Introducing Ressence reworks ROCS, outfitting the new Type 11 with their first proprietary calibre

16 years after its founding, Ressence has done the work and now offers an in-house-designed (and Concepto-produced) calibre in their latest Type 11, fully integrating the brand’s ROCS module into the movement’s design. The new Werk RW-01 does more than just strengthen Ressence’s marketing buzzword arsenal, as it resolves concessions the Belgian outfit has had to make by using off-the-shelf calibres.

For starters, gone are the days of the wonky winding system, which would take a steady hand and lots of practice to get right, now replaced by a foolproof, lever-operated system that’s still located on the caseback. Turn it one way to wind, and the other to set the “hands” (and wind at the same time). The other issue was that of the power reserve - as those base movements weren’t made to handle the torque demand necessitated by the weight of the rotating modules, autonomy was never Ressence’s strong suit. The RW-01’s dual barrels make that an issue of the past, combining with titanium movement components for improved lightness, bumping power reserve up to a respectable 60 hours.

But what of the watch? The Type 11 doesn’t give away any hints about its new internals, save for a new power reserve indicator that the brand has patented. Set against pine, sky, or latte backdrops, you’ll find the hour, second, and power reserve discs suspended in the minute disc, all rotating at the same time, and keeping parallel thanks to the ROCS system. A bit more on that power reserve before we move on, though. It’s made of a string of ceramic ball bearings in three colours - a light half and a dark half, separated by a single bead in a contrasting highlight. As the watch is wound, the meter “fills up”, and the darker ball bearings give way to lighter ones, the process reversing as power is depleted.

All this is fitted to a classic Ressence case in grade 5 titanium, but the pebble factor has been pretty much perfected. This means no sharp facets, and though the 41mm diameter and 11mm thickness may suggest it to wear quite large and flat, that’s far from the truth both because of the short lugs and soft contours.

In the world of high-end watchmaking, very few brands can get away with using off-the-shelf, entry-level movements. The number of brands that have an excuse to do so is even smaller, if you ask me, and Ressence was one of them. Though the new movement won’t feature in all their watches and is at the moment limited to the Type 11, it’s a sign of a brand maturing and evolving.

Think of the caseback winding system similarly to those fancy new door handles you see on many electric cars. They keep the sleek design, and then pop out when needed. Except when they don’t. Ressence resolved this issue with a targeted investment and some clever thinking, rather than just throwing their hands up and telling their fans to deal with it. They’re also being very transparent about the movement origins and intention - a brand of their size simply doesn’t have the capability or necessity to invest in such manufacturing. The Werk was never designed to be at a haute horlogerie level, either. It merely needs to be a reliable engine to make the novel time-telling display better.

This is the mark of a brand that isn’t afraid to recognise its own shortcomings and the asks of its (would be) customers. I’m sure they could’ve continued using Sellita bases for years to come, and with founder Benoît Minitiens’ consistency in coming up with novel ideas, been a successful brand. Speaking with Benoît during our Watches and Wonders meeting, it became obvious that such laurel-resting was not an option.

Brand: Ressence
Model: Type 11

Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 11mm
Lug-to-Lug: 45mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Crystal: Double-domed sapphire, inner AR coating
Dial Colour: Convex grade 5 titanium in green, light blue, or cream, ceramic ball power reserve
Indexes: Printed, Ressence-like, I guess
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Strap/Bracelet: Leather, rubber, hybrid leather/rubber straps; titanium Milanese mesh bracelet; 20mm lug width

Calibre: Werk RW-01
Functions: ROCS with 18 titanium ball bearings, hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 40
In-House: Designed in-house, produced by Concepto
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: CHF 23,000
Availability: From May 2026
Limited Edition: No

For more, click here.