Few brands inspire so much horological intrigue for its boundary pushing work so much as Belgian-founded watchmaker Ressence. Now, the mechanical challenger returns to the forefront of the market, unveiling its first update for the new year in the Ressence Type 3BBB, aka the “Black Black Black.” So named for its triple black, almost monochrome colorway, the watch is the latest evolution of the brand’s Type 3 collection, following up on the Type 3B and Type 3BB before it with an even darker style.
At its core, the Type 3BBB continues on the tradition of the 2013-introduced Type 3 base design, one of Ressence’s cleanest and most representative designs, its look effectively melding bold industrial influences with ultra-modern aesthetics for a watch which is, at once, both aesthetically minimalist and technologically maximalist. The sillehoute is defined by its “ergonomic” pebble-like look— the 44mm by 15 mm titanium roundness is accentuated with its crown-free design and the edge-to-edge sapphire crystal, and further distinguished with the Type 3’s signature shaped lugs. The titanium case features the Type 3 range’s first use of a polished black DLC-coating, the detail adding to the watch’s triple black style.
On the dial, the Type 3BBB showcases Ressence’s unique design language, now executed in a refreshed, even-more minimalist manner. White markers with small grey accents are placed upon an ultra-dark background, the various details providing an almost floating appearance. Signature to the Type 3, the new “Black Black Black” once more features the brand’s signature Ressence’s Orbital Convex System (ROCS) technology, with the various timekeeping elements of the dial swirling around one another, including hours, minutes, day, and date. The fluid-like look is magnified and guaranteed in their seamless movement via an oil-filled chamber between the rounded sapphire crystal and the dial further adding both symbolically and practically to the liquid timekeeping ability of the watch; an oil-temperature gauge, one of the Type 3’s other signatures, is also visible on the dial.
Beneath the dial, the appropriately named ROCS 3 movement powers the watch, the mechanism based upon a highly modified ETA caliber 2824-2. The automatic mechanism features caseback winding and time setting, a magnetic transmission, compensating bellow system for oil (which allows the oil level to adjust based on environmental temperature and pressure), and a 36-hour power reserve. The complicated, modulated movement serves as the Type 3’s maximalist power to its minimalist aesthetic, the features balanced to ultimately provide a watch which is technologically interesting but stylistically compelling and visually accessible.
The new Ressence Type 3BBB is available now and will be produced for a limited time until December 2022. Pricing is currently marked at CHF 36,500, or about at $39,925 USD.
To learn more, visit Ressence, here.