ROCS is not a simple decorative module: it is a display patent that eliminates traditional hands by replacing them with eccentric rotating discs that orbit on a convex titanium dial. The acronym stands for Ressence Orbital Convex System. The underlying principle is that every piece of information — hours, minutes, seconds, date — is entrusted to a rotating satellite that moves around a fixed peripheral ring bearing the indices, rather than rotating on a fixed central pivot as a traditional hand would.
Mechanically, the ROCS module sits between the movement and the dial, receiving motion from the minute axis. The discs are inclined at specific angles: 3° for the hours, larger values for the seconds or for additional complications depending on the version. In the Type 3, the upper chamber is filled with approximately 2.95 ml of clear oil that eliminates optical distortions from the sapphire crystal and improves readability from lateral angles; internal bellows compensate for volume variations as temperature changes. In the Type 11, Ressence abandoned the ETA calibres on which previous versions had been based and developed the brand's first proprietary movement specifically to implement ROCS: the three eccentric satellites display hours, seconds and power reserve, while the entire dial completes one full rotation every hour to indicate the minutes.
The eCrown system, introduced on the Type 2 and long misunderstood by the traditional industry, stems from the same logic: to remove the crown from the aesthetic and functional equation. On the Type 9, the rotating caseback replaces the crown for winding the movement and setting the time, preserving the continuous profile of the case. On the Type 11, a lever hinged to the caseback serves the same purpose, eliminating the risk of over-winding typical of rotating casebacks.
From the bench, I have seen several examples of the Type 3 series pass through, and I can say that the magnetic transmission between the lower chamber and the ROCS module — necessary because the two sections are physically separated by oil — is the part that requires the greatest attention during servicing: the coupling magnets are precise but sensitive to external fields. It is a mechanics that fascinates, but that must be handled with a respect different from that accorded to a conventional movement.