A short history of Monaco and a one-off watch built for a charity project
This one-off timepiece was made for a good cause... and it is also red. Very red
Before the invention of the jet-set, the Principality of Monaco sat, unbothered, right in the heart of Mediterranean Europe because no one really knew what to do with it. In 1848, the French cities of Menton and Roquebrune seceded from Monaco, partly because they didn't agree with Monaco's lemon export tax, leaving the Principality in a bit of a pickle.
August 2020
In 1854, Prince Florestano I of Monaco did two things. One, he legalized gambling and two, he formed a committee to develop a plan for a new resort which would include a casino. The first provisional venue opened in 1856 and in 1863, the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the world famous location that's still there today, opened its doors to the public*. It was a huge hit and in 1869, the Prince abolished personal income tax and that, by the way, has never changed since. If you're a resident of Monaco today, as most people probably know, there's no income tax.
It certainly sounds promising but this was just an economic and political decision and Monaco still needed some form of marketing/PR move to put the place on the world map. They got two of 'em. On April 14, 1929, the first ever Monaco Grand Prix was held and in 1956, American super-celebrity Grace Kelly married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.
Fast forward to the 2010s and 2020s, and Monaco is still one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Unlike most European countries, the Principality doesn't really have financial concerns, which gives them time and opportunity to work on other issues and in the current state of things, Monaco has three problems: space, space and space.
Monaco is running out of space at an alarming rate. Measuring just 0.78 square miles (it's smaller than Central Park, NYC), the country has gone to extreme lengths to make sure they make the most of every inch and it's still not enough. A little over three years ago, the Principality approved a $2.3b land extension project. They're basically building a new island (which will technically be a peninsula), a 15-acre land where new buildings, along with new beaches and gardens, can be built but they're way behind schedule, and not just because of C19.
Building new land, and using the land you already have, is difficult especially when you factor in sustainability. In 2006, the current ruler of Monaco, Prince Albert II, established the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, involved in various environmental and charity projects and the watch you see here, the Ressence Type 3MC, is the latest item to go under the hammer to contribute to the foundation.
Ressence (renaissance+essence) was founded in 2010 by Benoît Mintiens in Antwerpen, Belgium. The 3MC is based on Ressence's flagship model, the Type 3, and it was built in partnership with Art in Time, a Monaco watch retailer owned by Chopard, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. It is a one-off creation, or a Pièce Unique, as they say in the watch world.
Ressence made a resounding impact in the watch industry, chiefly because of the dial, which looks like it might be printed, or maybe even digital, but it isn't. The watch is powered by an ETA 2824/2 movement, customized by Ressence with the addition of a Patented ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) module.It is a self-winding mechanism, vibrating at 4Hz, featuring 47 jewels and a 36-hour power reserve.
The face features four discs - for the hours (largest central dial), day of the week, date and a power reserve indicator - incorporated into the sapphire crystal. The largest disk rotates once per hour, gradually and subsequently moving all the other disks depending on the intended function.
The 44 mm case is made of Grade 5 titanium and the watch is almost entirely red, apart from a couple of white and orange accents for the (luminous) hands and the markers. The strap is also red.
The watch was eventually auctioned off for undisclosed sum (some say around $50k) but I did a bit of digging and the cheapest Ressence you can find on Chrono will set you back a hair over $11k, whereas an equivalent Type 3 model costs around $25,000.
My 2 cents worth? I don't like the watch very much. But I appreciate the fact that it was made specifically for the Principality. And I appreciate why.
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Comments (11)
unimpressed
with the watch? Yeah, same here. Don't like it. But I do appreciate that it was made for Monaco
Yes the watch. Monaco sounds fantastic. Rich play land - what's not to love?
The watch looks like a plastic kids toy. Not attractive. Just isn't. But oh well, I am not the target audience in any way so it doesn't matter.
Honestly I like it but its not something to be worn but rather showcased.
not a huge fan of the watch, it looks like a toy. But I do like the story behind the watch and the place
I honestly dont know why but that glass on the watch captivates me
The watch is.......
ugly
very. I don't like it at all. But I like the story. And I love the place
Yeah, that's understandable
#watches