Ressence: Look Disc Way

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Ressence Type 3 mechanical wristwatch by Benoît Mintiens. Photo: © Ressence

Ressence Type 3 mechanical wristwatch by Benoît Mintiens. Photo: © Ressence

It was excitement at first sight with the Ressence Type 3 mechanical watch. Its smooth curves were one thing but what made it an emotional and attractive piece was its kitchen timer look.

Moreover, what captivates is the very inviting thought that perhaps you can actually adjust the settings by simply touching the dial. But that is not to be; it only appears so because of what the brand claims as the “world’s first world fluid-filled refraction-free display” on its Type 3 mechanical wristwatch.

“The orbiting indications are bathed in a fluid that refracts light like air so the indications appear to be displayed directly onto the sapphire crystal, closer to the eye of the beholder.

“The high contrast white indicators against the black dial appear to be projected onto the top crystal as if onto a screen,” according to Ressence. The result? “Type 3 offers a tangible feeling of being able to touch time itself.”

We agree. But how does it tell time given the somewhat complicated look? This is where its true beauty emerges.

The time-telling features of the Ressence Type 3 are not as complicated as it looks. It only provides the hour, minute, seconds, day and date displays on the “regulator”-type dial.

The Type 3 mechanical watch provides highly legible time-reading of the hour, minute, seconds, day and date. Photo: © Ressence

The Type 3 mechanical watch provides highly legible time-reading of the hour, minute, seconds, day and date. Photo: © Ressence

Moreover, this timepiece, as highlighted by the brand does not have any hands. The “hands” seen are actually imprinted on the dial, well, rotating discs to be more precise. Do note too, that the entire dial revolves as well.

The longest pointer is for indicating the minutes, the shorter one for the hour and the sub-dial with the 1 to 6 numerals is for the continuous sweep seconds. The sub-dial with the orange pointer is for the days of the week where the two “empty pill-like” indexes represent the weekends, namely Saturday and Sunday.

The hand display on the hour disc which takes over the “responsibility” of the numeral 12 is actually the symbol of the brand. Is it not ironic that a “hand” logo is used for a watch with no hands?

Not really, as the brand notes that the hand is “a universal symbol of humanism”. More importantly, the hand “is also the icon of the harbour city of Antwerp in Belgium”. This is where the brand, founded by industrial designer Benoît Mintiens, is based.

The date, by the way, is referenced by using the orange triangle and where it points to.

The use of orange is a nice touch and something we very much enjoy as mentioned earlier in: “The power of the colour orange.”

It is therefore no wonder why it easy for us to enjoy the look of this watch which is a much improved version of their Series One. Somehow, there is this constant itch to touch the watch and the cure it seems, won’t come cheap because from what we understand, the Type 3 is priced at around 25,000 euros.

Freak Out!

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Ulysse Nardin Freak – THG Limited Edition. Limited to 20 pieces. Note the term “Freak” on the lock-down plate. Photo: © TANG Portfolio

Ulysse Nardin Freak – THG Limited Edition. Limited to 20 pieces. Note the term “Freak” on the lock-down plate. Photo: © TANG Portfolio

When it was first launched at the annual Basel watch fair in 2001, the most obvious branding on the “Freak” was the Ulysse Nardin name.

This changed somewhat when the locking device or what is termed the “lock-down plate” which secures the rotatable bezel for setting the time was added on as a security feature.

Initially, this plate had “21,600 V/h” inscribed to indicate its frequency. When the frequency was subsequently increased, the plate was updated to “28,800 V/h” to highlight the faster beat. With variations of the Freak being introduced, the lock-down plate was then used to identify them. These included the “Blue Phantom” and the “Diavolo” models which have their names inscribed on the lock-down plate.

However, the word “Freak” never had its name on the dial, let alone any part of the watch. Perhaps it was not even necessary given that the Freak is a highly identifiable watch, especially with what the brand terms the “carroussel tourbillon” being the key feature.

After more than 10 years, its “naming birthright” is finally out in the open, with the word “Freak” now clearly inscribed on the lock-down plate. It is the time to “freak out” literally.

This particular piece is the Freak THG Limited Edition. Limited to only 20 pieces, this THG Limited Edition is a new member to the Freak family made available only through the regional retail networks of Singapore-based specialist retailer, The Hour Glass.

In future, what might be interesting for collectors of such high-end timepieces, if not already done, is the customisation of the lock-down plate to indicate the owner’s name or perhaps even personal messages. This by itself is another added security feature in determining watch ownership.