[Interview] Ressence Founder Benoit Mintiens

A watch is an attractive product filled with many different elements.

　Ressence's founder, Benoît Mintiens, was a designer in a field other than watches, but decided to dedicate himself to the design and manufacture of mechanical watches. There are many examples of designers founding watch manufacturers.

Born in Belgium in 1972.
Founder of Ressence. After graduating from design school in Antwerp in 98, he became a senior consultant at Enthven & Associates. While there, he worked on designs for high-speed trains, aircraft cabins, medical equipment, and hunting rifles. Around 2004, he tried to create an original watch but gave up. In 09, he completed the design of a unique watch that displays the time on a rotating disc, a design that has been passed down to Ressence.

"I originally worked as a design consultant, but as I continued working, I became aware of the importance and value of watches. They are 3D in design and have both aesthetic and functional elements. What's more, they can exist in many different forms. For example, the screws used in watches. They're just screws, but there are many options: you can make them cheap, expensive, or strong. I found this whole concept fascinating."

　Having developed an interest in watches, Mintiens then began to think about what kind of watch he wanted to create. "One approach would be to improve precision, but I wanted to improve the watch itself. That is, legibility, something that many people forget. That is why I gave Ressence a disc display. Humans can only see one thing at a time. If the hands are moving, you focus on that and it becomes difficult to read. So, to improve legibility, I decided to make everything a disc display." It was a bit rough, but it made sense. His explanation went on to expand.

　"Back in the day, we used MS-DOS, but now we can do anything with an iPad. That's true of the new Type 2. You can operate it with just one finger. Clocks need to evolve, too."

　If he had such a clear philosophy, why didn't Mintiens, the leader of Ressence, choose digital? Wouldn't his ideas have been easier to realize with digital? "Digital has no emotions, so that's why I didn't choose it." However, while previous Ressence models appear simple at first glance, they actually have quite complex structures. Wouldn't it have been easier to create them if he had chosen digital?
"We failed at first because we had no experience. We looked for a supplier to make disc displays, but no one would take on the job. After that, we managed to make our first watch, but it broke just after we sent it to a customer via FedEx. But we have 20 years of experience now. We upgrade with every repair and every model. The important thing is to be honest. I am confident that as long as we are honest, the brand will last."

　Mintiens has a unique way of looking at watches, and he speaks in a very unique way. His Ressence watches are, needless to say, interesting, and their reliability is now without question. If you're a bit hesitant, we highly recommend giving them a try.