Ressence Type 1 ‘2’ Squared

Quick specs Ressence Type 1² Squared
Price: € 17.500 | $ 20,600 | approx. £ 15,500
Size: 41 mm
Reference: unknown

Hands are so old-fashioned, why not try to create a watch without? In 2012 a Belgian guy named Benoît Mintiens starts with some unorthodox models and yet this Ressence Type 1² Squared is his latest creation.

It’s all about axes. Within the 41-millimeter cushion-shaped stainless steel case is Ressence’s patented ROCS 1.3 movement. ROCS means Ressence Orbital Convex System. Ressence explains: “Orbital, because that is how the discs forming the dial move, Convex, since each of the discs are curved, as are the sensuous, organic lines of the entire watch, and System because it is a mechanical module”. It is a module driven by the minute axle of a customized ETA 2824/2 base.

Although there are no hands, there are. We count four of them, but in fact they are engraved on rotating discs. Almost the whole watch is a rotating disc. Only the outer ring showing the minutes isn’t moving. The large ‘hand’ is drawn on the main disc and points to the outer ring to show the minutes. This main disc inclines three eccentric bi-axial satellites or sub-dials for the other functions, each with a stationary ring for the indexes or markers.

The Ressence Type 1² Squared comes in four different dial colors

The biggest sub-dial shows the hours (and the Ressence logo), and moves along with the main disc. So, every time you want to know the hours, the sub-dial is somewhere else. Same for the seconds, in one of the small sub-dials. And for the days of the week. That sub-dial has seven markers, two in orange for Saturday and Sunday. And the ‘hand’ on that sub-dial is not only showing the day, but also how far the day is done. For winding the watch and setting the time and date there is a retractable lever at the back of the case.

There are four models: the T1²S “Silver”, the T1²N “Night blue”, the T1²CH “Champagne” (not on the photos) and the T1²R “Ruthenium”. Each with a matching strap, but there are more strap colors to choose from.

It has a very serious price and you can buy a lot of other nice mechanical watches for the same amount of money. But they are not as fashionable and unconventional as this one. And they all have hands.