In an era where collaborations between watchmakers and artists often feel forced or superficial, Ressence's latest partnership with Munich-based artist Daniel Engelberg stands as a masterclass in organic creative fusion. The TYPE 8 DE1 and DE2—limited to just 40 pieces each—don't merely apply art to a watch dial; they transform the very concept of what a timepiece can be.
Daniel Engelberg is a Munich-based sculptor and painter known for seamlessly combining elements of both disciplines in his work. Educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg and Munich, he creates with a rigorous formal language and meticulous attention to craft. Exhibited across Europe, his work is distinguished by its geometric clarity, and joyful color palette—a combination shaped by early inspirations in architecture and construction. Engelberg mills his pieces from wood, paints them in vibrant acrylics, and seals them under glossy epoxy resin—a process that yields artworks of striking depth and structural rhythm, a sensibility that continues to inform his art.
The "Inside Out" series that inspired these watches exemplifies Engelberg's architectural sensibility. Concentric circular forms and gentle color gradients emanate from deep black cores, creating optical illusions that draw viewers inward. It's a marriage of minimal form with emotional punch—qualities that translate beautifully to the wrist.
What makes this collaboration extraordinary isn't just the vivid pink and turquoise colorways that draw directly from Engelberg's acclaimed "Inside Out" series. It's how Ressence's patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS) technology breathes life into Engelberg's geometric compositions. The concentric circles that define his work aren't static decorations here—they orbit and dance with each passing minute, creating what Engelberg describes as his first truly animated artwork.
"For the first time, I have a work of art that is animated, 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." Engelberg reflects.
Where traditional art collaborations might slap a famous painting onto a dial and call it a day, Ressence has created something genuinely symbiotic. The brand's ROCS technology—which eliminates traditional hands in favor of rotating discs—speaks the same visual language as Engelberg's concentric geometries.
Things to Know About the Watches
This partnership represents the latest chapter in Ressence's thoughtful exploration of art-meets-horology. Previous collaborations have included Shantell Martin's fluid line drawings on the TYPE 1 Squared White, Stefan Sagmeister's philosophical "Now is Better" embedded in the TYPE 3X Look Up, and Alain Silberstein's symbolic "Carpe Diem" exploration in the TYPE 1 S REV Grail Watch. Each project reinforces Ressence's core belief that watches should engage wearers emotionally, not just functionally. In a market increasingly dominated by smartwatch notifications and mechanical complications for its own sake, this philosophy feels refreshingly human-centered.
Built on the TYPE 8 platform, these watches embody Ressence's "Less is More" philosophy. The 44 mm Convex Grade 5 Titanium cases house the brand's ROCS 8 module, driven by a customized automatic base calibre offering 36 hours of power reserve. At just 40 grams, the watches feel substantial yet comfortable—a crucial consideration for pieces meant to be worn daily rather than stored in safes.
The playful rubber straps—pink for the DE1, and turquoise for the DE2—reinforce the watches' approachable luxury ethos, while included leather alternatives provide formal-occasion versatility. With a relatively low price, they occupy a sweet spot in Ressence's lineup accessible enough for serious collectors to consider, and exclusive enough—with just 80 total pieces—to maintain their special character.
Why This Matters
In an industry sometimes criticized for prioritizing heritage over innovation, Ressence continues pushing boundaries in meaningful ways. These Engelberg collaborations aren't about celebrity endorsements or marketing gimmicks—they represent a genuine creative dialogue between disciplines.
The result challenges our preconceptions about both art and timekeeping. These aren't watches with artistic pretensions or artworks masquerading as timepieces. They're something rarer: objects where form and function achieve a genuine synthesis, where checking the time becomes an aesthetic experience, and where contemporary art finds new life through horological animation.
When the TYPE 8 DE1 and DE2 launch in August 2025 through Ressence's online store and select global retailers, they'll offer collectors something increasingly precious in our digital age: analog beauty in motion, contemporary creativity translated into wearable form, and proof that the best collaborations transcend their constituent parts to create something entirely new. In Mintiens' words, these watches represent "two universes working together organically." In an industry often divided between tradition and innovation, that organic harmony feels like exactly what modern horology needs.
Sticker Price USD 22,500. More info on Ressence here.
