It almost doesn’t feel real that Geneva Watch Days took place a month ago already because I’m constantly thinking about the amazing watches that were launched at the show. Watches like the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò. A 50 piece limited edition tantalum wristwatch split across two versions with hand-made tremblage dials.
I will admit to having a soft spot for Massena LAB’s experimental collaborations because I happen to own one. However, my Unimatic U1-SPG “NASA Artemis” is a vastly different prospect to the ode to haute horology that is the Inflection Shuò. The price alone reveals the difference by an order of magnitude – my Unimatic being approx. £1,000 and the Atelier Wen being approx. £30,800 excluding tax.
The first reason for that price is the Inflection Shuò’s case, which is made from one of the rarest materials used in watchmaking, tantalum. Tantalum stands out for its darker blue-grey colour compared to steel, but its real impact is felt when you pick up the watch because it has approximately twice the density of steel. That makes it a very heavy metal, giving the watch a hefty presence on the wrist – it demands attention and refuses to fade into the background. This is Massena LAB’s first time working with tantalum and also their first time working on an integrated bracelet design, a double first.
Arguably more impressive than the tantalum case is the hand-made tremblage dial. It’s produced by a single artisan, Coralie Mercier, from GT Cadrans using a graver and a constantly oscillating dial to create a micro-texture of bumps and facets. The attention to detail and precision required is almost unthinkable. There are two versions of the dial, one with a white gold brushed hour ring and the other with a rose gold hour ring. The white gold edition is limited to 10 pieces and is a client exclusive while the rose gold edition is limited to 40 pieces and is publicly available.
For timekeeping, the hour scale is presented in a California style, which means it uses different styles of hour markers above and below the horizontal axis. Above, it uses western Arabic numerals while below it uses custom Chinese calligraphy numerals. It’s a fun tribute to how the brands bridge the gap between the East and West.
A special watch like this needs an equally special movement and so they’ve turned to one of the most prestigious Swiss manufactures in history, Girard-Perregaux. It’s the GP03300 automatic with 48-hour power reserve. It’s finished immaculately with a custom Chinese wind motif rotor against an intricately engraved base plate surrounded by perlage.
The Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò is limited to 50 pieces (10 white gold, 40 rose gold) at CHF 33,800 (approx. £30,800). Deliveries will begin in 2027. I think it’s safe to say that with creations like this, Atelier Wen are well on their way to completing their goal of redefining what it means to be a Chinese watch brand.
Price and Specs:
More details at Atelier Wen.
