• 21/F, CMA Building 64
  • Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
  • +33 7 80 91 22 72
  • contact@atelierwen.com
  • M-F 8:00am - 10:00 pm GMT+8

FAQs

Below are answers to the questions we get asked most often.
Please get in touch through the live chat or by email if yours is not there.

Order process

Perception is produced in batches, and due to the hand-crafted nature of the watch, these take time. We currently allocate the watches on a first-come-first-served basis via our reservation list which you can access here:

The April ‘23 batch has already been fully accounted for, and the subsequent batch in EOY ‘23 is filling up fast. Following that, the next production run will come in Fall ‘24!

The Porcelain Odyssey line is unfortunately sold out and permanently retired as a collection. It was launched as a limited edition, and while demand for the piece has never been higher, we cannot go back on our word and fully intend to live up to that commitment.

If there are any changes that you need to make, do get in touch with us as soon as possible at hello@atelierwen.com and we will do our best to accommodate your request! If the watch has already been shipped, do note that you may be liable for any incurred costs.

If your desired changes relate to a reservation, please reach out to reservations@atelierwen.com

While our brand operates out of Hong Kong and our default currency is in HKD, payments can conveniently be made in your local currency, and can be converted at the current exchange rate.

Due to the huge demand and intricacies involved in producing the handmade elements in our watches, we presently have very few spare pieces to allocate as stock to authorized dealers. However, there are a handful of partners that we do work with that have secured orders from us well in advance, including the likes of Red Army Watches (Singapore), Chrono Theory (Japan), The Limited Edition (UK), and Prosper (Belgium). Feel free to reach out to us at hello@atelierwen.com for more information!

Absolutely! When you fill up the reservation list, you will not be limited to just one watch and are welcome to purchase all three variations of Perception.

The next batch of Perceptions will be delivered in early 2024, and the subsequent batch is due in either late 2024 or early 2025.

The hand-crafted nature of Perception’s guilloché dial and the high failure rate of successful dials presents us with a very real bottleneck. Each individual dial takes Master Cheng and his team approximately 8 hours of focused work on the rose engine, and this is before even considering those that do not make it through our stringent QC measures. As such, production volumes are necessarily low and this, coupled with the high demand, result in an extended wait time. However, Master Cheng’s apprentices are making good progress, and we hope to be able to ramp up fulfilment volumes in the coming batches!

Shipping and delivery

Yes! All orders placed ship with free international shipping.

Our watches ship out of Shenzhen, China, where they are packed and sorted following assembly and testing.

Our watches ship worldwide with the exception of several countries including North Korea, Syria, Yemen and Eritrea. Do drop us a note at hello@atelierwen.com if you are unsure if we may run into any issues shipping to your location.

Should you wish to change your shipping address, do reach out to us at hello@atelierwen.com as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but if the watch has already been shipped, do note that you may be liable for any incurred costs.

We operate under a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy. Within this period, you may return your watch at anytime provided that it is unworn.

Any deposits placed with us to secure a place on our reservation list is entitled to a 14-day cooling-off period during which said deposits are fully refundable. Once this period has lapsed, said deposits will become non-refundable. We seek your understanding in this as a small, independent watch producer, since our volume and capacity of production is highly sensitive to the volume of orders committed to.

For watches purchased during pre-order runs, customers are allowed a 14-day cooling-off period during which they may amend or cancel their orders. However, once this period has lapsed, refunds and cancellations will only be processed once the watches are delivered.

Under normal circumstances, your watch should be delivered within 2-3 weeks. Do get in touch with us at hello@atelierwen.com should you encounter any issues along the way.

As we are based in Hong Kong, there is no VAT for any watches purchased locally. However, if you are shipping internationally, you will be liable for all import duties, customs and taxes levied in your country of residence. Payment of these is required to release your order from customs on arrival.

Taxes and duties are calculated according to the individual regulations of each area of jurisdiction. Please contact us if you have questions on customs processes regarding these areas of jurisdiction.

When your order dispatches, we will send you a tracking number via email notification.

About our watches

Our watches components are proudly manufactured in stages at different facilities across China.

We do not presently have a showroom for our watches. However, should you be based in Paris, Hong Kong or Singapore, we would be happy to arrange for a meet-up and showcase the pieces. We also have a warm and welcoming WhatsApp community where you can get in touch with fellow Atelier Wen customers who may be willing to meet-up and show you the pieces!

All regular variants of Perception —缥 (Piao), 影 (Ying) and 霞 (Xia)— are not limited editions, and are only limited by production. We do, however, release occasional limited and/or collaboration pieces.

The Porcelain Odyssey collection, on the other hand, was released as a limited edition and will not be reproduced again.

Assembly and quality control is handled by one of the most competent watchmaking groups in China with standards equivalent to Swiss manufactures. Final QC is performed by our team personally to ensure everything is how it should be.

Hand-turned guilloché is a centuries-old artistic craft that has often been synonymous with the highest echelons of watchmaking, with brands such as Breguet, Kari Voutilainen and J.N. Shapiro being amongst its chief proponents. Formed by rotating a dial blank against an engraving system called a rose engine, carved lines are determined by an arrangement of disks to create circular or straight patterns.

Most modern guilloché dials are achieved using automated, cheaper processes such as CNC-milling and stamping (which do not technically constitute actual guilloché). However, the delicate artistry involved in turning real guilloché manually through nothing more than the pressure of a master’s hands is a rare and precious traditional craft that in many ways embodies the human pursuit of perfection. There are fewer than 30 masters of the craft worldwide, and each singular dial takes approximately 8 man-hours to complete.

The Atelier Wen team puts significant thought into the ideation behind each new project, considering carefully the materials used, as well as the complexity, complication and incorporation of traditional craft in every release. We then work with some of the best Chinese designers, craftsmen and manufacturing partners to actualise these ideas!

We get in touch with our craftsmen in several different ways. Robin’s advisory seat in the China Horologe Association (中国钟表协会) gives us great inroads into the country’s community of craftspeople and watchmakers, and we also actively seek out and approach the very finest artisans in China in the hopes of celebrating them on a global scale!

China has a long and rich history in craft and culture. While this has been somewhat usurped in the limelight by the country’s capacity for large scale manufacturing, the exceptional talents and narratives found within its borders are undeniably worthy of celebration. It is for precisely this reason that our brand seeks to cast that emphasis on these aspects once more, and generate new possibilities of modern Chinese style moving forward into the future.

The Porcelain Odyssey line is unfortunately sold out and permanently retired as a collection. It was launched as a limited edition, and while demand for the piece has never been higher, we cannot go back on our word and fully intend to live up to that commitment.

We are presently working on some new and exciting projects that we cannot wait to share with you. These will including some new collaborations, working with some rare and exquisite materials, as well as pushing the envelope of finishing standards and introducing complications. Needless to say, there is plenty to look forward to, so keep an eye out!

Caring for your watch

Taking proper care of your watch is essential to ensure that it is always functioning in optimal condition. We strongly recommend the occasional clean-down with a microfibre cloth and a fine brush to avoid dirt and grime build-up, as well as periodical servicing every 5 years.

Our watches are meant to be elevated yet reliable daily companions for you to enjoy under all circumstances. Do, however, takes some care in avoiding heavy shocks and vibrations, as well as exposure to excessively hot/cold temperatures and strong magnetic fields. Do also adhere to the varying water resistant ratings specified across our different lines, and always remember to keep your crown screwed down (where applicable) to preserve the integrity of its water resistance.

As water resistance varies across our different lines, do adhere to each specific watch’s rating. For example, Perception’s 100m/10ATM rating would allow for you to swim with it, whereas we would strongly discourage this with the 50m/5ATM rating found in the Porcelain Odyssey.

Do store your watch in a cool, dry environment when it is not in use, and keep it securely in a protective box to avoid accidentally damaging it in storage.

All our watches come with quick-release systems that make strap/bracelet changes intuitive and fuss-free. Simply engage the spring-bar trigger(s) found on the underside of the strap ends/end-links, and carefully manoeuvre the strap/bracelet out of the lugs and replace it with the strap of choice.

Aftercare and warranties

All our watches come with a 5 year warranty, valid from the date of delivery. This may vary, and the warranty’s terms will be stated in the paperwork included with the watch.

The warranty covers all manufacturing defects and mechanical issues that may arise within the confines of everyday use. Due to the fine tolerances present in mechanical watches, these issues are sometimes unavoidable and arise intermittently. They may not be immediately evident upon delivery, but the warranty allows us to ensure that these may be well-taken care of.

The warranty does not cover accidental damages or damages that arise due to improper use. It also does not cover wear-and-tear over time. Please do check your watch comprehensively upon receipt, and ensure that there are no cosmetic issues at the point of delivery.

  • We receive your request.
  • We coordinate a convenient date for pick-up at your convenience.
  • We generate and issue you a shipping label in .pdf.
  • You pack the watch and affix the shipping label and commercial invoices.
  • The courier arrives on the designated date and you hand the parcel over.
  • The watch arrives and is pre-checked upon receipt.
  • The watch is fixed by our watchmaker partners.
  • The watch is put through a timegrapher and/or necessary accuracy and water-pressure tests. The watch is sent back out to you.
  • The watch is sent back out to you.

For any query related to aftercare and warranties, do reach out to us at hello@atelierwen.com and will assist you at the soonest possible time.

Definitely! Do reach out to us at hello@atelierwen.com, and we will gladly assist you in arranging for the watch to serviced. Do note that outside of the warranty, there will be a servicing fee incurred.

We have currently partnered with watchmakers located in France, Hong Kong and Singapore for aftersales provision. For watches outside of these countries, your watch will be sent to our designated partner in France.

We strongly encourage you to send your watch in for regular servicing every 5 years.

Including the time it takes for shipping, servicing should take approximately 3 weeks, though this may vary according to the location and/or extent of work.

Community

Do consider subscribing to our newsletter or joining our exclusive WhatsApp community for the latest and greatest on anything Atelier Wen! We also keep a detailed journal on production and/or launches that can be found here.

We run an exclusive WhatsApp community where our team and/or your fellow enthusiasts will be happy to answer your questions. Do drop us a message at hello@atelierwen.com should you wish to be a part of it!

Do join our WhatsApp community, where you will get the chance to speak to both fellow enthusiasts of the brand, as well as the founders, Robin and Wilfried! Alternatively, drop us a note at hello@atelierwen.com and we will be in touch at the soonest possible time.

Absolutely! We hold in-person events from time to time, so do sign up to our newsletter, join our WhatsApp community, and/or follow us on Instagram if you wish to be kept notified of our events.

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