Atelier Wen teams up with Massena Lab to bring us a new Inflection Shuò, a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Atelier Wen has been going from strength to strength of late, and the independent Chinese watchmaker has been making waves with the use of higher-grade materials, which we saw with the release of the Tantalum Inflection not long ago. Now, Atelier Wen teams up with Massena LAB to bring us a new Inflection Shuò, presenting two models in Tantalum that are limited to 50 pieces in total.
The first is a 10-piece limited edition with a White Gold dial, which is reserved for established clients, and the second is a 40-piece limited edition with a two-tone rose and white gold dial, which will be open to the public.
Sparkling, Glittering & Radiant
The collaboration takes its name from ‘Shuò’, derived from the Chinese character 烁, which translates to ‘sparkling’, ‘glittering’ or ‘radiant’. It is a fitting name for a dial that changes considerably as it catches the light, thanks to the hand finishing.
Both dials start with a solid 18k gold base, which is then hand-finished using hand tremblage – one of the harder decorating techniques when it comes to dials. The work is carried out by hand-engraving specialist Coralie Mercier on behalf of GT Cadrans, who moves a graver across the surface of the gold while continuously rotating the dial. The result is a surface made up of thousands of tiny, irregular facets, each catching the light slightly differently.
The main dial is then surrounded by a radially brushed sector in either white gold or rose gold, depending on the model. The layout takes inspiration from the California dial, with the combination of Arabic and Chinese numerals adding another reference to the East-meets-West idea behind the collaboration. The Arabic numerals from 10 through to 2 are custom-designed and hand-engraved, while the numerals from 4 through to 8 are hand-calligraphed Chinese characters commissioned by Atelier Wen.
The outer sector ring is also finished with hand tremblage and bordered by a finely engraved huiwen pattern, a traditional Chinese decorative motif named for its resemblance to the character 回.
The Arabic and Chinese numerals are both filled in blue, matching the blued-steel hour, minute and seconds hands. ‘Atelier Wen’ is picked out in blue at 12 o’clock, while ‘Massena’ appears at 6 o’clock in white gold, subtly marking the collaboration between the two.
A Material Most Don’t & Won’t Work With
While the gold dial brings some warmth to the watch, the 99.9% tantalum case and integrated bracelet provide a completely different feel. Tantalum has a dark blue-grey colour that works particularly well here, although it is not an easy material to work with. In fact, it is one of the hardest materials to craft a watch from, and as a result, extremely hard to machine. It is extremely dense and heavy, highly resistant to corrosion, and provides a nice metallic lustre.
Crafting a watch case in Tantalum is hard, but when you look at the shape of the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò’s case, you can see just how hard this would have been. The 40mm case and integrated bracelet are almost entirely made up of curved surfaces, taking inspiration from traditional Chinese architecture. There are very few flat surfaces to work with, which makes the finishing process considerably more difficult.
The case has a concave bezel and ridged mid-case, while the bracelet uses a mix of brushed and polished finishes to bring out the different curves. The outer links have strong vertical brushing, the centre links are mirror-polished, and the chamfers have a polished concave finish.
It is a lot of work but the details matter for Atelier Wen and Massena LAB. However, the result is a beautiful curved case that gives off a very diferent effect vs what you would with a steel case. In addition, the case is water-resistant to 100 metres and has a screw-down crown, with the White Gold version using a tantalum crown and the Rose Gold version getting a rose gold crown.
An Iconic Movement
Inside is a customised version of the Girard-Perregaux GP03300 automatic movement. Girard-Perregaux has been making watches in Switzerland for more than 230 years, and the GP03300 has been given a fairly serious makeover for this collaboration.
The bridges have been shaped around the idea of wind, taking inspiration from the way it is represented in historical Chinese paintings. The curved lines work particularly well with the rest of the watch, with the curves within the movement echoing the curves found throughout the case.
The bridges are ruthenium-plated and finished with anglage, sharp exterior angles and laser-etched waved côtes that radiate out from the centre of the movement. There are also black-polished screws and a 5N rose gold rotor with the same wind-inspired design.
With 27 jewels, a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and a 48-hour power reserve, the GP03300 gives the watch solid backing, and while the power reserve isn’t the highest, the point of this movement is more about aesthetics than anything else.
Initial Thoughts
Independent watchmaking is getting better and better, and with that, so are brands that are not based in or hailing from Switzerland. Unique designs, artisanal craftsmanship, with a blend of cultural heritage, are not uncommon, and Atelier Wen is no different. Where the brand has done a great job is fusing the East vs West.
And when it comes to Massena LAB, this is the first time the brand has worked with a Chinese brand. In the words of Since founding Massena LAB, we’ve never had the opportunity to work with a Chinese watchmaker. In the words of William Massena, Founder of Massena LAB:
“In Atelier Wen, we found a like-minded partner who was just as willing to experiment in our “lab” as we could have hoped…we’ve married traditional, Swiss dial finishing techniques with classic Chinese design influences from Atelier Wen, all while creating a new interpretation of the California dial. On a personal note, I am especially excited to offer our collectors a Massena LAB watch in tantalum, one of my favorite metals (and one with an integrated bracelet at that), a double-first for Massena LAB.”
And I would agree: this is a very well-executed watch, that showcases what two brands can do in collaboration to produce a piece, or in this case, pieces that reflect both brands’ DNA.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | Inflection Shuò White Gold – 10 pieces / Rose Gold – 40 pieces |
| Dimensions | 40mm x 45mm Lug-to-lug x 10.2mm thick |
| Case | Tantalum with mixed concave and convex surfaces |
| Dial | Solid 18k white gold base plate. Radially brushed hour sector in white gold or rose gold, blued hands and hand tremblage finishing on the dial |
| Crystal | Double-domed sapphire crystal with five layers of anti-reflective coating |
| Caseback | Exhibition case back also with sapphire crystal, also with five layers of anti-reflective coating. |
| Movement | Self-winding, customized Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP03300. Adjusted in 5 positions |
| Power Reserve | 48h |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistence | 100M / 10 ATM |
| Bracelet | 99.9% pure tantalum with curved external and middle links, concave mirror-polished chamfers and on-the-fly micro-adjustment system, adjustable to 4 positions. |