Announced in a new partnership with online retailer Mr. Porter, Ressence have released two limited edition models of their “entry level” Type 1 watches – the Type 1PN MRP and the Type 1 PW MRP. The Type 1 PM MRP is a titanium model with a Night Blue metallic dial with silver-ringed discs and will be made in a limited run of 12 pieces. The Type 1 PW MRP is done in 18k rose gold with a sandblasted white dial, coming in a limited edition run of 6 pieces. If you like Ressence watches, then these are two attractive pieces that do what the brand does well without any overly obnoxious cross promotional touches. In fact, the titanium Type 1PM MRP is one of my favorite Ressence pieces I’ve seen so far.
Similar to the Rose Gold Type 1 RG (in Rose Gold) and Type 1N (Night Blue dial), I can’t imagine that the ever-growing band of Ressence admirers will find much to criticize here. Well, there might be those who prefer the standard case back to the cross-branded case back you see here but Mr. Porter’s emergence as a preeminent source for men’s fashion (I say this as someone who happens to be a repeat customer who also happens to be familiar with the reputation the site carries) will likely not be a hindrance for these 18 watches finding a home. I also quite like the decorative ring of dots on the case back which get smaller as you get closer to the center of the case back.
For those not entirely familiar with Ressence watches, I encourage you to take a look at our extensive previous coverage of the brand here and here, but here is a primer to refresh your memory. Basically, Ressence’s design philosophy centers around the idea of removing the three-dimensionality of typical watches in exchange for a totally flat dial made of spinning discs that move around the dial to tell the time. The video above is not of these new Ressence Type 1 models, but the best way to understand the moving central minute hand and rotating day, hour, and minutes discs is to see the piece in action. The lack of a crown on the 42mm watches (12 mm thick) makes for a clean, smooth circular case and undoubtedly gently encourages friends and strangers alike to inquire about the watch (if the dial already hadn’t).
The movement here is also unchanged, with the ROCS 1 (Ressence Orbital Convex System) caliber. The automatic movement still needs to be wound, and the rotating case back goes both ways which allows you to move the time ahead and backwards. I believe this isn’t true for the pricier Type 3. Anyway, the heavily modified and customized movement here operates at 28,800 vph and has a 36 hour power reserve.
The brushed blue dial of the 1PN MRP with the new silver ring on the rotating discs looks fantastic and adds some nice flair to the dial. The slowly rotating discs with these rings will draw more attention to the dial than the typical mono color that Ressence employs for their dials and disc rings. It’s what you see in the 1PW MRP in Rose Gold, with the sandblasted dial and disc rings. Otherwise, you have the usual “organic” thin lugs milled from the same piece of titanium or Rose Gold used to make the case of each respective watch. The straps match the case colors here with a blue leather on the 1PM MRP with titanium buckle and a dark brown strap with Rose Gold bucklet on the 1PW MRP.
While the Ressence Type 3 & Type 5 watches get attention for their more elaborate oil filled cases, the Type 1 also embodies what makes the brand so special. It drives me crazy when people use the word “unique” in non-binary terms: you are either one of a kind or you are not. Ressence in a unique brand in the truest sense of the word and these two pieces will likely get the brand in front of eyes that are maybe not watch enthusiasts and unlikely to have ever even heard of Ressence. In today’s market, I can think of few brands that truly deserve more notoriety on merit and innovation, but Ressence is near the top.
Price for the titanium Type 1PN MRP, limited to 12 pieces, is $20,600. The Rose Gold Type 1PW MRP, limited to 6 pieces, is priced at $33,800. ressencewatches.com mrporter.com
