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Benoît Mintiens founded Ressence in 2010, a startup in Antwerp, Belgium, with a game-changing industrial philosophy that lodged the brand name with the luxury giants in a decade.
The ideology of the founder resonates in the name itself. Ressence is a portmanteau word for “Renaissance of the Essential” revealing Mintiens’s quest to bring enlightenment upon the world of watchmaking. Truly so, Ressence began its journey in the BaselWorld watch fair with three prototypes of what they called the Zero series, embellished with their novel replacement of hands. The Zero series first features three revolving sub-dials that move on the main disc with the minute hand. Ressence marks this simultaneous revolution of the discs in the same manner as the moons and planets, cleverly incorporating the essence of the universe through time-telling.
In 2013, the screws and crown of a conventional watch were replaced in the Ressence house with an oil-filled mechanical watch that minimized refraction- the Type 3. Type 3 took the horologic world by storm for its uber-modern inclusion of a liquid in a mechanical watch, the sapphire case-back that negated the need for a crown, and maintaining the brand’s quintessential neat and clutter-free look. The watch won much appreciation and the Horological Révélation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
With time, Ressence dared to introduce elevated creative thinking to match the advanced cognitive abilities of the 21st-century mind. In 2015, the Type 5 watch enabled the wearer to seamlessly view time underwater, irrespective of the angle. The presence of oil here ensured a balanced pressure underwater and minimized refraction.
All Ressence watches adhere to their signature DNA and continue to provide for the future in the same uncluttered and chic way.
Before embarking upon his watchmaking venture, Benoît Mintiens was an adept industrial designer who worked on aircraft cabins, high-speed trains, medical devices, hunting guns, and leather goods. His approach to designing Ressence watches can be summed up in his own saying - “Built on the expertise of yesterday, crafted with today’s technology, our watches are designed for tomorrow.” Ressence intermingles best-in-class engineering and machinery from Belgium and an assembly line of proficient Swiss ateliers renowned for their art.
One of their ideas was the inclusion of ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) - their patented invention of three moving sub-discs is the flagbearer of the brand’s innovative spirit. The system of revolving discs may seem unsettling and often a hassle for the simple act of viewing time. However, wearers have duly credited the ease of operation after a short term of ‘getting used to’ as it is made to work intuitively, providing maximum ease to its users.
Ressence watches contain 35 ml of oil for the ‘water drop’ visual effect that sets the brand apart from the other watchmakers. The oil seemingly levitates the dial, tricking the eye to miscalculate its depth. It also accounts for low friction between the ROCS, decreases the weight of the device, and improves timing precision.
The hydraulic shock absorber is another smart feature for the modern world. When the watch experiences shock, the shock absorption system increases oil flow to reduce friction between the gears while holding the whole watch together.
Along with these truly unique features, the addition of an intelligent bellow system, magnetic transmission, and the absence of a crown add to the innovative watchmaking spirit of the brand so much so that the Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie recognized Ressence as one of the 64 names belonging within the 'Fine Watchmaking' periphery.
Even though the engineering and design are strikingly advanced, coming from a small Belgian startup, their motive remains rooted in the basics. The philosophy of Ressence encapsulates the spirit of humanity, universality, and proximity. Their objective, “beyond hands”, is appropriate both in literal and metaphorical terms - Ressence moves beyond the three-hand system of horology, and at the same time, stretches out towards the future, deconstructing the conventional notions. However, the brand also remains mindful of what they are serving to the users as it tries to keep up with a holistic methodology to present an innovative horological experience for its users.