Wearables

Ressence Type 2 self-setting watch goes into production

Ressence Type 2 self-setting watch goes into production
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown goes on sale in April
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown goes on sale in April
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown goes on sale in April
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown goes on sale in April
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown in gray dial
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown in gray dial
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown has no crown
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown has no crown
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown electromechanical module
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown electromechanical module
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown shutter mechanism
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown shutter mechanism
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown app
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown app
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown setting lever
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The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown setting lever
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Last year, Ressence unveiled its Type-2 e-Crown Concept watch that combined mechanical movement with digital precision. Now, the company is releasing the hybrid timepiece for general sale, so anyone with CHF 42,500 (US$43,000) can have an mechanical/electromechanical automatic wrist watch and begin setting the time by simply tapping the crystal.

Twelve months ago, the Type-2 e-Crown was a concept showing a new hybrid watch that mates a mechanical movement to the e-Crown electromechanical module. That not only mades the watch self-setting, but also conserved power by shutting down the mechanical movement when the watch wasn't being worn.

How the Type-2 works seems a bit mysterious at first because it doesn't have a crown, so there's no way to set it manually. The answer is in the back, where the owner can set the time using a lever. According to Ressence, once set, the watch requires no further attention as the-Crown module keeps time like a conventional quartz timepiece. The e-Crown module adjusts the movement automatically and can even set it to a second time zone using the mode selector or through the mobile app.

The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown electromechanical module
The Ressence Type-2 e-Crown electromechanical module

The 479-component Type-2 is also designed to be energy self-sufficient. The e-Crown module sips 1.8 joules of energy per day and is powered by photovoltaic cells set behind ten micro-shutters in the watch face. Meanwhile, the movement is self-winding with a 36-hr power reserve. To further save energy, the e-Crown module locks the winding barrel when the watch isn't worn. When the owner puts it back on, a double tap of the crystal makes the e-Crown reset the hands to the correct time – even after three months.

The Type-2's multi-display Ressence Orbital Convex System works with the bespoke automatic, 25-jewel 2892/A caliber and the 87-piece e-Crown module. The convex dial is made of grade 5 titanium anthracite and is PVD-coated. It has three eccentric biaxial subdials set on jewel micro-ball bearings.

This is protected by a 45-mm grade 5 titanium case with a double-domed sapphire crystal and anti-reflective coating. It is water resistant to 10 m (33 ft, 1 ATM) and is secured with a strap and Ardillon buckle.

The Type-2 is available with an anthracite or gray dial. It goes on sale in April.

Source: Ressence

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1 comment
1 comment
Mr T
That price is obscene, it really irks me to see people with the sort of money that they can drop tens of thousands of $ on a watch, when that money could be doing so much more than stroking the owner's ego. Why is it that the people with all the money are the people who are least qualified to be responsible for spending it. The human race really is a mess...