Boutique brand Ressence has no shortage of dramatic and mechanically unique designs in its collection, but perhaps no other model in the marque’s catalog offers a more futuristic suite of features than the Type 2. First introduced in 2018, the Type 2 mates the complexity and charisma of a mechanical movement with the ease of use of modern electronics through its advanced E-Crown system. For 2021, the brand further refines the Type 2 concept, adding a brighter and more classical colorway to the clean and ultramodern design. The new Ressence Type 2N softens the look of the series with a dressier new colorway, bringing a new character to its unique e-Crown system.

The 45mm case of the Ressence Type 2N foregoes the matte black PVD of previous iterations in favor of exposing the fully polished Grade 5 titanium surface. The polished finishing here imbues the minimalist case form with a markedly different personality, highlighting its fluid unbroken curve and underslung lugs and likely producing interesting light play. Like many Ressence models, the mechanical crown of the Type 2N is a folding lever that sits flush against the caseback for a cleaner look. Even among Ressence’s delicate case offerings, the Type 2N stands out however, with a miniscule 10 meters of water resistance.

For the convex dial of the Type 2N, Ressence keeps things close to the original model but adds a softer matte navy blue finish. The layout itself is classic Ressence, with a rounded minimal design language and an orbital regulator arrangement for the subdials. As the central minutes disk rotates its way around the outer minutes track, the subdials each revolve around the center while rotating to remain upright The largest of these is the hours subdial, combining rounded Arabic numerals with printed indices and the brand’s distinctive hand logo. The seconds subdial gives just a hint of contrasting yellow among its simple line indices, while the smallest of the subdials is entirely color coded. This is an indicator for the current position of the Type 2N’s revolutionary e-Crown system. Green indicates the watch is currently displaying its primary time zone, yellow is for the secondary time zone, blue is used to show the watch is currently connected to Ressence’s proprietary app via Bluetooth, and the white arrow is the e-Crown’s off position.

This e-Crown system is undoubtedly the Ressence Type 2N’s greatest party trick, allowing the watch to be started, set, and switched between two time zones with a simple tap on its crystal. After manually setting the time for the first time with the mechanical crown, tapping the crystal once “saves” this time via Bluetooth to the corresponding Ressence mobile app. The e-Crown can also detect once the Type 2N is taken off the wrist, and automatically cuts out the mechanical movement before the power reserve runs down. After a period of dormancy, the wearer simply taps the crystal twice with a finger, and the e-Crown automatically re-engages the movement and resets the hands to the correct time. This advanced electronic component is powered by solar cells located under cutouts in the dial, drawing minimal electricity and allowing for easy recharging. Ressence mates this system to its ETA 2892-A2 based ROCS 2 automatic movement. Extensively redesigned by Ressence to integrate its signature planetary dial arrangement, the ROCS 2 nonetheless remains a point of contention among some enthusiasts when compared against some of its fully in-house rivals. Due to the costly torque requirements of Ressence’s planetary dial, the ROCS 2 offers a somewhat meager 36 hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate, but the e-Crown’s automatic movement stopping and resetting should mitigate the effects of this low power reserve to some degree. To complete the more plush and refined colorway of the Type 2N, Ressence pairs the watch with a Saffiano style textured leather strap in deep navy blue.

By taking the brand’s signature style in a decidedly softer and more mature direction, while incorporating one of its most intriguing electronic-mechanical hybrids, the Ressence Type 2N occupies a unique and charismatic place in the watchmaker’s distinctive lineup. The Ressence Type 2N is available now through authorized dealers at an MSRP of $49,500. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.