Ressence Type 5: What Makes This Watch an Engineering MASTERPIECE?

Hello watch lovers. Now this is the Renaissance Type 5 and it's pretty much as mad as mechanical watches can get. It has no crown, no traditional hands and get this, the entire dial is submerged in oil. With an engineering approach unlike anything else in the luxury watch industry, Renaissance has created a watch that feels more like a concept from the future than something that could be worn on your wrist today. So, how does it work and why is it one of the most revolutionary watches of the modern era? Let's find out. Founded in 2010 by Benoir Mintons, Renaissance has brought a radical new aesthetic to the world of mechanical watches. Hardly surprising given that Minten's path to herology was far less conventional than the founders of most watch brands who typically learned the ropes at established Swiss manufacturers before striking out on their own. Instead, the Belgian national spent most of the naughties working as an industrial designer on everything from suitcases to medical devices before finally turning his eye to the mechanical wristwatch and deciding it was in dire need of a visual refresh. The result, models like this mind-boggling type 5, which along with the similar type 3 is the quintessential Renaissance. So, as you can see, Renaissance watches don't look like any other mechanical time piece, and they aren't built like them either. While the base movements of Renaissance watches are heavily modified etc calibers just like those used by brands like Tisso and Hamilton beyond this starting point Renaissance pretty much takes the watchmaking rule book with its gray cover and everything and rips it up and uses the pages as an Android substitute. Take this much loved Type 5 for instance. A continuation of the previously released Type 1 and type 3, the Type 5 shares the same architecture as those watches. It consists of different halves. An oil filled upper chamber which also accommodates the dial and the lower chamber housing the movement. Oh, as to why this watch is filled with oil, we'll come on to that more in a minute. So, these two chambers are separated by a hemetically sealed titanium plate or membrane ensuring the movement stays free of said oil because generally you don't want liquid slloshing around inside your watch movement be it seaater, spilled Dr. pepper or yes even oil. Well, apart from that is the small amount of lubrication oil used to reduce friction as with standard mechanical watches of so then how does the movement interact with the dial if the two chambers are completely separate with no pinions or gears crossing over from one side to the other? Well, this is where a renaissance gets really clever. Mintians devised a complex magnetic transmission system to propel the dials and this sits in its own containment zone similar to a Faraday cage. Alas, watches and magnetism have never been happy bedfellows. Another problem that Mintians faced was the fact that oil expands and contracts according to temperature. In this case, a mixture of the outside temperature and that of the wearer's wrist. With the watch's crystal secured by the case by an adhesive, Mintians had to ensure the expansion of the oil didn't force the crystal to pop off or that the contraction of the oil didn't create unsightly bubbles, spoiling the dials legibility. This was solved by the addition of seven bellows that extend or compress to compensate for changes in the oil's internal volume between a range of minus5° and plus 55°. Initially, these small bellows were made of nickel before rubber was deemed more effective. And so, yes, the purpose of having an oil filled dial in the first place is legibility. The dial markers on the Type 5 give the impression that you're looking at some sort of Apple style electronic display rather than a purely mechanical one with no depth whatsoever to the dial. This is because the oil inside has the same refractive index as the glass on the outside. So, it completely cancels out the total internal reflection, making it appear as though the dial and markers are printed directly onto the surface of the curved crystal, allowing you to read the display with ease from any angle. So, whether you're down at the bottom of a minehaft or snorkeling in a pee bog, Renaissance watches are always strikingly easy to read. The dial display of a Renaissance is often something that leaves people scratching their head in wonder. The brand calls it rocks, ROCs, an acronym that stands for Renaissance orbital convex system. Orbital refers to the way the discs on the dial move around each other, while convex refers to the curvature of the discs and the organic aesthetic of the watch in general. without the three hands mounted on a central cannon pinion like regular watches. The dials within a dial on the type 5 are each set on a separate axis. If you've ever seen an Odmar pig star wheel system, then it's a similar effect to that. The largest sub dial displays the hours while the minutes are found around the periphery of the main dial. And what appears to be a small second sub dial is actually a 90-second runner, merely showing that the watch is currently functioning. an essential requirement for any divers's watch. This runner also doubles as a shock absorber with the hand tending to leap around a little bit if the watch is shaken. So, don't have a heart attack if you see that second hand just flailing wildly. It's meant to do that. And then the final sub dial is a gauge to capture the slightest temperature change in the oil. A bit like the display on your car's dashboard that tells you that your engine's overheating. This hand should be comfortably in the green or yellow zone. If it's in the red, you need to plunge your wrist in a nearest ice bucket. And if it's in the blue, then you might want to have a hot shower while wearing your Renaissance. As a dive watch, the Type 5 also features a unidirectional bezel. Currently the only Renaissance in the lineup to do so. The Renaissance compression lock system, a mechanism operated by the outer ring of the caseback locks and compresses the gasket with two positions, lock and set. When the small triangle is in the lock position, the watch is at its maximum water resistance, a perfectly respectable 100 m. Now, one of the USPS of a Renaissance watch is the absence of a crown. Occasionally, designers in the past have tried to simplify round watch cases by having the crown recessed into the case to make it perfectly circular. But, Renaissance dispenses with the crown all together. So, how do you set the time on a Type Five? Well, after removing the watch from your wrist and making sure the affforementioned triangle is in the set position, you simply grab the midsection of the case back and turn it in either direction. This moves the minute, hour, and seconds hand simultaneously. Once set to the desired time, return the triangle to the lock position. These rotations should be done slowly and steadily, otherwise the magnetic transmission that links the movement to the display can become decoupled, but that's something that can be easily remedied by catching the magnets back together. This is achieved by turning the case back faster than the dial can keep up. It can be a bit fiddly and take a bit of getting used to, and it's one of a few minor gripes of Renaissance ownership along with constantly having to explain to people how an oil filled watch works. But once you've set the time, you can fix the case back in the lock position. As for winding, the Type 5, like all Renaissance watches, runs on an automatic movement. But if it's stopped because you haven't worn it for a while, it might need a kickstart. This requires continually rotating the midsection of the case back anticlockwise until you feel an increased resistance followed by a click. After this, simply rotate the case back and forth in opposite directions around 10 times. So, size-wise, earlier Renaissance watches measured up at the larger end of the spectrum with case sizes of 44 mm or like the type 5, 46 mm. But its most recent type 9 model came in at a modest 39 mm case, the sweet spot for many wearers. In most Renaissance watches, the lack of a bezel around the dial doesn't mean they wear especially larger, but be aware that a couple of models have a slightly towering presence. The Type 3, for example, is 15 mm thick, which is right up there with some of the thickest chronographs. It's a little bit like having a cupcake strapped to your wrist. That said, all Renaissance watches are now made in titanium, making them feel so light that half the time you'll forget you're even wearing one. Another little bug bear of some Renaissance owners is the width between the lugs, which can measure up to 24 mm and thus limiting your choice of strap options. But Renaissance does have an excellent selection of its own on their website. Now, brand new Renaissance watches can cost between £11,000 for a simple time only type 9 and around £335,000 for the type 3, the model that boasts the extra functions like the day display and temperature gauge. The starting price for a type 5, which is the only Renaissance you can reliably wear underwater, is around £27,000. Pre-owned models tend to hold their value quite well, selling for a little under retail. And with around 750 watches currently made each year, demand for this independent Swiss Belgium brand is relatively high. Happily, a Renaissance watch doesn't require a routine trip to your local car mechanic for an oil change. And unless the crystal gets smashed, leaking oil all over your shirt cuff, it's just as permanent as any regular watch dial. As for the movement side, the modified ETA calibers will require servicing at around the same intervals as regular mechanical watches. Renaissance recommends a complete overhaul every 3 to 5 years depending on how tough a life your watch has had, but this should only be carried out at an authorized Renaissance service center due to the bonkers architecture of the watches. So, there you go. That about wraps up our deep dive into the Renaissance type 5 watch. I hope you enjoyed it. And if you're on the lookout for your next pre-owned luxury watch, then why not head over to watchfinder.com where you'll find thousands of pre-owned luxury watches from all the top brands. And also, why not consider signing up to the watchfinder newsletter to get exclusive access to new arrivals, be the first to hear about all our special offers and promotions, and to get first dibs on our giveaways. Just head down to the link in the description to sign up. Check it out, and I'll catch you next time. Goodbye.