The Low-Down

“We are extremely honored to collaborate with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons on this very unique project. They have pioneered in promoting independent brands in their region and I see this new piece as a thank you for all their efforts.”

Benoît Mintiens, Founder, Ressence

With a geometric dial that could pass for one of the ornate polished marble floors of a sky-scraping Dubai hotel lobby, the Ressence Type 1 Slim DX2 was launched at Dubai Watch Week which opened its doors this week.

This new piece is a limited edition of just 25 units created expressly for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the leading watch retailers in the Middle East.

The watch celebrates the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates, a fitting partnership because both the watch brand and the Emirates wholly embrace modernity and avant-garde design in everything they do.

Like its 2019 forerunner, the Type 1 Squared DXB, the 41mm Slim DX2 takes its inspiration from Arabic geometric patterns. It’s a multi-faceted design offering a unique play on light reflections and depths. The lines within each polygon are aligned to catch the light from different angles. It’s certainly a different look and feel to your typical all-black Ressence. In a tribute to the desert origins of the UAE, the 9 components that make up the dial are finished in sand colored PVD.

If you are not familiar with the Ressence brand, do not expect conventional dials and subdials. The Ressence runs on ROCS, the Ressence Orbital Convex System. This ingenious patented mechanism blends the different information layers – hands on top of a fixed dial – into an animated display. It uses the same reading patterns to indicate the time as traditional dials with hands.

Crafted in polished Grade 5 titanium, the ROCS module features everchanging discs that continually orbit around one another. The base movement is an ETA 2892, reliable and robust but with an extremely thin structure and a 36 hour power reserve. The hands and indexes which glide above the ornate Arabian inspired dial are white and filled with Superluminova.

Don’t look for a crown, for there is none. Instead the watch is manually set by a lever on the caseback, the winding and setting mechanism is the caseback itself. The watch comes on a simple strap of tan calf and olive green rubber.

IMHO

You get them once in a while. Creative geniuses in the watch industry that is. Gerald Genta was one of them, and Belgian Benoit Mintiens is another. A gifted industrial designer not just of watches but of high-speed trains, aircraft cabins, medical devices, leather goods and even hunting guns, Benoit’s first few visits to the major industry showcase which once was Baselworld was filled with frustration at what he perceived as the sameness and lack of creativity in watch design. He was determined to create his own watch.

As it turns out, he didn’t just create it, he revolutionised thinking in watch design by focusing on the function of the mechanical watch. Among many ground-breaking achievements he created a unique dial with discs, then filled it with oil and replaced the crown with a lever. Ressence is all about reimagining how mechanical watches can function and interact with the wearer in daily use. And like some of Gerald Genta’s most famous designs, the Ressence concept was born just sketching at home on a Sunday afternoon.

Tech Specs

Metal: Grade 5 Titanium
Size: 41 mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 10m
Movement: ROCS 1 (Base: ETA 2892)
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Day of the week
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 36 hours
Strap: Tan calfskin and olive-green rubber
Limited edition: 25 pieces
Available: Direct from Ressence or Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Price: CHF 22,500
More Information: ressencewatches.com