January 12, 2019
Watchmaker Ressence is known for its expensive, minimal-designed mechanical watches, but now the company is taking its biggest step towards smartwatch functionality with its new Type 2. First revealed a year ago as a concept, the Type 2 features a solar-powered "e-Crown" that allows it to self-adjust the time as well as manage two different time zones, all paired with mechanical movement.
Co-designed by Tony Fadell of Nest and iPod fame, the Type 2's e-Crown is an electronic system that sits between the watch's mechanical movement and face. It powers its 36-hour battery with light thanks to photovoltaic cells that are hidden behind a set of "micro-shutters" which close when the watch is charged.
