We know the trend of all black watches well – what was once a novelty has now become a regular part of most catalogs, so perhaps we can no longer call this a trend but an industry staple. I think the monochromatic concept really works on many different levels.
It can make a watch ultra stealthy and discrete. For some models, it just looks sleek and sexy. For others, it can actually serve to bring out the best in the design. On the other end of the spectrum, we have models with so much tone on tone on tone – lacking any contrast through materials or textures – you can barely read them. These watches have understandably undergone some scrutiny. However, I find it a cheeky commentary on the fact we don’t really need our timepieces for any utilitarian purpose, and a color palette can simply be a design choice.
So, in typical Ressence fashion, we have a twist on the all-black aesthetic with a deep blue hue the brand is calling Dark Night. If you’re familiar with Ressence, you know the brand is anything but motivated by trends – the opposite. This is a brand who literally came into being by asking the question, what if someone were to build a blueprint for a watch for the first time today without any constraints of what a watch should look like?
The result was the Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) offering human-centric readability with a layout engineered to look and process like a two-dimensional digital screen lacking traditional hands or a crown. Instead, the entire dial and its subdials rotate like satellites around a central axis, and winding and time setting are handled via the caseback, which rotates like a dial. This structure has laid the foundation for many editions, which leads us to the Type 10 Dark Night or DN that joins the lineup today.
Here, the monochromatic color scheme contributes to the inherent fluidity of the design where the case continues into the strap; the sapphire follows the form of the case; and the dial appears to rise towards its surface. Circling back to the palette, the case, dial, and integrated rubber strap share the same deep blue tone: Dark Night. The polished, 41.5mm Grade 5 titanium case has a hard DLC coating in the same hue for further continuity, while the sapphire blends into the shape of the case thanks to the oil-filled dial where hours and minutes are displayed alongside a second time zone, a 120-second runner that doubles as a shock absorber, and a color-coded oil temperature indication inside the hour disc all across one continuous graphical surface.
However, continuity wasn’t the only goal – clarity was of equal importance. With that in mind, particular attention went into the minute track. Its 24 titanium segments alternate between small, sandblasted inserts filled with luminous paint and larger, linearly brushed surfaces. The direction of the brushing shifts by 30 degrees from one segment to the next, so each catches the light differently. As the wrist moves, light travels around the minute track in subtle facets, bringing an otherwise continuous surface to life.
Powering the new Type 10 DN is Ressence’s in-house designed RW-04 self-winding caliber, configured specifically for the Type 10 and visible through its caseback. It consists of 252 components and offers a 60-hour power reserve through two barrels. Altogether, from the case to the movement within, the Type 10 is lightweight, measuring just 82 grams.
This limited edition model of just 100 pieces makes its debut today and carries a price tag of CHF 45,000 (approximately $54,200 at the time of publication). For more information, head over directly to Ressence.
