Years ahead. Introducing the first self-setting mechanical watch ever.
The Ressence Type 2 e-Crown® Concept watch showcases the tremendous potential of its automated time setting technology called e-Crown. With its redefined patented dial system (ROCS), lightweight titanium construction, and sleek design, the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept watch is at the fore-front of modern fine-watchmaking. The watch illustrates Ressence’s vision on advanced fine-watchmaking by previewing its upcoming Type 2.
Just set once the time of your Type 2 e-Crown® Concept via the lever on the case back and you are ready to go. No need to think about setting or adjusting your watch anymore, the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept does it for you. And when operating, the e-Crown® technology, combined with the Ressence display by discs, is simply magical. The main disc, as well as the auxiliary discs, revolve effortlessly and automatically, behaving like fast-forwarded moons around a planet. The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept, a 500 components mechanical wonder, truly offers the ultimate 21st century horological experience.
"The best way to envision the future of fine-watchmaking is by creating it."
Benoît Mintiens, Ressence founder and creative mind.
The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept is the Ressence of many firsts but one in particular. It is equipped with e-Crown®: An in-house electro-mechanical embedded system capable of registering, monitoring, adjusting and most importantly setting the time of the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept without human intervention. It is essential to notice that the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept is a cognitive mechanical watch, meaning the watch learns the time you set and does not rely on external signals (such as radio or gps).
Discovere-Crown® does not only replace the crown but exceed it in terms of convenience and performance. It is controlled by simply tapping the glass of the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept. A double tap awakes the embedded system while a single tap pilots the selector in the mode menu. Located on a sub-disc, the selector always indicates in what mode you are in. You can set and display two time zones manually via the lever on the case-back or connect via Bluetooth with the e-Crown® app.
The e-Crown® app is not compulsory but brings the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept to an unseen level of ease and avant-gardism. Instead of manually setting the time zones, the app offers you a geolocation and a drop-down menu of cities. You can then choose, pre-set and finally send the time zones information to the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept. Accurate to the second, it has never been more user-friendly to change time zones on a fully mechanical watch. If set via the app, the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept will even change winter or summer time automatically. Furthermore, the e-Crown® app offers you the comfort of being notified when to service your watch as it will monitor the accuracy on a daily basis.
The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept is a fully self-sufficient mechanical watch relying on two natural sources of energy: Wrist movement and outside light. The automatic base movement is powered by a self-winding rotor while the e-Crown® is powered by a kinetic generator and photovoltaic cells. The kinetic generator, made of grade 5 Titanium, surrounds the base movement and has its own barrel. The custom-build and developed triple junction photovoltaic cells are hidden under 10 micro-shutters (one shutter measures 2x3mm) located around the selector sub-disc. They will open automatically when the energy balance is low and can be controlled via the app.
The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept capabilities and experience vary according to the way you use it. In full e-Crown® mode (e-Crown® + App setting) your watch is set and adjusted to the second by your smart-phone. In semi e-Crown® mode (e-Crown® + Manual setting) your watch is set and adjusted to the minute. In mechanical mode (no e-Crown® + Manual setting) your watch is running without any assistance, like in the "good" old days of traditional fine-watchmaking.
Although strikingly innovative, the new electro-mechanical technologies implemented are, as always with Ressence, relegated behind the scenes. What is more important is the sensation of the user on looking at and touching a watch that seems to project the temporal indications onto the glass. The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept is Ressence’s answer on how to improve the mechanical watch of today by incorporating technologies of tomorrow.
We believe that displaying the time is essential to a watch. The readability is therefore as simple and efficient during the day as during the night thanks to extra strong blue Superluminova.
The Type 2 e-Crown® Concept introduces an all‑new generation of ROCS, which stands for Ressence Orbital Convex System. Fully designed and developed in-house, this unique horological module is composed of grade 5 Titanium co-planar discs and rings of different sizes that are spherical with a radius of 75mm (like a tennis ball). Each of the time indications of the Type 2 e-Crown® Concept is generated by the ROCS from the information provided by the automatic base movement. On Type 2 e-Crown® Concept, all discs are mounted on jewel micro-ball bearings for a slimmer architecture and the gaps between the discs are reduced to 35 microns for a seamless design.
"Fine-watchmaking must embrace new technologies to bring back functionality and excitement for the new generations."
Tony Fadell, iPod inventor, Nest founder and Ressence tech coach.
The Type 2 in its production version will be available in stores as of June 2018.
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