Benoît Mintiens, the industrial designer who founded Ressence, calls the TYPE 9 the smallest watch the brand can build given the size of its own components.
Ressence today introduces the TYPE 9 in two colours at once, a warm Grey and a fresh Aqua. It is the brand's first watch at 39mm, and its smallest and lightest to date.
The Grey's dial is a convex disc of Grade 5 titanium, its engraved hour numerals filled with Super-LumiNova. Ressence has moved the minute display outside the dial for the first time, onto a fixed bezel marked every 5 minutes, while the hour disc keeps only 9 and 3. There is no crown: the watch winds and is set through the case back.
“The TYPE 9 is the smallest watch we can produce to this day, considering the size of the components,” says Benoît Mintiens, founder of Ressence. It builds on the TYPE 8, stripped down to hours and minutes alone.
At 39mm and 39 grams, it sits close to the wrist, closer to a compact dress watch than to Ressence's usual scale.
The Basics
Brand: Ressence
Model: TYPE 9 Grey
Reference: T91X-GRE1-NGA
Diameter: 39mm
Thickness: 11mm
Case material: Polished Grade 5 titanium; domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
Dial: Convex Grade 5 titanium, warm grey; hour disc shows only 9 and 3; minutes on the fixed bezel
Water resistance: 1 ATM, splash-resistance
Strap: Synthetic woven, 20/18mm; titanium ardillon buckle
The Movement
Calibre: Patented ROCS 9 (Ressence Orbital Convex System), on a customised automatic base calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes
Winding: Self-winding
Power reserve: 36 hours
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 31
Images courtesy of Ressence.