It’s honestly a little hard to believe that Ressence and Mark Newson hadn’t collaborated until now. The new Type 3 MN, a limited edition version of Ressence’s oil filled watch designed by Newson, feels like a watch that was somehow inevitable. Ressence occupies a very specific niche in independent watchmaking – there is simply no other time telling system quite like the one they have pioneered, and it has a distinctive quality to it that is immediately recognizable. Newson’s design work is similarly well known, and while he’s worked across many industries over many years, watch lovers will quickly identify him as the creator of the Ikepod, a futuristic watch with an aggressively circular design that has influenced a variety of contemporary watches, especially those in the realm of independents. Ressence is chief among them, not necessarily because any particular Ressence looks like an Ikepod (although you can make a case) but because of the deliberate nature of each.
The Type 3 MN is tough to discuss without mentioning Ikepod because the watch really looks like a modern extension of what that brand might have been if Newson had stuck around. The case has a curvy, pebble like quality to it for maximum ergonomics. The hands are lifted right from classic Ikepod designs, and the whole package has an organic quality to it that is a Newson design signature. Both Newson and Ressence founder Benoit Mintiens mention in the press materials for this release that the collaboration is not simply Newson putting his name on an existing Ressence design, but a real partnership. Ressence, of course, is providing the watchmaking know-how, but the visual language appears to be Newson’s alone.
Ressence of course is known for their ROCS time telling system, which features rotating discs that indicate the time instead of traditional hands. It’s remarkably intuitive and easy to read the time once you get used to it. The Type 3 seen here features a set of Grade 5 titanium discs that circle the dial with engraved indications filled with blue and green lume for easy legibility in the dark. Legibility is key to the Type 3 – the upper chamber is filled with oil, which effectively eliminates distortions caused by light refraction. Holding a Type 3 at an angle and being able to clearly see the entire surface is a genuinely trippy experience. Many people, upon seeing one for the first time, comment that the dial looks more like a screen (like that of a smart watch) than any traditional watch they’ve encountered.
The dial, which features a mix of celadon green, grey, black, and yellow, has indications for the hours, minutes, day, date, oil temperature, and running seconds. The movement is the ROCS 3.6, which winds automatically and has a total 36 hours of power reserve. Fans of the Ikepod will not be surprised to see that the watch ships on a synthetic rubber strap.
The Type 3 MN launches today and will be produced in a limited edition of 80 pieces. The retail price is set at CHF 46,000. Ressence
