Atelier Wen was born out of a passion for horology and deep admiration of China’s cultural heritage and craftsmanship talents. We believe in transparency and taking pride in our origins and that is why we want to celebrate Chinese culture, crafts and watchmaking. We aim to do so by manufacturing the absolute, very best Chinese watches ever.
Perception
Infinite Depth and extreme thinness
Inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, Perception features hand-made guilloché dials by the sole guilloché master craftsman of China, 904L steel case and bracelet with spectacular attention to finish and a customised extra thin automatic movement. The striking contrast between the dial depth and the case thinness leads to an almost surreal vertigo feeling, defying physical perceptions.
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HAND-MADE GUILLOCHÉ DIALS BY CHINA’S SOLE GUILLOCHÉ MASTER CRAFTSMAN
The dial of Perception is true hand-made guilloché, crafted using a rose engine by the only guilloché master artisan in the whole of China and Asia, Master Cheng. It takes him 8 hours to manufacture just one dial. Guilloché is a true métier d’art, mastered by less than 30 craftsmen in the world.
A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES
The design of Perception was guided by key Chinese architectural principles which have been re-interpreted to fit a watch format. The sides of the case are inspired by the curved silhouettes of Chinese pagodas, while the top of the lugs feature gently curved angles also reminiscent of roof structures. Furthermore, the central links of the steel bracelet boast the same hexagonal shapes found throughout many elements of Chinese architecture including pagodas and windows. The dial has the same Sunmao structure (mortise and tenon) of many ancient buildings with its four different layers nested into each other and holding through imbrication.
9.4MM THICK 904L STAINLESS STEEL CASE WITH SPECTACULAR ATTENTION TO FINISH
The case and bracelet of Perception are made of 904L stainless steel, a rare alloy used by few brands and with an exceptional polishing potential. This enables spectacular finishing with sharp angles and contrasting surface treatments. The case is just 9.4mm thin, thanks our customised extra slim automatic calibre, the Dandong SL1588.
PORCELAIN ODYSSEY
Porcelain dials that will shine forever
Inspired by the roots of modern, post-1955 Chinese watchmaking, Porcelain Odyssey aims to provide an answer to the question of what contemporary Chinese watch design could look like. It notably features extremely-hard-to-produce porcelain dials, which offer a captivating range of reflections and which shine will never fade away.
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OUR STORY: A TALE OF TWO AFICIONADOS PASSIONATE ABOUT CHINESE CULTURE
Wilfried and Robin are two close friends from France who came together while studying in Beijing in 2016 through a shared passion for China, watches and starting new things. Disappointed by the lack of awareness surrounding Chinese craftsmanship and deep cultural heritage, they decided to create Atelier Wen in a bid to celebrate those with individuals from all over the world.
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