Ressence Launches The Type 3 EE
Geneva Watch Days 2023 marked Ressence’s inaugural participation as a brand, and my first interaction with the brand. The buzz around their space in the Lobby of the Fairmount hotel reflected a strong demand to see the watches and to engage with founder & CEO Benoît Mintiens.
Ressence’s watches have always embraced a distinctive approach to telling time. Founder Benoît Mintiens wanted to distill watchmaking into its purest essence, removing the hands and crown, and creating a system in which the mechanics are suspended in oil, eliminating glare on the dial, and maintaining lubrication. The result? A watch that looks like nothing else on the market, an incredibly organic shape that offers a novel way in which to read time.
As a designer with many designs to his name across trains, medical devices, and hunting shotguns, it was perhaps only a matter of time before Mr. Mintiens turned his attention to watchmaking.
The Type 3 EE Eucalyptus, denoted by the double-E for its Eucalyptus dial and caseback, adds a splash of color to the Type 3 lineup of monochromatic watches. Based on the success of their collaboration with Art in Time in Monaco, Ressence aims to diversify their color palette.
The eucalyptus hue complements any outfit, subtly adapting to the lighting and clothing. The soft and subtle hue makes it suitable for daily wear. The pebble shaped case and the eucalyptus green evoke a natural feeling, something like picking up a stone from a river. The design feels like it has always been there; the smoothness of the case and lack of crown really aid in the natural feeling of the watch and it drapes perfectly on the wrist.
Against a green jacket the watch has more green, and against navy or blue it is certainly more grey. The Type 3 EE is a chameleon which adds to its appeal.
While there are many green dials on the market, Ressence has found a unique color that is completely their own, harmonizing beautifully with the organic pebble shape of their watches. It also aligns with the brand’s somewhat quirky approach to time telling. I tremendously enjoyed my first encounter with Ressence. The watch is much more organic than I thought it would be, and much nicer in person than any photo can do it justice.
After spending time with Benoît at Geneva Watch Days, it is clear that his passion lies in industrial design and revolutionizing watchmaking. We spoke at some length about his background in design across various industries and I tremendously enjoyed getting to know him and his experiences. I think the Type 3 EE is a great addition to Ressence’s lineup and I cannot wait to see what colors they release in the future.
Ressence’s participation in Geneva Watch Days and their exploration of new colorways is an exciting step forward for the brand. I adored the Art in Time Ressence Type 5 yellow collaboration when it was launched, and I genuinely think adding more color to their lineup is a wise strategic decision.
The Type 3 EE is available at Ressence Retailers, priced at 38,200 CHF.
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