Munich-based artist Daniel Engelberg has spent years building his Inside Out series, involving layered works of wood, acrylic, and resin that play with light, depth, and geometry.
They’re meditative, hypnotic pieces, often spanning entire walls. Now, through a collaboration with Belgian watchmaker Ressence, his art has been distilled to an entirely different scale: the watch face.
The result is the Type 8 DE, a limited edition that comes in two colorways, one washed in warm rose tones, the other in a crisp turquoise. At first glance, they feel almost like tiny paintings.
But instead of hanging still, Engelberg’s concentric patterns are set in motion by Ressence’s Orbital Convex System.
The dial’s discs slowly rotate, turning the simple act of reading the time into something more fluid, almost like watching kinetic sculpture.
Translating Engelberg’s large-format art into the confines of a 42.9mm titanium case is no small feat.
The gradients and textures are pared down, but the essence survives: each disc feels alive with shifting color, while engraved white markers keep the design functional.
It’s a lovely balancing act between legibility and expression, and thankfully it lands gracefully.
For Ressence, whose watches have always emphasized clarity and minimalism, this collaboration marks a subtle departure.
Founder Benoît Mintiens describes it as a dialogue between design languages, a chance for the dial to become not just an interface, but a canvas.
The watch doesn’t try to mimic Engelberg’s wall pieces. Instead, it offers a glimpse into them, like holding a fragment of a larger artwork, one that evolves every minute of the day.
As with any Ressence watch, this artistry and craftsmanship does not come cheap. The Type 8 DEI starts at $24,900.
See more on the Ressence website. Images © Copyright Ressence.
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