You just heard the click. Time to hurry. Pour water in the tank. Drop the collodion plate in. Wait a few seconds. Anticipation fills the room. The air is thick with the scent of chemicals. And here it comes — the moment of truth. The first photo of the new Ressence TYPE 3 BB2 is revealed to you.
To launch our new oil-filled watch, we chose the art of wet collodion photography, a mid-19th century monochrome technique known for its sharpness and distinctive aesthetics. This result is a portrait as striking and unique as the watch itself. An ancient photographic process to immortalise the future of watchmaking.
Meet the TYPE 3 BB2, awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ distinction in the Red Dot Design Award 2024 – think of it as the Oscars for product design.
This black edition further accentuates the hyper-minimal look of the TYPE 3, as the combination of oil and dark hue makes the thin space between the discs invisible. Whenever the dial gets in motion, wonder occurs.
“An almost pitch-black TYPE 3 edition truly showcases the magic of our flush rotating discs, acting like a mechanical screen, tricking the viewer’s senses and provoking wonder.” says Benoît Mintiens, Founder of Ressence.
The TYPE 3 Black Black 2 complements the TYPE 3 Black, White and Eucalyptus Green.
It is available worldwide immediately, via Ressence’s official retailer network.
Strong graphic appeal
With its distinctive edge-to-edge, front and back, sapphire crystal, evoking a sleek dark pebble, this new addition holds a bold and captivating design.
Drawing on the limited 2022 TYPE 3 BBB’s reduced colour palette, the TYPE 3 Black Black 2 features mostly white and light grey inscriptions on its dial, accented by touches of primary colour tones on weekends and oil temperature indications.
The TYPE 3 BB2 also presents a matt black DLC-coated titanium case, departing from its exclusive predecessor and creating subtle contrast against the glossy sapphire.
Augmented readability
When launched in 2013, the TYPE 3 took the watch industry by surprise as the first ever oil-filled mechanical watch. The TYPE 3 cancels out the distortion caused by the refraction of light, ensuring exceptional readability from any angle. To achieve this result, the upper chamber has been flooded with 3.57 ml of oil, creating a magnified projection effect that gives the illusion of information displayed directly on the glass.
The TYPE 3 also remains easy to read, regardless of the lighting conditions, thanks to the filling of engraved indications with Grade A Super-LumiNova®.
Bellows system
While the oil provides high legibility, it is also sensitive to temperature variations. To compensate for the oil’s expansion or contraction under varying thermal conditions, Ressence has developed a Bellows System. It is a self-equilibrating pressure-balance system that maintains an even pressure and prevents any negative impact on performance. This Bellows System is graphically represented by a temperature gauge on the dial, adding a unique visual element to both the TYPE 3 and the TYPE 5.
Rooted in design culture
Ressence embraces a ‘Less is More’ approach, crafting meaningful mechanical watches where every design choice serves a function. Designed to be worn and enjoyed, these watches are becoming an integral part of the wearer’s journey.
Ressence TYPE 3 BB2 Technical Specifications
NAME: TYPE 3 BB2 (Black Black 2) – CHF38,200 (excluding taxes)
Functions
- Hours
- Minutes
- Day
- Date
- Oil Temperature
Movement
- Patented ROCS 3.5 – Ressence Orbital Convex System – module driven by the
- minute axle of a customised 2824/2 base calibre
- Caseback winding and day/date/time setting
- Magnetic transmission
- Compensating Bellows System
- Self-winding
- 36 hours power reserve
- 28,800 vibrations per hour
- 47 jewels
- 44 gears
- 4 ball bearings
Dial
- Convex grade 5 titanium discs (125mm radius) with four eccentric biaxial satellites inclined at 3°
- (hours), 4,75° (oil temperature and days of the week) and 6,25° (runner)
- Engraved indications filled with green Grade A Super-LumiNova®
Case
- Grade 5 titanium with black matt DLC coating
- Two separate sealed chambers with upper half filled with 3.57 ml of oil
- Double-domed sapphire crystal top and bottom with anti-reflective coating inside
- 44 mm (diameter) x 15mm (thickness)
- 1 ATM splash-resistance
Buckle & Strap
- Titanium ardillon buckle
- Black Honeycomb strap(22/22mm)
Components
- 387 components / 79 grams
ABOUT RESSENCE
Founded by industrial designer Benoît Mintiens in 2010, Ressence is redefining the essence of contemporary watchmaking. From the start, we have taken on a “Less is More” approach, stripping away unnecessary attributes that traditional watches have clung to for decades.
Combining Swiss-made calibres with our own innovations, we reimagine the interaction between mechanical watches and their owners. Our minimalistic designs aim to awaken the senses and provoke wonder, making our watches daily companions for today’s and future generations.
It all began with the Zero Series, featuring a revolutionary dial design where time is represented on flush two-dimensional rotating discs. Gone are the traditional hands. Time reads like words on paper. This hallmark of simplicity continued with the TYPE 1, which got rid of the crown, resulting a truly ambidextrous watch. The TYPE 3 pushed boundaries further with its oil-filled dial, eliminating refraction and enhancing legibility. This watch earned us the 2013 Horological Revelation Award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The TYPE 2 introduced the world’s first automatic self-setting crown, removing the need for manual adjustments. Our latest, the TYPE 8, stands as the most essential and graphically simplified Ressence, displaying only hours and minutes.