Introducing: The Ressence Type 9 S75 — A Sand-Dial Limited Edition Celebrating Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th Anniversary
Benoît Mintiens of Ressence and Ahmed Seddiqi, a luxury watch and jewelry retailer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are back with another limited edition. This time, they used the fairly new Ressence Type 9 as their canvas and added a unique touch: the domed titanium dial is completely covered with sand. It’s not just any sand, though; it’s sand from each of the seven emirates. They will make only 20 pieces of the Ressence Type 9 S75, exclusively available through Ahmed Seddiqi.
This is the fourth collaboration between Ressence and Ahmed Seddiqi. The first three watches shared the same mosaic dial pattern, just in different executions. The Type 1 Squared DXB came out in 2019. As the name suggests, it had a cushion case, and the dial was partly skeletonized. Then, the Type 1 Slim DX2 came out in 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. Its dial wasn’t skeletonized but engraved, which made it reflect light in different directions. Two years later, they presented the Type 1° DX3 with a dial covered in lume and a thin layer of rose gold on top. Let’s take a look at the newest member of the family.
The Ressence Type 9 S75
The new Ressence Type 9 was a highly anticipated release late last year. Its 39mm × 11mm titanium case makes it the Belgian brand’s most compact watch to date, perfect for people who love Benoît’s designs but have a smaller wrist. Like the minimalistic Type 8, its dial only tells the hours and minutes; a brushed bezel also carries the hour markers. The first two dial options were monochromic gray and a more colorful aqua blue. The new Ressence Type 9 S75 sits somewhere in between with its goldish sandy color.
Benoît gathered the sand with Ahmed Seddiqi’s chief commercial officer, Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi. They set out into the desert, collected sand from each of the seven emirates, and covered the Type 9 S75’s dial with it. The sand gives each dial a distinct texture and color and harks back to ancient hourglasses. Partially thanks to the domed shape, it almost looks like the dunes from which the sand originates.
As you can see, there are three blank patches on the dial. That’s because the backside of the dial functions as a bridge for the ROCS (the Ressence Orbital Convex System) 9 module inside. The zones with no sand hold the rubies for the internal axes and are therefore very thin. There’s simply no room left to remove material and embed the sand there. The patches are excellent reminders of the state-of-the-art technology inside the Type 9.
No traditional crown
The patented ROCS module is powered by the minute axle of a mechanical automatic movement based on an ETA caliber 2892-2. It runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 31 jewels, and has a 36-hour power reserve. Like any Ressence watch, the Type 9 S75 doesn’t have a traditional crown. That protrusion on the right side of the case would interrupt the pebble-like feel of the watch. That’s why you wind and set it according to the instructions on the rotating case back, which functions as a crown.
Limited to 20 pieces
I think it’s great that Ressence has already come out with a limited and very special edition of its relatively new family member. The sand dial is a striking reference to Ahmed Seddiqi’s regional origin. But apart from that, it also looks great on the Type 9’s minimalistic hour-and-minute dial. The light hits the grains of sand differently with every glance at the wrist. That gives the watch a unique look time and time again.
The new Ressence Type 9 S75 comes on a matching camel leather strap and costs CHF 15,500, excluding VAT. The production is limited to 20 pieces, and the watches are exclusively available through Ahmed Seddiqi.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the all-new Ressence Type 9 S75.
