ressence type 1 REV grail watch draws inspiration from philippe de champaigne's 1646 ‘vanitas’ painting

Magic happens

As Benoît Mintiens and Alain Silberstein join forces, the Ressence Type 1 REV Grail watch proves magic is possible. The collaboration between the two friends — Mintiens, the designer and founder of the Belgium watch brand, and Silberstein, a famed watchmaking architect — realizes a unique, distinctive timepiece that is equally as rich with innovation as it is artistry. Its eye-catching face expresses the transitory quality of life, inspired by Philippe de Champaigne’s 1646 ‘Vanitas’.

images by Revolution

The essence of watchmaking

Exemplifying the Belgium brand’s focus on the future of fine watchmaking, the sleek 41.5 mm Ressence Type 1 Slim watch provides the perfect foundation for the collaborative design. The unique rotation of its dial emphasizes the hour, minute and seconds individually. It has a 36-hour power reserve and is powered by an automated movement.

new ressence type 1 REV grail watch draws inspiration from philippe de champaigne’s 1646 ‘vanitas’ painting

de Champaigne’s 1646 ‘Vanitas’

Alain Silberstein’s design approach is artistic yet whimsical, sometimes startling but more frequently captivating. Structures of geometric shapes are apparent in his work, joyously communicating through a rainbow of eye-catching colors and cutting-edge materials.

For the Ressence Type 1 REV Grail, the watchmaking architect was inspired by Philippe de Champaigne’s 1646 ‘Vanitas’ to help fashion a watch that reflects the transitory quality of life and the fragility of worldly belongings. With a miniature withering flower denoting the hours and a small skull punctuating the seconds, the rotation of this watch’s minute dial perfectly symbolizes the passage of time. The hourglass and the passage of time are referenced by the moving dial. The result urges its audience to enjoy the present moment with their loved ones.

ressence type 1 REV grail watch

‘Ressence and Benoît Mintiens: only a Ressence watch, with its one-of-a-kind discs and planetary movements, could capture this one-of-a-kind interpretation of time,‘ answers Alain Silberstein as he explains why the Belgium brand was the ideal fit for this collaborative vision.

the design draws inspiration from philippe de champaigne’s 1646 ‘vanitas’ painting