Ressence Triples Down with Latest Type 3BBB “Black Black Black”
You merely adopted the darkness
WRITTEN BY Theo Baker
February 17, 2022
Of the many creative, independent watchmakers in the haute horology space, few brands attract so much attention as Belgian founded Ressence. With each of its watches merging the impressive, oil-filled Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) with appealing silhouettes and colorways— it’s hard not to find an interest in the maker’s signature, avant-garde work. Last month, Ressence unveiled its latest timepiece to follow and advance its creative mechanical legacy, then unveiling the new Type 3BBB, a novel and darker version of its original Type 3 collection.
Nicknamed the “Black Black Black” for its use of triple black details in its detailing, the watch follows in the footsteps of both the Type 3B “Black” and the Type 3BB “Black Black” which proceeded to it. In this regard, the watch now approaches the base, 2013-launched Type 3 design once more with an even darker and more minimalist attention to detail. The new Type 3BBB follows the previous launch by Ressence of the Type 1 Slim DX2— a limited edition creation debuted at Dubai Watch Week in partnership with the largest retailer in the Middle East, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. Like the DX2, the “Black Black Black” follows a growing trend demonstrated by both the young brand and among other independents, where established collections are used as base canvases for a growing variety of artistic concepts.
Taking a closer look at the new “Black Black Black,” we come to an almost monochromatic looking timepiece, with this sense starting via its 44mm by 15mm, pebble-like titanium case, which notably features a polished black DLC-coating on its rounded surfaces. As in all previous iterations of the Type 3, the triple black’s case features a crown-free design, edge-to-edge sapphire crystal, and a unique set of curvy lugs that are signature to the collection.
On the dial, the two other “B”s are on display, the first being the black background color for the ROCS display, and the other being the “maximized” minimalism of the configuration, proper, which now notably lacks indices between each 5-minute position as well as eschews any colors outside of black, grey, and sparing touches of white. In the darkness, you can still make out the watch’s array of timekeeping elements – including indicators for the hours, minutes, day, and date – each flowing around the dial alongside an additional indicator that serves as an oil-temperature gauge, another Type 3 signature feature.
The ROCS 3 movement ensures the smooth operation of the watch’s timekeeping, with the highly modified mechanism originally based upon the ETA caliber 2824-2. The 36-hour reserve, automatic caliber importantly features case back winding and time setting, this functionality ensuring the watch’s crownless design.
While the Ressence Type 3BBB “Black Black Black” is not technically a limited edition, it will only be produced for a limited period of time, until December 2022. Available now, pricing begins at CHF 36,500, or about at $39,365 USD at time of writing.
