or its 15th year, Ressence turns the spotlight outward, publishing a future- facing book that profiles 20 creative leaders building tomorrow.

“The future offers more than the past,” writes Benoît Mintiens, founder of Ressence, in the introduction to Ahead of Time, a new book launched to celebrate the independent watch brand’s 15th anniversary in 2025.

Far from a typical horology retrospective, Ahead of Time challenges some of the most visionary creative minds of our time – including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, and Kering CEO Luca de Meo – to imagine our shared future.

“This book is not about watchmaking, it’s about mindset,” explains Mintiens, who chose to use the Antwerp- based, Swiss-made watch brand’s milestone as an opportunity to profile a curated selection of entrepreneurs and industry leaders daring to “take risks, to be ahead of time and to build something better.”

“Instead of turning the lens inward with a retrospective, we believed it was more important to use this moment to take inspiration from others – those who share our brand values and are building a brighter future with imagination, intent, and resolve.”

The lushly produced title, created in collaboration with Belgian publisher Luster, spans 230+ pages of long- form conversations with 20 visionaries across a broad range of industries.

From the Manhattan studio of architect Daniel Libeskind, who explains how the future of architecture lies in buildings that touch our emotions, to the Danish design lab of Bang & Olufsen, where Tiina Karjalainen Kierysch is reimagining technology as emotional ritual, an optimistic narrative emerges.

Drawing on the credibility and diverse insights of these thinkers, Mintiens notes that “the people in this book maintain that childlike wonder while shaping the future” – a quality Ressence hopes to inspire in every reader.

With voices from Apple’s Phil Schiller, Lonneke Gordijn of the Amsterdam-based art collective Studio Drift, Google’s Ivy Ross, Michelin-starred chef Virgilio Martínez, and comedian Tom Segura, the book offers a wide-angle lens on the future – one that encourages readers to approach tomorrow with open minds.

Ahead of Time will be available in selected book stores and on ressencewatches.com from September, in Europe, and globally from late October.

Visionaries’ Views (taken from Ahead of Time)

Sam Altman – CEO, OpenAI (Technology)

As both OpenAI’s CEO and a clean-energy investor, Altman believes responsibly applied technology can radically improve lives, underscoring the book’s message: the future is full of potential if we choose to shape it with care. “If you can relax the constraints on intelligence and energy, I don’t think we fully understand yet what that world will look like... It will be a world of great abundance.”

Ivy Ross – VP of Design, Google (Design / Tech)

Ross argues that new technology, thoughtfully designed, should enhance human connection, not detract from it: “Artificial intelligence has been with us for quite a while, but now it’s being amped up. It begs the question: what does it mean to be human? I see technology as an enabler and a tool - it’s all about how you use it.”

Luca de Meo – CEO, Kering (Business / Luxury)

From cars to couture, the former Renault CEO turned Kering chief believes emotion - not automation - will define tomorrow’s bestbrands. “I don’t call it artificial intelligence... I call it augmented intelligence. It’s a tool.”

Stefan Sagmeister – Graphic Designer & Author (Design)

Stefan Sagmeister insists we’re living in a better world than we think. “I’d rather be alive now than twenty years ago... Right now, democracy is going a step back, but we’ve been going two steps forward for a long time.”

Lonneke Gordijn – Co-founder, Studio DRIFT (Art / Technology)

Dutch artist Lonneke Gordijn believes technology’s future lies in strengthening emotional bonds, not weakening them. At Studio DRIFT, she creates installations blending art, nature, and innovation to unite people around shared experiences. “We have a mission here as artists to promote the idea, knowledge, and system of uniting ourselves in one direction,” Gordijn says, highlighting technology’s potential to bring us closer together in meaningful ways.