Ressence’s Type 11 Debuts the Brand’s First Ever In-House Caliber After 16 Years

Few watchmakers have the kind of distinct design language that’s made Ressence a household name over the last 16 years. Known for its domed, oil-filled dials and minimalist-yet-complex orbital designs, the Belgian brand has always applied its proprietary module (ROCS) to ETA-based movements. Impressive as this may be, it often felt like this reality detracted from what the timepieces were actually doing. But now, for the first time, Ressence has stayed in-house completely, debuting a brand-new watch in the process.

The Short Version of a Long Story

When Benoît Mintiens launched Ressence at BaselWorld in 2010, he wasn’t a watchmaker but he was an industrial designer from Antwerp with a bone to pick with the traditional dial. The result was the ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System), a patented time-display mechanism that swaps conventional hands for a series of orbiting discs that rotate continuously across a single plane, with no hands or crown. By 2013, the Type 3’s oil-filled dial won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève’s “Horological Revelation” prize. The brand hasn’t really looked back since.

The one lingering asterisk was that every Ressence to date has been powered by a modified ETA movement underneath all that innovation. The ROCS and the movement were always two separate things, co-existing rather than collaborating. That’s now been resolved with the Type 11.

One Engine, One Dial

Designed by Ressence and produced by Swiss movement specialist Concepto, the new Werk RW-01 is the first caliber built from scratch to drive the ROCS. Previously, adapting a third-party movement to power the ROCS meant extensive modification and an inherent structural disconnect between the motor and the display. The RW-01 eliminates that gap entirely. The two are now a single unified system, sharing components for cleaner, more efficient execution.

The movement’s architecture is deliberately unconventional, with a triangular layout anchored by two mainspring barrels and a central balance wheel that visually mirrors the orbiting satellites on the dial face. The RW-01 also carries COSC compliance and runs at 28,800 vph with a 60-hour power reserve. This is a big upgrade from the ~36 hours that the modified ETA setups could provide under the demands of the ROCS.

Manual winding has also been simplified through a hinged lever on the caseback, which eliminates the “winding zone” restriction that Ressence owners know all too well.

The Dial Does Something New, Too

Along with the new movement comes a patented power reserve indicator unlike anything else on the market. Rather than a conventional gauge, a string of ceramic micro-balls in contrasting light and dark tones shifts as the movement charges and depletes. As the watch winds, lighter balls emerge; as power drains, darker ones take over.

The Type 11’s 41mm Grade 5 titanium case keeps the brand’s signature pebble-shaped profile and comes in at 11mm thick with a 45mm lug-to-lug. Three colorways are available at launch: Pine (green), Sky (blue), and Latte (beige/off-white), each with its own surface treatment combination of sunburst, circular, and grained finishes. Laslty, strap options include leather, rubber, a leather-rubber hybrid, and a titanium Milanese mesh.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

The Ressence Type 11 debuts at Watches and Wonders 2026 and is available starting in May through select retailers worldwide and directly via Ressence’s website. Pricing comes in at CHF 23,000 (~$28,774).

Recap

Ressence Type 11

Ressence finally built its own movement with the Type 11. The new in-house RW-01 was designed specifically to power the brand’s signature ROCS display, something no previous Ressence could claim. Add a 60-hour power reserve, a one-of-a-kind ceramic micro-ball power indicator, and three clean colorways, and this is easily the most complete watch the Belgian brand has ever made.

Learn More: Ressence