Ressence, founded in 2010 by Benoît Mintiens, reimagines the key aspects of watchmaking. The brand is distinguished by its classic look, in which the display is innovatively mounted on several subdials that rotate as time passes.

Before designing a watch, Benoît Mintiens had a portfolio of designs that included high-speed trains, aircraft cabins, medical devices, leather goods, and even hunting firearms. His approach to exquisite watchmaking is altogether new and undeniably contemporary.

Benoît Mintiens, an industrial designer, envisioned his first horological creation as a 21st-century invention with modern cognitive technologies and sciences. This holistic approach puts the end user experience at the centre of his work.

Ressence designs and engineers watches in Antwerp, Belgium, which are then manufactured and assembled in Fleurier, Switzerland. Each completed Ressence watch is tested at the Ressence headquarters against their own R500H accreditation standards, which comprise 500 hours of thorough scrutiny over six stringent criteria. These ensure that each watch is well-built, runs smoothly, and lasts a long time.

Ressence’s concept is to build on current expertise, use cutting-edge technology, and develop for the future. Ressence represents an independent way of thinking about fine watchmaking, embodying an industrial design philosophy that aims to be progressive while maintaining an unabashed contemporary appearance.

The unusual crown-free design, topped with a domed sapphire crystal, creates a smooth, pebble-like appearance on all of its timepieces. Instead of a crown, the watches are wound and adjusted using a recessed lever that pops out from the case back.

The patented Ressence Orbital Convex System, also known as ROCS, is a feature of every watch in the current Ressence collection. This system uses the same reading pattern as traditional dials with hands indicating the time, but with better reading ergonomics by combining the various information layers of a traditional watch into an animated display on a single surface. The system positions three or four bi-axial satellites inclined to different degrees within convex discs with a radius of 125 mm. Like moons around a planet, the main disc and subdials spin continuously. This very system, where the dial indications give time a certain tactility while also allowing for a more intuitive reading, is what gives Ressence its most distinctive appearance.

The Hour Glass is the Official Retailer of Ressence in Malaysia. Ressence timepieces are available at The Hour Glass boutique at The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur.

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Photos by The Hour Glass