essence announces the launch of two limited-edition art watches, limited to 40 pieces, that elegantly fuse the brand’s design-forward ethos with German artist Daniel Engelberg’s geometric, colour-rich aesthetic.

The Type 8 DE1 features an eye-catching pink palette, while the DE2 offers a vivid turquoise scheme. In their lively colourways, the watches draw directly from Engelberg’s “Inside Out” art series, known for its concentric circles and illusion of depth.

“It’s a perfect example of two universes working together organically,” says Benoît Mintiens, Ressence’s founder and creative mind. This watch takes you into the colourful and optimistic world of Engelberg, which offers a precise blend of industrial rigour, sculptural clarity, and painterly imagination.

The result of the collaboration is art that one can wear on the wrist, cleverly drawing upon Ressence’s patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS) technology, which allows the dials, enhanced with Engelberg’s symmetrical designs, to orbit one another, creating artfully fluid displays of time.

“This project is a true application of art to a watch,” says Mintiens. “It’s an almost literal integration of an artwork into a watch dial. Here, the dial and Daniel’s painting speak the exact same graphic language, an organic geometry that feels meant to be.”

Previous art watches include the Type 1 Squared White featuring Shantell Martin’s fluid line drawings and “Enjoy Life” mantra for TimeForArt 2024, Stefan Sagmeister’s Type 3X Look Up (2020) embedding his philosophy “Now is Better” into the dial, and Alain Silberstein’s Type 1 S REV Grail Watch (2022), a symbolic exploration of “Carpe Diem”.

The brand’s “art in motion” philosophy underscores Ressence’s belief that a watch should engage the wearer on an emotional level, not just a technical one.

Ressence sees its Swiss-made watches as elegant canvases for both personal enjoyment and cutting-edge creativity. With the Engelberg collaboration, the watch becomes much more than a time-keeping tool: an artwork in constant motion, uniquely alive on the wrist.

“For the first time, I have a work of art that is animated,” Engelberg notes. “Seeing my design in constant motion on a Ressence watch, drawing the eye into an illusionistic depth, is truly special. It’s as if the art comes alive every minute.”

Built on the Type 8 design, the new models (Type 8 DE1 and DE2) exemplify Ressence’s ’Less is More’ philosophy, focusing on simplicity in both design and functionality.

By eliminating superfluous details, the Type 8 distils watchmaking to its essence: offering a pure time-reading experience with hours and minutes displayed through the patented Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS).

The pair will debut with playful rubber straps matching their dial colours—pink for DE1 and turquoise for DE2; a second strap option in premium leather is provided for buyers to wear on more formal occasions.

The Type 8 Daniel Engelberg will be available from through Ressence’s online store and select global retailers. As the latest release in Ressence’s art series, pink for DE1 and turquoise for DE2, these models reinforce Ressence’s ongoing dialogue with contemporary art, affirming a vision of watchmaking as a meaningful form of creative expression.

Ressence continues its artful exploration of watchmaking, teaming up with Munich-based painter and sculptor Daniel Engelberg on two striking, limited-edition watches. Available August 2025, the TYPE 8 DE1 (warm pink) and DE2 (vivid turquoise) are inspired directly by Engelberg’s acclaimed Inside Out series, known for mesmerising concentric circles and optical depth.

With just 40 piecess per edition, these watches reinforce Ressence’s ethos to push the boundaries of creative collaboration in art and horology, they’re kinetic pieces, brought to life by the brand’s Orbital Convex System (ROCS). “This project is a true application of art to a watch,” says Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens. “It’s a perfect example of two universes working together organically.” Engelberg adds, “For the first time, my work is animated, truly alive.”

This collaboration continues Ressence’s dialogue with the art world, building on past creative partnerships with talents like Alain Silberstein, Shantell Martin, and Stefan Sagmeister, with the intention of making such encounters an increasingly meaningful part of our journey. The Type 8.1 DE1 and DE2 will be available from August 2025, through Ressence’s online store and select global retailers. Together, they affirm the brand’s belief that fine watchmaking and contemporary art can move in unison, distilled here into two confident, kinetic, and expressive pieces.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Functions

• Hours
• Minutes Movement
• Patented ROCS 8 - Ressence Orbital Convex System - module driven by the minute axle of a customised automatic base calibre
• Self-winding
• 36 hours power reserve
• 28,800 vibrations per hour
• 31 jewels
• 20 gears
• 4 ball bearings

Dial

• Grade 5 titanium dial (75mm diameter) running on a jewel ball bearing with eccentric satellites rolling on jewel ball-bearings inclined at 9,75° (hours)
• 0.5mm laser-engraved minute and hour discs
• Engraved indications filled with blue Grade A Super-LumiNova

Case

• Polished Grade 5 titanium
• Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating inside
• 42,9 mm (diameter) x 11mm (thickness)
• 1 ATM splash-resistance
• Manual winding over 12° and set-up via caseback
• Rotating two directions

Buckle & Strap

• Titanium ardillon buckle
• Soft pink rubber strap (20/20mm) for pink Type DE1
• Blue green rubber strap (20/20mm) for blue Type DE2
• Complementary blue leather strap (20/20mm)

Components

• 188 components

Weight

• 40 grams

Price

• CHF19,000 (excluding taxes)