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Ressence Type 5 46mm Titanium

Ref. TYPE 5B

The Type 5 is where Ressence moved from the lifestyle experiment of the Type 3 into something built explicitly for water. It meets ISO 6425 in full, and the engineering required to get there produced two details that have no equivalent elsewhere in watchmaking. The first is the dial itself: 37.5 ml of oil fills the upper chamber entirely, and because that oil and the domed sapphire above it share an identical refractive index, the display reads with no distortion and no reflection at any angle — including underwater, which is the whole point of the exercise. The second is what the oil system demands: a crown would compromise the seal, so there is none. Winding and time-setting happen by rotating the sapphire caseback, and a dedicated compression lock system moves between set and lock positions to protect the gasket at depth. The result is a case with no projections anywhere on its circumference, which also means no pressure point against the wrist regardless of which hand you wear it on. At 46mm the proportions are substantial, but grade 5 titanium brings the whole thing to 87 grams — less than many 40mm steel watches — and the crownless profile sits flatter against the wrist than the 15.5mm thickness alone would suggest. The seven micro-bellows regulating internal pressure against temperature change are invisible in use and only become apparent when the small oil temperature gauge on the dial shifts; it is the kind of mechanical detail that rewards the second year of ownership rather than the first hour.

Reference: TYPE 5B
Brand: Ressence
Case size: 46mm
Case thickness: 15.5mm
Lug width: 22mm
Case material: Titanium
Case shape: Round
Dial: Black
Crystal: Sapphire
Bezel: Unidirectional rotating
Movement: Automatic
Calibre: ETA 2824
Water resistance: 100m
Bracelet / strap: Leather strap
Strap colour: Black
Clasp: Buckle
Lume: Luminous
Condition: Pre-owned
Retailer: Goldsmiths

Additional specifications

Lug-to-lug: 51.5mm
Power reserve: 36 hours

Learn more about Ressence

Benoît Mintiens is an industrial designer, not a watchmaker. He spent his career designing trains, aircraft interiors, and consumer products, and founded Ressence in Antwerp in 2010 after concluding that the wristwatch had a fundamental design problem nobody had addressed: hands sit above the dial, casting shadows and creating visual clutter, and the arrangement exists only because that is how it has always been done.

His solution was to remove the hands entirely. The Ressence Orbital Convex System uses discs rotating within discs — the whole dial turns, with satellite subdials counter-rotating on it to keep their indications upright. The result is a completely flat surface with no hands above it, and time displayed by markings that continuously reorganise themselves.

The Type 3 went further, filling the upper section of the case with oil. Because the refractive index of the oil is close to that of sapphire, the display appears painted directly onto the crystal with no visible depth, and remains legible from any angle underwater. Managing thermal expansion of the fluid required a bellows system Mintiens developed specifically.

The watches have no crown; setting and winding are done by turning the caseback.

Ressence remains independent, produces a few hundred pieces annually, and has won multiple GPHG awards.

2010: Benoît Mintiens founds Ressence in Antwerp.
2013: The Type 1 introduces the Orbital Convex System.
2015: The oil-filled Type 3 eliminates visual depth in the display.
2018: The Type 2 adds an electromechanical setting module.

Also in 6 collections

This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,847), Automatic Watches (1,736), Leather Strap Watches (1,049), Watches 44mm and Over (849), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (344) and Titanium Watches (173).

Best of 2 retailers

What the specifications mean

A mechanical watch for everyday wear.

Strengths

100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
51.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 46mm case wearable
Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
Luminous hands and markers for low light

Worth knowing

46mm is a large watch with real presence
15.5mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
36-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Leather does not suit regular contact with water

Best forSwimmingFormal wear

Less suited toSmall wristsUnder a shirt cuff

Ressence Type 5 alternatives

Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.

Type 5 46mm Titanium compared with 2 alternatives from other brands
Specification	This watchType 5 46mm TitaniumTYPE 5B	Audemars PiguetRoyal Oak Offshore Chronograph 44mm Ceramic26405CE.OO.A002CA.02	Girard-PerregauxLaureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition 44mm Titanium and Carbon81060-41-3071-1CX
Price	£23,950	£26,950	£17,050
Case size	46mm	44mm	44mm
Water resistance	100m	100m	100m
Movement	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic
Strap	Leather strap	Rubber strap	Rubber strap
Power reserve	36 hours	50 hours	46 hours
	This watch	Costs more Wears smaller	Costs less Wears smaller