Ressence marks its attendance at Dubai Watch Week 2025 with a release that introduces a distinct shift in palette for the Antwerp-based design house. Known for an aesthetic rooted in industrial precision, stark monochrome contrasts, and a futurist approach to time-telling, the brand has unveiled the TYPE 1 Round Rose Gold. This limited-edition timepiece, restricted to a production run of just 70 units, marries the mechanical ingenuity of the brand’s proprietary orbital display system with the organic warmth of 4N rose gold. The release represents a deliberate evolution in the company's "essentialist" philosophy, exploring how material finishes can alter the emotional resonance of a machine without compromising its functional clarity.
The context of this launch is significant, as Dubai Watch Week has established itself as a premier global hub for horology, attracting a demographic that values both high-concept mechanics and aesthetic richness. Benoît Mintiens, the founder of Ressence, explicitly notes the region’s deep appreciation for craftsmanship and innovation as a driving force behind debuting this specific configuration in the Middle East. The watch is not merely a color update but a study in contrasts, placing the soft, copper-toned luminescence of rose gold against the sterile, architectural grey of Grade 5 titanium. It is a piece designed to bridge the gap between the cold logic of industrial design and the tactile allure of jewelry, a balance that Mintiens describes as adding "soul" to the classic TYPE 1 platform.
Courtesy of Ressence
Visually, the TYPE 1 Round Rose Gold presents a facade that is deceptively simple yet mechanically complex. The dial itself is a convex sheet of German Silver, treated with a 4N rose-gold plating and finished with a sunray pattern. This radial brushing technique allows the dial to interact dynamically with ambient light, creating shifting gradients of gold and copper tones as the wrist moves. Unlike traditional watches where hands sweep over a static surface, the entire dial of the TYPE 1 is in constant motion. The main disc rotates to indicate the minutes, while smaller, flush-mounted sub-discs orbit within it to display hours, seconds, and the day of the week. The result is a constantly changing graphical composition where the spatial relationship between the indicators is fluid, yet the legibility remains intuitive.
The layout of the dial is achieved through the Ressence Orbital Convex System, or ROCS 1.3. This patented module is a defining characteristic of the brand, replacing the multi-layered hierarchy of standard watch hands with a bi-dimensional display. The satellites are eccentric and biaxial, inclined at specific angles—3 degrees for the hours and 4.75 degrees for the seconds and day of the week—to match the curvature of the crystal. This inclination ensures that the indicators appear almost digitally flat against the surface, eliminating the parallax error often found in deep-set mechanical watches. The engraved indications are filled with Grade A Super-LumiNova, ensuring that the functional aspect of the watch remains viable even in low-light conditions, maintaining the brand’s core tenet of legibility.
Courtesy of Ressence
Supporting this intricate display is a customized 2892 base caliber, a reliable workhorse movement that drives the ROCS module via the minute axle. The engineering required to drive these heavy, rotating discs with a standard base caliber involves a complex transmission system comprising 40 jewels and 27 gears. Despite the mechanical load, the movement achieves a standard frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of 36 hours. The complexity is hidden beneath the surface, allowing the user to engage with a clean, uncluttered interface that prioritizes the passage of time over the display of mechanics.
The case construction utilizes Grade 5 Titanium, a material chosen for its high strength-to-weight ratio and hypoallergenic properties. The decision to use titanium rather than matching the solid rose gold of the dial is a functional one, keeping the total weight of the watch, including the strap and buckle, to an incredibly light 64 grams. This lightness contradicts the visual expectation set by the gold tones, creating a sensory surprise for the wearer. The case measures 42.7 millimeters in diameter with a thickness of 11 millimeters, dimensions that allow for significant wrist presence without becoming cumbersome. The double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inside acts as a transparent canopy, seamlessly continuing the curve of the titanium edges to create a smooth, pebble-like form factor.
Courtesy of Ressence
A defining feature of the TYPE 1 series, retained here, is the absence of a traditional crown. This omission is central to Ressence's ergonomic philosophy, which views the crown as an vestigial appendage that disrupts the symmetry of the case and digs into the wrist. Instead, winding and setting the time are accomplished via the caseback. A lever system allows the user to engage the mechanism, rotating the entire caseback to adjust the time or wind the mainspring. This interaction creates a more physical connection between the user and the machine, turning the act of setting the watch into a tactile ritual rather than a functional chore. The caseback also features the necessary engravings and technical details, keeping the sides and top of the watch completely free of distraction.
The color theory applied to the TYPE 1 Round Rose Gold extends to the sub-dials and markers. While the main canvas is the warm rose gold, the sub-dials introduce cool silver tones that create visual clarity and separation. White minute markers track the periphery, providing a sharp contrast that aids in precise time-telling. This interplay of warm and cool metals is a sophisticated design choice that prevents the watch from appearing monochromatic or overly ornate. It retains the legibility of a tool watch while adopting the guise of a dress piece. The graphic elements are printed and engraved with absolute precision, maintaining the stark, clean lines that are a hallmark of Mintiens’ design language.
Courtesy of Ressence
Complementing the watch head is a strap chosen specifically to harmonize with the dial's warmth without competing for attention. The standard release is fitted with a light grey Kudu leather strap, featuring a suede-like texture that softens the overall aesthetic. Mintiens notes that the choice of grey was deliberate, intended to act as a neutral backdrop that allows the rose gold to command the visual hierarchy. For the United States market, however, a variation exists; these models will be paired with a dark chocolate brown leather strap. This alternative option leans into a more traditional luxury code, offering a richer, earthier pairing that emphasizes the classic nature of the gold plating. Both strap options are secured with a simple Ardillon buckle, maintaining the minimalist ethos of the watch.
The visual experience of the watch is dominated by the "wire" style lugs that appear to emerge directly from the caseback, minimizing the bulk of the watch and allowing the round case to sit prominently on the wrist. From a collector's perspective, the view is one of uninterrupted curves. The lack of a bezel or crown guards means the dial opening is maximized, pushing the rose gold surface to the very edge of the visual field. The convex shape of the dial and crystal creates a magnifying effect at extreme angles, yet the time remains readable due to the flush mounting of the discs. It is a design that feels aerodynamic and self-contained, appearing less like a collection of parts and more like a singular, cohesive object.
Courtesy of Ressence
The brand’s philosophy, termed "Simplication," drives every decision evident in this timepiece. It is a dedication to innovation that serves to strip away the unnecessary, leaving only what is functional and beautiful. By replacing hands with discs and removing the crown, Ressence challenges the archetypes of watchmaking that have persisted for centuries. Yet, the TYPE 1 Round Rose Gold proves that this modernist approach does not require the rejection of traditional luxury cues. The application of rose gold, a material steeped in horological tradition, demonstrates that the brand’s platform is versatile enough to accommodate different personalities, shifting from clinical precision to warm sophistication with a change in materials.
Pricing for the TYPE 1 Round Rose Gold is set at $23,200.00, reflecting the specialized engineering of the ROCS module, the premium materials, and the limited nature of the production. With only 70 pieces available worldwide, availability is expected to be scarce following the official launch on November 19, 2025. The watch will be retailing through Ressence’s select network of partners and their e-shop. For the enthusiast, this release offers a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of avant-garde independent watchmaking that successfully bridges the gap between the future of time-telling and the traditional warmth of fine jewelry.
Case: Grade 5 Titanium. 42.7mm diameter x 11mm thickness. Double-domed sapphire crystal top with anti-reflective coating inside. Manual winding over 12° and set up via lever. Splash resistance. Weight 64g.
Movement: Patented ROCS 1.3 (Ressence Orbital Convex System) module driven by the minute axle of a customised 2892 base calibre. Self-winding. 36 hours power reserve. 28,800 vibrations per hour. 40 jewels. 27 gears.
Dial: 4N gold-plated Convex German Silver dial with sunray finish (125mm radius). 3 eccentric biaxial satellites inclined at 3° (hours) and 4.75° (seconds and day of the week). Engraved indications filled with Super-LumiNova®.
Strap: Kudu Leather strap (20/20mm) with Ardillon Buckle. Light grey suede (Global) or Dark Chocolate Brown leather (US Market).
Price: $23,200.00
Reference Number: TYPE 1°RG
Notes: Limited edition of 70 pieces released for Dubai Watch Week 2025. Features wire-style lugs and a crown-less design adjusted via the rotating caseback.