Benoît Mintiens, founder of Resance, knows he’s not embarrassed to use multiple colors on a user-friendly spherical watch. However, the brand’s minimalist type 8 has always had a more modest single-colour design. In collaboration with German painter and sculptor Daniel Engelberg, Ressence presents a pink type 8 DE1 and a turquoise DE2. Limited to 40 each, the watch features Engelberg’s optimistic, colour-rich, 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 that Resance has collaborated on a contemporary artist and its limited edition art watch. For example, look at the colorful Carpe Diem and the unique Type 1² made with Shantell Martin in collaboration with Alain Silberstein. However, I feel that these new Type 8s, featuring Daniel Engelberg’s artwork, somehow, are different.
Daniel Engelberg’s Inside Out #1 (2023), Made of Wood, Acrylic, Resin, 55 x 55 x 2 cm
Engelberg is known for its concentric circular shape and its use of vibrant acrylic under a shiny layer of epoxy resin. Looking at his portfolio, I can’t help but feel a little more optimistic with a smile. His Inside Out Art Series features the same vibrant colours and concentric shapes, combined with an interesting black hole. It’s no wonder Benoît asked Engelberg if he could feature his artwork on his watch. Let’s take a closer look.
ressence type 8
As mentioned before, the Ressence Type 8 is one of the most minimalist watches in the brand. The dome-shaped titanium dial only displays hours and minutes, so you can guess seconds. There is an internal chapter ring that helps to convey the time, but that’s it. Additionally, clocks usually only have colors other than hand and index colors. The dial design is wonderful and beautiful, like a grade 5 titanium case like a UFO. It has a diameter of 42.9mm and 11mm profiles (including crystal), a brush and polished finish, and a hidden lug for invisible strap connections.
Inside checks the highly modified ETA 2892 base caliber. The fine axle drives a patentable Ressence Track Convex System (ROC) under the dial. The movement operates at a frequency of 28,800VPH and holds a 36-hour power reserve. The ROCS module has 188 components, including 31 gems, 20 gears and 4 ball bearings. Return the rotating case to operate the movement. This acts as a crown.
Type 8 DE1 and DE2 limited art watch
The Type 8 usually has a rather modest dial design, but these Daniel Engelberg editions certainly aren’t. These dials have designs that are almost completely similar to Engelberg’s artwork in his Insiderout series. The black hole in the middle of the colorful gradient ring draws you in, especially with a type 8 dome dial. The time dial serves as a starting point, with blue, turquoise and green rings surrounding your fine hands. The most important difference between DE1 and DE2 is the engraved minute track at the edge of the dial.
In DE1, the Minute Track has three rings, each with a different pink shade, while in DE2, those rings are turquoise in three shades. Each version offers a different take on the same concept. The pink outer ring on the DE1 pops a little more at the center of the dial, while the entire talcoise DE2 is a little more modest, but it’s not interesting to watch either. 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 watch brands and artists work together, the outcome is not necessarily a winner. A watch can lose some of its original charm, and it can be difficult to understand the artwork of such small objects. However, this time I think Ressence and Daniel Engelberg were made in heaven. Engelberg’s lively colours and concentric shapes perfectly complement the clean, minimalist design of the Type 8.
The new Ressence Type 8 DE1 and DE2 are 19,000 times the total (e.g. tax). Again, these are limited editions, and only 40 Ressences are generated for each version.
In the comments below, let us know what you think about this Ressence Type 8 collaboration with Daniel Engelberg!
