Life In The Facet Lane – November 2015

by Diana Jarrett GG RMV

RESSENCE TYPE 1 V GENESIS; COURTESY TOTALLY WORTH IT

Recent business reports tell us that big brands with bold blatant icons prominently plastered on their goods are experiencing a crisis at the cash register. Luxury consumers it seems are turning away from such self promotion and instead favor buying high quality goods more discreetly designed. While this is especially true in ladies wear and accessories, they are a little late to the game according to watch connoisseurs.

Serious timepiece lovers had already shifted away from such obvious ostentation quite a while ago. Instead, they opt for luxury goods bearing exceptional craftsmanship often with extraordinary technology, and always with innovative design elements known only to the owner.

These are timepieces to love, not to boast about with strangers. Independent watchmakers are driving this new breed of innovation, and the public is responding enthusiastically. In an arena where years in business define one’s street cred, five years-young Swiss watchmaker Ressence represents a new breed of self-confident horologists. Founder Benoît Mintiens puts it like this, “I want the watch to be de-materialized; to express time in its purest possible way.”

Too many to list in full here; a few stand-out attributes of Ressence Type 1 Genesis men’s watch should be noted. It has no crown, for starters. A winding mechanism being the case-back itself, allows a perfect left-right fit. The domed sapphire glass extending to the very edge of the case makes the watch more sapphire than metal. Most strikingly, and iconic to Ressence is the lack of conventional hands. Time is displayed via a patented, complex mechanism driving convex sub-discs that continually revolve like moons orbiting around a planet. This allows the curved dial to be set closer to the sapphire glass, lending a sense of immediacy to the look and aids legibility. The watch’s uncluttered face is ever-changing just like everything is in time.

Men in Naples are dashing yet discrete. Their style sense is impeccable and we see these types of timepieces as a perfect complement to their understated elan. Take a peek at the new breed of watches including the Ressence featured here, at Exquisite Time in Naples FL.

Well-known industry writer and gemologist Diana Jarrett gathered an armful of awards from the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies, Inc. for their Bulletin Editors Contest reports the New York Mineralogical Club. She is already a multi-award winning journalist to the trade and countless consumer publications.

This year’s awards included the top billing Trophy for Educational Articles-Advanced for her reportage of the legendary Russian jeweler Fabergé in “Uncovering Fabergé.” Diana also accepted Third Place Written Features award for her Bulgari retrospective, “A Dazzling Display.” Lastly, her annual coverage of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows, “What Went Down at Tucson” earned 5th Place in the Non-Technical Articles division.

Diana has been a prolific contributor to the trade and for luxury goods outlets for many years. Her distinctive approach and recognizable voice garners fans in North America and abroad. Diana’s adaptability to each audience is key to the wide range of publications that covet her contributions.

From laboratory reports demanding accuracy in minute detail to her entertaining take on couture jewelry trends, Diana immerses herself in telling a story that resonates with her audience.

A decade long member of the New York Mineralogical Club (NYMC), founded by legendary gemologist George Frederick Kunz in the 19th century, her missives are also a staple in their NYMC Bulletin.

To learn more about Diana Jarrett or to contact her, visit www.dianajarrett.com.