You can easily recognize Ressence, an independent watchmaker, from the crowd with its uncanny watches that make time telling unique, detailed, and exceptionally designed. For its latest iteration, the Type 3 MN, Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens has collaborated with Australian design genius, Marc Newson (a name we know from the first Apple Watch), and the result is easily the most intriguing watch in the industry.
The Type 3 MN is referenced as a result of “meeting of two design icons.” It’s a rare collective where two designers choose “to work together on one product.” Mintiens notes, “In my eyes, one plus one can become more than the sum of its parts.” And that reflects in the Type 3 Marc Newson edition, which is a true representation of the original Type 3 with nuances to behold.
Designer: Ressence
The Apple reflection
Of course, Type 3 MN is a Ressence, but unlike the Type 8 with handwoven Indigo-dyed silk dial or its sibling with geometric display and a joyful palette, it has Newson’s design approach reflected in it. Marc Newson was inducted into Apple by the good old Jony Ive. Both are known for their amazing projects at the Cupertino company, including the first Apple Watch. The duo has now co-founded a creative collective called LoveFrom.
The Newson-design Type 3 has an elliptical design, a striking color palette, domed sapphire, and graphic hands all echoing Apple’s design language, which is paired with Ressence’s own oil-filled chamber dial and the ROCS-driven rotating Grade 5 titanium discs. It has a unique time-telling experience: the mechanism allows the accessory discs to revolve around the dial on multiple axis, instead of the usual hand movement.
The floating time
According to Ressence, the Type 3 MN features magnets to drive the movement of the discs. The watch separates the dial and the movement chambers, with the upper one filled with 3.57 ml of silicone oil, and the lower chamber (that holds the movement) is filled with air. Owing to oil’s capability to remove the refraction of light inside the watch, the time on the rotating disc appears closer to the domed sapphire glass, making the time appear to be floating on the dial.
The crown-less watch, Mintiens say’s is designed to connect with “those for whom purity of form, quality of material, and complex engineering” are a priority. The watch display depicts a celadon green and vibrant yellow accents under its soft elliptical silhouette, which highlights this combination watch that’s a reflection of Newson’s industrial design approach and Ressence unique time display. The Type 3 MN comes paired to a light grey silicone strap to match its dial and is limited to strictly 80 examples, going for $54,500 each.
