Ressence was founded in 2010, winners of the 2013 Horological Revelation Award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Ressence takes a distinctive approach to the craft of contemporary fine watchmaking. Ressence is a Belgian brand based in Antwerp that combines Swiss made calibres with unmatched self-engineered innovation to reimagine how mechanical watches can function and interact with its user in the modern age. When Chronopassion was first founded in 1988, the aim was to gather the most exclusive items in the world of watchmaking under one roof; and today, that original motivation is just as strong as ever.

At 271 Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, Laurent Picciotto —owner of Chronopassion— is the man frequently referred to in the media as “the craziest watch retailer in the world”. A trendsetter for the trade, a pioneer in uncharted territory, and a veteran talent-spotter. It’s hard to imagine a selection of timepieces being more unrepresentative of a commercial view of watchmaking. Chronopassion is a treasure chest, designed by and for collectors and lovers of choice watches. Picciotto’s trove includes rare, extremely rare, and indeed unique pieces. In many cases, the reason brands and manufactures have chosen to join forces with Chronopassion to release their watches is because Laurent Picciotto was right at their side when they were first launched.

The new Ressence Type 1 ZZ is the result of this relationship and an all black special limited edition of the Type 1 Slim. Manufactured in only 20 pieces, Type 1 ZZ discretely pays homage to the famous Texan rock band ZZ Top which Laurent Picciotto is an absolute fan of. While at the same time the ZZ in the name stands for music, it also stands for "zwart zwart" which in Flemish language means "black black".

The new Type 1 ZZ watch remains 100% faithful to the functions and movement of the Type 1 Slim but with a stealthy look. The 42 mm grade 5 titanium case has a matte black DLC —diamond like carbon— treatment that accentuates the impression that the dial and case are one piece. The Ressence Orbital Convex System, a unique in-house and patented module featuring ever-changing discs that continually orbit around one another, also benefits from a different surface treatment. The nine components that make up the dial are finished in matt dark grey PVD —physical vapor deposition. The hands are finally black polished steel punctuating a decidedly monochrome and avant-garde look.

The Type 1 ZZ is manually set via a lever on its case back. The watch has no crown, the winding and setting mechanism being the case-back itself, for better ergonomics and allowing a left-right fit.

Beyond a refined and subtle design, the origin of Type 1 ZZ is that of a meeting and a friendship of almost ten years. It links Benoît Mintiens, founder of the Ressence brand, to Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion. "We would not be where we are today without our first partners. Those who trusted us from the beginning of the adventure. Laurent, along a few others, has opened the road and I will be eternally grateful to him." Says Benoît Mintiens. "Ressence is one of the rare horological successes of the last decade. I remember very well my first interview with Benoît and his watches. I was stuck. You have to be a little rock and roll in the soul to create a brand of Haute Horlogerie without being from this industry. " Laurent emphasizes.

The Ressence Type 1 ZZ is available in a limited edition of only 20 pieces.

Sticker Price €18,500 Euro —approximately $20,700 USD. For more info on Ressence watches click here.