Just months after a one-off Ressence was sold at auction to benefit the medical research department of a Belgian university, the brand has announced another philanthropic wristwatch, this time in association with Art in Time, a watch retailer in Monaco owned by Chopard.

A unique piece Type 3MC is remarkably red – the primary colour of the Monegasque flag – elevating the sleek, contemporary style of Ressence to a striking new level.

Initial thoughts

With part of the proceeds going to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, a charity dedicated to ecological and social issues, the Type 3MC is a departure from the usually low-key look of the brand, as seen on the recent olive green Type 1 for instance. The red makes the rest of the dial less obvious, but there are other, more subtle colours, including the off-white markings and hands as well as orange and pale blue.

Already an extremely impressive watch in design, concept, and execution, the Type 3MC will appeal to anyone who finds the standard versions too plain. And the fact that is a unique piece to benefit a good cause helps in accepting the price, which is steep, not to the the point of being exorbitant, but steep nonetheless.

Two in one

Colours aside, the Type 3MC has all of the standard Ressence tech, including a dial capsule filled with oil that refracts light, resulting in the optical illusion that of the dial being printed on the underside of the crystal.

The oil also serves as a lubricant for the time-display mechanism, which is a module. The movement is made up of two discrete sections, an upper display module filled with oil, and below the conventional base movement, which is an ETA 2824.

Most intriguingly, there is no physical connection between the two sections. Instead, the central axle of the ETA 2824 is attached to a magnet that drives the time-display module via magnetic attraction.

Forms and function

The time display is complex – indicating the time, day, date, and oil temperature – but laid out in a clear, sensible manner. And the entire dial is a planetary display, rotating on its own axis, while each sub-dial is orbital, rotating on its own axis. This patented display is made up of over 200 parts, and is known as the Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS).

Beyond the novel display, some of the information on the dial is also unusual.

Oil temperature at two o’clock, and seconds at four

The oil temperature indicator shows the optimal operating temperature range for the watch, made necessary by the oil with the time-display module. Because the oil expands with increasing temperature, or vice versa with diminishing temperature, the module has tiny, built-in reservoirs that vary the volume of oil with the module according to the temperature, ensuring the display does have excess oil or too little, which might lead to visible air bubbles.

Also different from the norm is the seconds, which is a 360 second indicator, instead of the conventional 60 seconds, and primarily functions as an indicator that the watch is running.

Key Facts and Prices

Ressence Type 3MC

Diameter: 44 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: ROCS 3.5 (ETA 2824-2 base)
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, oil temperature indicator, and runner
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 36 hours

Strap: Red leather with pin buckle

Availability: At Art in Time in Monaco
Limited Edition: Piece unique
Price: €39,900 including taxes

For more, visit Art-in-time.com.