Ressence: The future of time, dyed in indigo

Ressence has pioneered new horizons in luxury mechanical timepieces with its unique time display system, which uses a process known as "dematerialization" to create a mechanical watch that appears almost digital. Their new Type 8 Indigo model features silk thread dyed using traditional Japanese indigo dyeing techniques, weaving the dial with an organic pattern that evokes the dynamics of life, suggesting the future of time display.

Dial expression covered with traditional techniques

　Around 40 years ago, there was a real sense of crisis that advances in synthetic fibers would drive natural materials out of everyday clothing. This meant that cotton shirts and indigo-dyed jeans would disappear, and we would be wearing stretchy materials like those worn by characters in science fiction movies. Behind this was concern that the rapid advancement of technology would lead to the disappearance of traditional methods and natural materials. One symbol of this was the devastating impact of the arrival of quartz watches on mechanical watches.

　However, in the face of this rapid wave of electronics, forces emerged that sought to revive mechanical watches, and as you know, from the 1990s onwards, mechanical watches began to be produced at a rate that surpassed that of the 50s and 60s, which was once known as the golden age of mechanical watches.

　However, the evolution of watches has been progressing quietly and steadily. While smartwatches are one example of this, another evolution of watches is embodied by Ressence, a watchmaker founded in 2010 by Belgian industrial designer Benoît Mintiens.

　Ressence has developed a unique time display system that uses a process called "dematerialization" to display minimalist graphics on a glossy black or white background, creating the appearance of a digital display. This system represents the future of timekeeping both mechanically and visually.

　Ressence's latest release is the Type 8 Indigo, which features a dial decorated with silk thread dyed with indigo in Japan. The base Type 8 features the Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS), in which the hands on the main dial and the sub-dial rotate and track each other.

The silk threads are dyed by BUAISOU, which was founded in Kamiita Town, Tokushima Prefecture in 2015. This indigo dyeing workshop handles all processes, from growing the raw indigo, to fermenting indigo leaves to making sukumo, dyeing, designing, and manufacturing. The photo shows indigo grown and harvested by BUAISOU themselves. This is then mixed with dried, fermented, and aged sukumo, lye, bran, and shell ash, and the resulting fermented indigo liquid is used for dyeing.

The BUAISOU-dyed thread is laid on the titanium dial at the Swiss Arts & Métiers Artisans workshop in Geneva. This process takes two days for a skilled craftsman to complete. If regular glue were used, the liquid would seep into the fibers, causing them to turn black and losing their natural luster, so a special glue was used. The type of glue is a secret.

　The Type 8 Indigo features a unique dial with a domed main dial, made of silk thread dyed with natural indigo and attached in a spiral pattern. However, on the existing Type 8, the gap between the outer surface of the dial and the inner surface of the sapphire crystal was only 0.25 mm. Therefore, the top surface of the titanium dial was milled down 0.2 mm to match the diameter of the silk thread, allowing it to fit within the gap between the sapphire crystal and the dial. However, due to technical limitations, there were some areas of the dial where a 0.2 mm milling was not possible. This left gray protrusions on the main dial, which required the thread to be attached around these areas. The result is a unique pattern that changes appearance depending on the angle of light, resembling tree rings, patterns left by lapping waves on a shore, or wind-induced ripples in sand dunes. This gives Ressence dials, which have traditionally been characterized by inorganic forms, a vibrant, organic feel brimming with life.

　The beautiful colors of natural indigo are produced by plants that grow under the blessings of the sun and microorganisms. The silk thread dyed with this dye is also a natural material derived from silkworms. The Type 8 Indigo is covered with the clear Japan Blue threads that have been nurtured through these organic processes, and represents a "watch of the future" that beautifully combines nature and technology, something that no one could have imagined 40 years ago.