 7, each tailored to specific watch types while maintaining the core principle of orbital disc movement. Whether it’s the 107-part ROCS 1 system in the Type 1, the oil-bathed 215-part ROCS 3 in the Type 3, or the diving-optimized ROCS 5 in the Type 5, each represents a masterclass in mechanical innovation guided by user-centric design principles.
This consistency has created something rare in modern horology: a genuinely distinctive design language that is immediately recognizable yet constantly evolving. A Ressence watch is unmistakably a Ressence, whether it’s the entry-level Type 1 or the complex Type 3. This coherence speaks to Mintiens’ background in industrial design, where brand identity and user experience are paramount.
The Commitment to Independence
Perhaps most remarkably, Ressence has achieved all of this while remaining stubbornly independent. In an industry increasingly dominated by conglomerates and where acquisition often seems inevitable for successful independents, Ressence continues to chart its own course. This independence isn’t merely financial – it’s philosophical.
“In an industry landscape dominated by status and tradition, Ressence stands apart as a design-led independent company,” the brand states. “Our Swiss-made watches are for modern life, not the museum, and our audience is curious and optimistic, seeking timepieces that spark conversation without pretension“.
This commitment to independence enables the kind of radical innovation that would be difficult to achieve within a larger corporate structure. It allows Ressence to maintain its focus on what Mintiens calls “functional meaning“, creating watches that serve contemporary life rather than merely commemorating horological history.
Fifteen years after its founding, Ressence stands as proof that genuine innovation is still possible in haute horlogerie. By refusing to be bound by convention, by consistently prioritizing user experience over traditional craft displays, and by maintaining an unwavering belief that the future holds more promise than the past, Benoît Mintiens has created not just a watch brand but a new paradigm for what luxury timekeeping can be in the 21st century.
With ‘Ahead of Time’, Ressence demonstrates that its commitment to forward-thinking extends beyond product development to encompass a broader philosophy of optimism and innovation. In a world often obsessed with heritage and history, Ressence reminds us that the most exciting developments lie not behind us, but ahead of us. It’s this vision: clear, uncompromising, and refreshingly original – that makes Ressence one of the most important voices in contemporary horology, and ‘Ahead of Time’ the perfect celebration of a brand that has always believed the best is yet to come.
Happy Birthday Ressence! Congratulations Benoît!
