Introducing: The Ressence Type 8 ‘Indigo’ Limited Edition For Shellman Japan
What We Know
In 2022, Ressence introduced its simplest and most futuristic-looking design yet – the Type 8. The 42.9mm case featured integrated, almost shrouded lugs and an ultra-simplified take on their traditional orbital time display in a Cobalt blue color. A year later, the Type 8 received a new sage green variant, and both have remained as the two Type 8s in the model line since.
This year, Ressence designs a new Type 8 for Shellman, one of the world’s best-regarded retailers for both vintage and independent watchmaking, for a new take on the model in a limited run of 8 pieces with an exciting twist – all of the blue that you see on the dial is from natural Japanese indigo-dyed silk thread, meant to showcase the traditional Japanese craft of indigo dyeing.
For the Type 8 ‘Indigo,’ Ressence goes straight to the heart of the tradition in Japan – Tokushima Prefecture – and uses silk thread dyed by Buaisou, a company that specializes in the entire indigo process, from growing their own indigo plants to the extraction of the color to finally the dyeing process itself. For those who might have only thought about indigo as just the name of a color, it’s actually believed to be one of the oldest dyes known to civilization, and in Japan, the production of this natural color from Indigofera plants dates back hundreds of years. Over months, leaves from indigo plants are harvested, mixed with water, and fermented, eventually producing a hue that’s hard to reproduce synthetically.
For this special edition, the curved titanium dial is first carved out in order to give clearance to the thickness of the thread. You may have spotted already that there are parts of the dial outside of the minute track that “interrupt” the sections of indigo thread – Ressence says this is due to structural limitations, with those sections unable to be reduced the 0.2mm required to fit the thread with proper clearance to the curved sapphire crystal. Those areas, along with the outer minutes and inner hour tracks, are finished in a grey PVD treatment, and the engraved markers are filled with blue Super-LumiNova.
The blank titanium dial, on the right, shows the carved out spaces for the silk to sit.
To actually place the 2.5m-long and 0.2mm thick indigo silk thread onto the dial, Ressence uses Geneva-based atelier GVA Cadrans, where a craftswoman spends two days working on each of the dials. The thread is applied as a single piece, starting from the outwards edge and weaving continuously through the carved-out sections of the dial. Ressence says that special bonding materials were used to preserve the striking indigo color of the fibers on the dial.
The other aspects of the Type 8 remain unchanged, most importantly the Ressence Orbital Convex 8 system that uses a highly modified automatic ETA 2892 and the proprietary module on top in order to let the minute and hour disks rotate orbitally as time passes. The case comes in at 42.9mm in diameter (but keep in mind the absence of lugs) and 11mm in thickness. Water resistance is at 1 ATM, which is probably a sign to keep this away from rainstorms and pools. With the absence of a conventional crown, the caseback serves as the winding and time-setting mechanism.
The Ressence Type 8 “Indigo” is a limited edition of 8 pieces and available exclusively at Shellman at Isetan Shinjuku Watch Shop in Tokyo, Japan.
What We Think
This is kind of breaking my brain – in the best way possible. With Ressence’s futuristic industrial design, they were the last brand that I would have expected to release a dial incorporating artisanal handcraft. But for a special edition for Shellman, you have to do your best. With the Type 8 “Indigo,” Ressence is doing a good job of honoring Shellman’s initiative of showcasing indigo as an integral part of Japanese culture. The execution seems very well done, though I wonder what the visual variation between each dial will be, as I’m sure all eight dials will reflect light differently based on the “weave.”
That being said, this is quite the jump up in price – almost double the retail price of the standard Type 8 models – from 13,500 CHF to 25,000 CHF. Yes, it’s expensive and hard to call a value proposition. Still, a value proposition for watches with handcraft dials (in the arts of enamel, leather marquetry, miniature painting, etc.) is most certainly never the point. This is a special piece, especially with a production run of only 8 pieces. In the Japanese collector market, they surely will be snapped up immediately, no doubt by Shellman VIPs and other seasoned collectors. I’m glad this watch exists, and I’ve heard from some collectors, who were fortunate enough to see this watch in the metal (and silk), that it looks absolutely stunning in person.
The Basics
Brand: Ressence
Model: Type 8 “Indigo”
Diameter: 42.9mm
Thickness: 11mm
Case Material: Titanium
Dial Color: Indigo (natural-dyed silk) and Grey
Indexes: Engraved
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 1ATM (Splash-resistant)
Strap/Bracelet: Medium warm grey Saffiano calf leather strap with titanium buckle
The Movement
Caliber: ROCS 8 – Ressence Orbital Convex System
Functions: Hours and minutes
Power Reserve: 36 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH
Jewels: 31
Pricing & Availability
Price: 25,000 CHF
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, eight pieces for Shellman Japan
Hodinkee
