Ressence TYPE 10: Handless, Cuffless, and Dial Submerged in Oil.
Berk OztoprakAuthor
Ressence watches have no hands, no crown, and part of the dial moves in oil. The Ressence TYPE 10 embodies all these ideas, but, in the words of the brand's designer Benoît Mintiens, it demands one more thing: that the watch feel like a single, unbroken object carved from a single piece of material. The first edition, the TYPE 10 DN, is in the same dark blue tone as the case, dial, and strap and costs 60.000 euros.
Ressence poses the question: What would a mechanical watch look like if it evolved according to the laws of nature rather than engineering? The TYPE 10's rounded, fluid case and seamlessly connected strap are designed to answer this question.
A dial without hands: ROCS
Ressence's ROCS display system uses interlocking discs instead of classic hands. The ROCS 10 on the TYPE 10 features three eccentric satellites tilted at 9,75 and 17 degrees on a convex titanium dial. This arrangement displays a second time zone alongside the hours and minutes, and a runner that completes a revolution every 120 seconds. The runner also functions as a pulse indicator.
The dial has another indicator: the oil temperature. Ressence displays this information using color. It might seem strange for a watch to show the temperature of the liquid inside, but in an oil-based system, temperature changes the volume of the oil. That's why the ROCS 10 also features an expansion membrane that compensates for the change in oil volume.
The mechanism is suspended in air, the dial is in oil.
The TYPE 10's case has two separate sealed chambers. In the lower chamber, the movement operates in mid-air, as in any watch. The upper chamber is filled with 2,95 ml of silicone-based oil, and the 196 parts of the ROCS 10 rotate within this oil. Because the refraction of light between the oil and the glass is much less than in air, the markings appear to be directly beneath the glass. Ressence describes this as 'visual clarity'.
So how does the movement pass between the two chambers? Drilling through the two chambers and passing a shaft through would compromise the seal. That's why Ressence uses magnets. The RW-04 mechanism drives the ROCS 10 via magnetic transmission, with the movement passing from air to oil without physical contact.
Ressence's own caliber RW-04
The TYPE 10 is Ressence's first oil-filled watch powered by its own designed RW-04 automatic caliber. The 252-piece movement, specially configured for the TYPE 10, offers a 60-hour power reserve with two mainspring cases and operates at 28.800 vibrations per hour.
The watch has no crown. Winding and setting are done via the case back, and the RW-04 is visible through a ring-shaped sapphire window on the case back. It has a water resistance of 5 ATM thanks to the Ressence Compression Lock System.
24-part one-minute scale
The detail that Ressence particularly focuses on is the bezel. The fixed bezel consists of 24 separate titanium pieces. Small pieces, sandblasted and filled with luminescent paint, are arranged alternately with larger pieces that are brushed linearly. The brushing direction shifts 30 degrees from one piece to the next, so that each piece captures the light from a different angle.
538 pieces, 82 grams
The TYPE 10 has a total of 538 parts: 47 jewels, 49 gears, seven gemstones, and one steel ball bearing. Despite this, the 41,5 mm polished grade 5 titanium case, with its integrated rubber strap, weighs only 82 grams. The case is coated with hard DLC. In the DN version, a dark blue shade called 'Dark Night' is applied to the case, dial, and strap, visually blurring the lines between the components.
Technicial Specifications
| Door Design | Ressence TYPE 10 DN |
| Reference | T101X-DNXX-XXX |
| Kasa | Polished grade 5 titanium, hard DLC coating, two separate sealed chambers. |
| Diameter | 41,5 mm |
| Bezel | Fixed bezel made of 24 separate titanium parts. |
| Cam | The front and back feature domed sapphires with an anti-reflective coating on the inside. |
| Waterproof | 5 ATM |
| Dial | Convex grade 5 titanium, three eccentric satellites inclined at 9,75 and 17 degrees, Grade A Super-LumiNova filled engraved markings. |
| Fat | The upper compartment contains 2,95 ml of silicone-based oil. |
| Indicator module | Patented ROCS 10, 196 particles in oil, magnetic transfer, expansion membrane. |
| Mechanism | Ressence RW-04, automatic, two spring boxes, 252 parts |
| Frekans | 28.800 A/s (4 Hz) |
| Power reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hour, minute, second time zone, 120-second runner and pulse indicator, color-coded fat temperature indicator. |
| Setup and adjustment | There is no winding handle on the back cover. |
| Parts | Total of 538 parts: 47 stones, 49 gears, 7 stone bearings, and 1 steel ball bearing. |
| Strap | Integrated rubber, DLC-coated grade 5 titanium buckle. |
| Weight | 82 gram |
| Price | 60.000 € |
| Status | It appears to be sold out on the official website; no information about limited production has been provided. |
Bersenti comment
Ressence watches are often described as a display of engineering: oil, magnets, bellows, a case without a winding crown. The TYPE 10 has all this complexity, but all that's visible from the outside is a calm and legible surface. The brand sums it up in one sentence: Complexity stays inside, simplicity is experienced.
The temperature gauge is the detail that best illustrates this approach. An oil-filled gauge has a physical cost, and Ressence has placed it on the dial instead of hiding it. The €60.000 price tag places the TYPE 10 in a narrow collector's circle. The watch appears to be sold out on the official website.
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