The Ressence Type 5: A Simple But Revolutionary Idea
Spring-powered clocks have been with us since the 14th century, watches since the 17th. A century or so later in 1842, the mechanism that enables a watch to be wound via the crown was invented. Now, flash forward past decades of horological innovation and we arrive at the year 2010, when Ressence was founded on one simple but revolutionary idea—to improve the function, legibility, and ease of use of the mechanical watch. It’s no exaggeration to say that Ressence represents an important advancement in the story of timekeeping.
Ressence accomplished this with an array of technological advancements that are, yes, revolutionary. The watches of Ressence in general, and the Type 5 collection in particular, are the result of what happens when inspiration and expertise unite in perfect union. Let’s explore the nuance of these features to learn what really make Ressence watches such as the Type 5 one-of-a-kind.
ROCS—3 Dimensional In-House Module
ROCS is an acronym that stands for:
- Ressence (the company that patented and developed the module);
- Orbital (describes the motion of the discs on the dial);
- Convex (because each of the discs are curved); and
- System, because it’s a mechanical module.
What does all that mean to the watch wearer? ROCS blends each different information layer—think of hands affixed to a dial—into an animated mono-surfaced display. Rather than conventional hands, flat discs rotate and spin on both their own individual axes, as well as around a central point. It uses the same basic reading patterns to tell time as a traditional dial with hands, but with greatly enhanced readability.
Oil Filled
The Type 5 features two separate sealed chambers, one filled with oil that includes the ROCS, the other filled with air that includes the base calibre. Wouldn’t it be easier to just flood the whole watch case with oil? Well, yes, but even the thinnest oil is too thick for the delicate parts of a watch movement to move through. Things like balance wheels would get bogged down trying to move through oil. The solution? The ROCS is suspended in oil and physically separated from the rest of the watch. Ressence engineers developed a unique system of magnetic transmission—micro magnets that transmit information from the base calibre to the ROCS display. Picture a thin piece of paper with a magnet on either side. What happens when you drag one magnet across the paper? The other one moves, even though you aren’t actually touching it with your hand. The same principle is at play in the oil-filled Type 5. Thanks to the magnets moving on the calibre side, the discs on the dial side appear to be projected onto the top crystal, as if onto a screen. This may be hard to picture, but the result is anything but—unparalleled legibility with no distortion of perception, and no mirror reflection, regardless of viewing angle. The watch’s dial always seems close and crystal clear, as if there was no glass at all.
Water Resistance
That enhanced legibility is especially crucial when it comes to diving, where the ability to accurately read a watch face can be the difference between life and death. This is a timepiece tailor-made for underwater wear. To ensure maximum water-resistance, the Type 5 is rated for 10 ATM, able to withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 meters. A revolutionary new case back has been designed for the Type 5 and thanks to titanium construction, the Type 5 is also considerably lighter than most diver’s watches.
Stunning Design
Many diver’s watches are chunky, clunky and not particularly stylish. Thanks to its transformative miniaturized technology, the Type 5 is considerably lighter than most diver’s watches, and considerably more fashionable, featuring a sleek no-crown profile, grade 5 titanium case, and domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Other features include a runner sundial, Super-LumiNova hands, hour markers, and indexes, a thermal gauge subdial, and a 12-hour subdial. Timepieces are finished with a berenia calfskin or cordovan leather strap, along with an extra rubber strap. Hang up your swim fins and throw on a sport coat without ever changing your watch.
Discover the Ressence Type 5, and all the other luxury Ressence watches, at Feldmar. Browse our online store or stop into our flagship location.
