Then a prototype, the Ressence Type 2 it was one of the most acclaimed models of the last edition. The peculiarity of this watch is the combination of a classic mechanical movement (ROCS caliber) and a completely new technology, called e-Crown.

"The combination of a purely mechanical watch with state-of-the-art technology combines the best of both worlds",

said Ressence at the presentation of the watch. Unlike the Type 2 shown in 2018, nothing has changed from the base design. The only novelty are the twelve small openings inside the time indication, reminiscent of the turbine of an airplane which have a very particular function, in fact, behind these mysterious openings are hidden solar cells.

The e-Crown technology is housed in a 45mm titanium case, weighing just 52 grams, and sits squarely between the mechanical movement and the display. As the name suggests, the e-Crown does not require the watch to be wound by hand, as it generates energy using an automatic rotor, kinetic and solar energy. If the cells of the hour display do not produce enough energy, another “energy panel” will take over on the right side of the dial, whose “turbine” opens when the charge is low and closes when the charge is sufficient. Through this spectacular mechanism the watch communicates with the wearer. Just lightly touch the sapphire crystal of the watch to turn it on. The clock synchronizes (through an application that allows the movement of the clock to communicate with the smartphone) automatically with the atomic time and is therefore accurate like no other mechanical clock on the market. If the user puts down the Type 2 for more than 12 hours, the watch will automatically turn off. Thanks to the energy (solar and kinetic) accumulated by the e-Crown and the time stored digitally via the application, the watch automatically synchronizes with the right time even after three months in stand-by mode.

The indication on the right of the dial with three bars of green, orange and blue color offers three different modes for this watch. As if Mintiens (founder of Ressence) and his team had not introduced enough innovations, the Type 2, in fact, can memorize two time zones, always with the help of the smartphone app. After landing in a country with a different time zone, simply touch the glass and the watch automatically sets the local time in which it is located.

The price of the smartest mechanical watch on the market is around EUR 37.500 and will be available in 2 colors: gray and anthracite.