Ressence finally builds its own engine: the TYPE 11 and the RW-01
The Belgian brand known for its rotating-disc dials now has a movement designed around them. A triangular calibre, two barrels and no crown.
Ressence watches don't have hands. Time is shown by discs that turn inside one another on a domed dial, a system the Antwerp brand calls ROCS. Until now, though, that display sat on top of a separate movement that had to drive it through extra gearing. With the new TYPE 11, Ressence has its own movement, the RW-01, designed from the start to run the ROCS.
One unit instead of two
In earlier Ressence watches, the display module and the movement were separate units joined together. In the RW-01 they share components and work as one system. Ressence and Monochrome both describe it as fully integrated. The ROCS now turns on titanium ball bearings, which the brand says makes the display tougher and smoother to read.
Ressence designed the movement itself and worked with a Swiss specialist to develop and build it.
A triangle, not a circle
Most movements are round. The RW-01 isn't. Its layout is built around three circles: two mainspring barrels and a balance wheel at the centre, which echoes the round shapes on a Ressence dial. The two barrels give a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and has 40 jewels and 67 gears.
Goodbye to the fiddly caseback
Owners of older Ressence watches know the routine: no crown, and a rotating caseback for winding and setting that had to be turned the right way. The TYPE 11 replaces that with a hinged lever on the caseback, used for both winding and setting. Ressence says the movement no longer has a restricted winding zone, so you can wind it freely.
From the bench
For a watchmaker, a non-round, integrated movement is a new thing to learn. Parts are shared between the display and the going train, so you can't simply lift a module off and service the base calibre as before. That's the trade-off of integration: the system is more efficient and more solid, but it's also more specific to one brand. Each RW-01 has its own serial number.
Gallery
Specifications
| Reference / edition | |
|---|---|
| Versions | TYPE 11 L, TYPE 11 P, TYPE 11 S |
| Case | |
| Material | Polished grade 5 titanium, pebble-shaped |
| Diameter | 41 mm |
| Thickness | 11 mm |
| Lug to lug | 45 mm |
| Water resistance | 3 ATM |
| Crystal | Double-domed sapphire, inner anti-reflective coating; caseback viewing window |
| Winding / setting | Caseback lever |
| Dial | |
| Dial | Convex grade 5 titanium ROCS 11.1 with three satellites |
| Power reserve display | Patented, ceramic micro-balls |
| Lume | Grade A Super-LumiNova® in engraved indications |
| Movement | |
| Calibre | Ressence Werk RW-01, in-house, driving ROCS 11.1 |
| Type | Self-winding |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve |
| Frequency | 28,800 vib/h (4 Hz) |
| Jewels | 40 |
| Power reserve | 60 hours |
| Components | 439 (67 gears, 18 ball bearings) |
| Strap | |
| Options | Leather, rubber, hybrid or titanium Milanese; pin buckle; 20–18 mm |
| Weight | |
| Weight | 49 g including strap |
| Price | |
| Price | CHF 23,000 excl. taxes |
Specifications per brand: Ressence TYPE 11 press release (March 2026).
Sources
- Ressence: The RW-01 Movement
- Ressence: TYPE 11 press release (March 2026)
- Monochrome: Ressence Unveils the Type 11 Powered by its First Proprietary Movement
- Time and Watches: Ressence TYPE 11 debuts first in-house RW-01