Ressence Collaborates with German Artist Daniel Engelberg on a Pair of Limited Edition Versions of the Type 8

Ressence Collaborates with German Artist Daniel Engelberg on a Pair of Limited Edition Versions of the Type 8

Ressence is one of my favorite independent watch brands for a number of reasons. Chief among them, of course, is the novel time telling system invented by the brand, which is unlike anything else in watchmaking. It’s an example of both mechanical ingenuity and a design triumph, and like others who have had a chance to experience it, I’m continually blown away by the intuitive layout of these watches and the creativity in rethinking something as basic as telling the time. Another reason Ressence has such a strong appeal is that this design language has proven to be incredibly flexible, something we’ve observed over the years as the brand has collaborated with a variety of partners on interesting limited edition projects. The Grail Watch release with Alain Silberstein remains a personal favorite, as does their Dubai Watch Week LE from a few years ago (a new limited edition celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ahmed Seddiqi is also pretty great).

A pair of new watches made in collaboration with the artist Daniel Engelberg might just be my favorite Ressence limited edition yet. We got a very quick preview of these watches when we met with Ressence at Watches & Wonders earlier this year, and were immediately taken with their bold color palettes and a design that really leans into the brand’s aesthetic while still being wholly unique works. Engelbert is a German artist and a quick look at his Instagram feed reveals his interest in color and shape, and these dials immediately feel like direct extensions of his work.

Both watches use the Type 8 as a platform, and take what is fundamentally the brand’s most simple watch and turn it into something quite a bit more complex. In its standard form, the Type 8 has what is essentially a monochromatic look, using a dominant single color throughout the dial (blue or sage green, so far). Even in a prior limited edition featuring a dial made from a single silk thread was effectively an exploration of a single color. The new Engelberg pieces are something else entirely. The Type 8 DE1 incorporates pink and blue tones, while the Type 8 DE2 is focused on turquoise. 

Engelberg based these designs on his own “Inside Out” series with works featuring a concentric circle motif, frequently used to create an illusion of depth on a flat surface. In person, even in prototype stage, they had a pretty dramatic impact, and of course the circular motif applied to the dial relates directly to the Ressence’s unique time telling system, which itself is made up of rotating circles. The Type 8, with its single interior disc, is an interesting and somewhat understated choice for this collaboration. I can imagine a far more complex, and potentially overwhelming, take on this design if Engelberg had been tasked with a Ressence model featuring multiple interior satellite time telling discs. Perhaps that will be ground for future collaborations. 

The Type 8, stripped down though it may be, is still a fantastic example of what Ressence is great at. The case is crafted from titanium, and measures 42.9mm in diameter and 11mm thick.  The movement uses the ROCS 8 module, a variation of the ROCS system used in all Ressence watches, that is driven by the minute axle of an ETA base movement. This is an automatic caliber with 36 hours of power reserve on a full wind.

The new Ressence Type 8 DE1 and Type 8 DE2 are limited editions of 40 pieces. The retail price is set at CHF 19,000. Ressence

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