In 2022 Ressence revealed a limited production all black Type 3 called the Type 3 BBB. As part of Geneva Watch Days Ressence are bringing back the black with the new, non-limited Ressence Type 3 BB2. The BB stands for Black Black and the name becomes clear once you see the black dial and black titanium case.
Throwback to 2013 and Ressence took the watch world by surprise with the World’s first oil filled mechanical watch in the form of the Type 3. The idea of an oil filled watch seemed like an unusual innovation when Benoit Mintiens unveiled his creation over a decade ago. However, it does have a practical function. On most watches with crystal or acrylic glass it can be a struggle to read the dial in certain light conditions or when the watch is angled away from you. As for digital display watches, you can forget trying to read your watch on a sunny day at the beach. This is where Benoit’s genius use of oil came into play.
The 3.57ml of oil under the crystal of the Type 3 cancels out the distortion caused by the refraction of the light. The result is a watch dial that is legible from any angle and in any light. Further, the visual effect of oil makes it look like the dial, hands and subdials are printed directly on to the sapphire crystal.
Until now, the Type 3 has been available in Black, White and Eucalyptus Green variations. All of which come in a silver coloured grade 5 titanium case. The BB2 adds another dimension to the collection with a pitch black aesthetic. This new look is made possible thanks to the addition of a matt black DLC coated titanium case.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this monochromatic approach to the Type 3 from Ressence. The limited production Type 3 BBB (Black Black Black) also used matt black DLC for the case. The BBB was credited with its 3rd B thanks to the removal of any colour from the dial.
In the BB2 the black on black theme is only broken on the dial where Ressenece have maintained their primary colour palette. Hour markers and hands are in white and light grey and this is only punctuated with small colour accents. The day of the week subdial uses green to highlight the weekend and red and blue are used for the temperature gauge.
Typically, a temperature gauge isn’t a complication you associate with watches. However, oil is sensitive to temperature and will expand and contract accordingly. As a result Ressence developed what is known as a Bellows System. This system maintains an even pressure within the oil at all times by self equalising depending on the temperature. The temperature gauge is a visual representation of this Bellows System and can be seen in Type 3 and Type 5 models.
The layout of the Type 3 BB2 remains consistent to the Type 3 range with day and date displays and a running seconds. All are covered with Grade A Super-Luminova. The 44mm case is shaped in the usual pebble design with operation of the self winding movement and setting of the watch made possible by the case back. Apart from the DLC coated case the only other addition to the BB2 is the black honeycomb strap with titanium buckle.
Design has always been at the heart of the Ressence brand and the new Type 3 BB2 has a feather in its cap. As part of the 2024 Red Dot Design Awards the Type 3 BB2 was awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ distinction. Red Dot Awards are a big deal in the design world so this is a big pat on the back for the Ressence design team.
You can see why the Type 3 BB2 has been recognised by Red Dot, the all black design works a treat on this watch. When other brands go monochromatic the watch either becomes unreadable or they have to punctuate the dial with bright colours to provide a modicum of legibility. The brilliance of Ressence is that they can go pitch black and not have to change anything on the dial. It will still be readable. Priced at CHF 38,200 (approx. £34,150) I think this could well be the hero of the Type 3 collection.
Price and Specs:
More details at Ressence.
