The latest from Ressence is a departure from the usual cosmetic variation. Created for its Tokyo retailer Shellman, the Type 8 Indigo features a dial inlaid with indigo-dyed Japanese silk thread that’s been tightly packed into shallow recesses on the dial surface to form a swirling motif.

This watch is one of several editions conceived by Shellman that are cumulatively known as the Indigo project. Each is a collaboration with an independent watchmaker that sports a blue dial, in a nod to the traditional Japanese indigo dyeing technique.

Initial thoughts

The Type 8 was originally the entry-level model within the brand’s catalogue, fulfilling founder Benoît Mintiens’s wish to make his distinctive watches more accessible. At CHF25,000, the Type 8 Indigo cost almost double the basic Type 8. So it is no longer entry level, but the price is justified by the hand-made dial that takes two days to complete according to Ressence.

Importantly, the silk-inlaid dial looks good and complements the brand’s aesthetic perfectly. While the Ressence is not typically known for traditional decoration crafts, the dial decoration adds a little more variety to the brand’s watches, which are typically minimalist and hyper modern. At the same time, this is also more interesting than Ressence’s recent limited editions, most of which have been simple dial variations.

Indigo-dyed silk

Being based on the standard Type 8, the Indigo edition retains the same titanium case that’s 42.9 mm in diameter and 11 mm in thickness. In the usual Ressence style, the case has no crown, giving the case a seamless silhouette, while the rotating case back serves to wind the watch and set the time.

Similarly, the dial retains the signature regulator-like time display, but with a twist. The minutes are displayed on the periphery of the dial, while the hours are indicated on an “orbital” register that makes one revolution every hour.

But in the Indigo edition, the domed dial has been carefully milled to create a shallow recess covering most of its surface. This narrow space accommodates the width of a silk thread – the thread is just 0.2 mm in diameter – allowing the dial to be inlaid with Japanese indigo-dyed silk in a spiral pattern that is meant to symbolise the passage of time. The indigo-dyed thread is a nuanced blue that displays a range of hues, from bright blue to nearly black.

Though the material is Japanese, the dial was inlaid by Swiss Arts & Métiers in a process that requires two days and 2.5 m of silk thread per dial.

Mechanically, the Indigo edition is identical to the standard model. Inside is an ETA 2892-2 base with the brand’s own ROCS time display module. It has 36 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz).

Key Facts and Price

Ressence Type 8 Indigo

Diameter: 42.9 mm
Height: 11 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 10 m

Movement: ROCS 8
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 36 hours

Strap: Warm grey Saffiano calfskin strap with a titanium ardillon pin buckle

Limited edition: 8 pieces
Availability: Now at Shellman in the Isetan Shinjuku Watch Shop in Tokyo
Price: 25,000 Swiss francs excluding taxes

For more information, visit Ressencewatches.com.