Introducing: The Ressence Limited Art Watch Type 8 × Daniel Engelberg

We all know Benoît Mintiens, founder of Ressence, doesn’t shy away from using multiple colors on his user-friendly spherical watches. The brand’s minimalist Type 8, however, has always had a more modest, single-color design — until now. In collaboration with German painter and sculptor Daniel Engelberg, Ressence presents us with the Type 8 DE1 in pink and DE2 in turquoise. Limited to 40 pieces each, the watches feature Engelberg’s optimistic, color-rich, and concentric artwork. Have you ever seen such a perfect match between a watch brand and a contemporary artist?

This certainly isn’t the first time Ressence has worked with a contemporary artist for its limited-edition art watches. Look, for example, at the colorful Carpe Diem in collaboration with Alain Silberstein and the one-of-a-kind Type 1² made with Shantell Martin. These new Type 8s featuring Daniel Engelberg’s artwork somehow feel different, though.

Daniel Engelberg’s Inside Out #1 (2023), made of wood, acrylics, and resin, 55 × 55 × 2 cm

Engelberg is known for his concentric circular forms and use of vibrant acrylics under a glossy layer of epoxy resin. When you look at his portfolio, you can’t help but smile and feel a little more optimistic. His Inside Out art series features the same vibrant colors and concentric shapes, combining them with an intriguing black hole. No wonder Benoît asked Engelberg if he could feature his artwork on his watches — it almost looks like it was made specifically for the Ressence dial layout. Let’s take a closer look.

The Ressence Type 8

As mentioned, the Ressence Type 8 is one of the brand’s most minimalist watches. The domed titanium dial only shows the hours and minutes and lets you guess the seconds. There’s an internal chapter ring to help tell the time, but that’s it. The watch also usually only features one other color than that of the hands and indexes. The dial design is nice and clean, just like the UFO-like Grade 5 titanium case. It has a 42.9mm diameter and an 11mm profile (including the crystal), a brushed and polished finish, and hidden lugs for an invisible strap connection.

Inside ticks a highly modified ETA 2892 base caliber, the minute axle of which drives the patented Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) underneath the dial. The movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and holds a power reserve of 36 hours. With the ROCS module, there are 188 components, including 31 jewels, 20 gears, and four ball bearings. You operate the movement with the rotating case back, which functions as a crown.

The Type 8 DE1 and DE2 limited art watches

While the Type 8 usually has quite a modest dial design, these Daniel Engelberg editions certainly don’t. These dials have a design that almost fully resembles Engelberg’s artwork from his Inside Out series. The black hole in the middle of the colorful gradient rings pulls you in, especially on the Type 8’s domed dial. The hour dial acts as the starting point, and the blue, turquoise, and green rings surround the minute hand. The most significant difference between the DE1 and the DE2 is the engraved minute track at the edge of the dial.

On the DE1, the minute track has three rings, each in a different shade of pink, whereas on the DE2, those rings are in three shades of turquoise. Each version offers a different take on the same concept. The pink outer rings on the DE1 make the center of the dial pop a little more, while the all-turquoise DE2 is a bit more modest but no less interesting to look at. Each version of the Type 8 by Daniel Engelberg comes with a matching rubber strap with a Grade 5 titanium buckle.

A match made in heaven

When a watch brand and an artist work together, the result is not always a win-win. The watch might lose some of its original charm, and it’s sometimes hard to appreciate the artwork on such a small object. However, this time, I think Ressence and Daniel Engelberg are a match made in heaven. Engelberg’s lively colors and concentric shapes perfectly complement the Type 8’s clean and minimalist design.

The new Ressence Type 8 DE1 and DE2 each cost CHF 19,000 (ex. taxes). Once again, these are limited editions, and Ressence will only produce 40 pieces of each version.

Let me know what you think of this Ressence Type 8 collaboration with Daniel Engelberg in the comments below!