July 5, 2023

2023-07-04 22:00:34

Why the watch?
It is one of the few truly holistic products in all its creative dimensions. It offers a real richness which is declined as well on its aesthetics, its ergonomics, its economy, but also on the marketing, the technique, the comfort, the readability, as well as all the intimate range which connects a watch to its owner and the social status that this implies.

Very few products, except perhaps the automobile, have so many dimensions. With Ressence, I was able to embrace them all, to create a complete universe. We had to imagine a product with a strong impact, but not too complicated to make. And it is in the interval between these two extremes that all the creativity is nestled.

Benoît Mintiens © Ressence

Is there a particular experience that marked you?
Yes, seeing our ROCS module working for the very first time, almost 15 years ago. Until then, we only had computer simulations. But a computer program will never tell you if it really works or not! Seeing all my drawings come into motion, before my eyes, created a real emotion.

What watch do you wear every day?
A Type 3. So far, I think it’s the one that best embodies what I’ve put into Ressence. Although I must admit that I am currently working on a project that will go further than this model, but it is still too early to talk regarding it.

TYPE 3 Black © Ressence

What are you most proud of?
Of my customers, of all those people who wear my watches and who correspond to the values ​​that I wanted to inject into the brand. These are largely personal values, but not only, and it is always a source of great pride for me to see a community of collectors who come together around these same values.

Is there a perception that you continue to rectify following all these years?
Many people continue to think that all our watches are immersed in an oil bath. This is obviously not the case. This is not very serious, but not true for all that!

Is there anything we still don’t know regarding Ressence?
Not really. I wanted to build an open, transparent brand, even if many people don’t know that we were born in Belgium. I chose to locate the production in Switzerland, because it is indeed here that all the know-how is found, but in reality I am not very attached to the Belgian, Swiss or other side. If there had been equivalent know-how in Germany, this would not have posed any particular problem for me.

TYPE 8 Sage Green © Ressence

For you, what will be following Ressence?
Probably traveling on a personal basis. Some people think I’m already on the road a lot, but I call it more travel. I go from an office to a hotel, and vice versa. This kind of trip is very time-consuming, which is why I always try to make them as short as possible.

Of course, this has an impact on the density of my schedule, but it is necessary. Realize: for six or eight appointments in Asia, I almost have to block out a week, whereas I would do it in 36 hours in Europe. So I try to limit my trips as much as possible.

For the rest, it is still too early to plan for retirement age. My dad is 79 and still very active, which keeps him in great shape. As for me, with Ressence, I never really had the impression of working!

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