he Perception Millésime 睦 (Mù) is Atelier Wen‘s first non-collaborative edition in more than two years. It has a grade 5 titanium case and bracelet paired with an impressive purple dial. As its name - mù means “friendship” in Chinese – suggests, it emphasises the brand’s community of fans.

It also introduces an original concept: each purchaser is automatically entered into a draw and, instead of the titanium watch they were expecting, could receive a version in tantalum: an exclusive material, rarely used for watches, that is notoriously difficult to work with.

Depending on light conditions, the dial of the 睦 (Mù) goes from a deep royal purple to flashes of vivid ultraviolet. Obtained by physical vapour deposition (PVD), this colour was achieved after four series of trials. Atelier Wen’s signature fishscale guilloché pattern carries on from the main Perception models: 缥 (Piāo), 影 (Yǐng) and 霞 (Xiá).

Preorders for the睦 (Mù) could be placed on the Atelier Wen website from October 7 to 21, or at selected events and exhibitions. Price is US$ 3,588 (excl. sales tax) for delivery in May 2025. Europa Star sat down with Atelier Wen co-founder Robin Tallendier.

Europa Star: You’re launching this series with the novel concept of a prize draw. Where did that come from?

Robin Tallendier: It’s been in the back of my mind for ages. As a kid, I used to love lucky dips. People enjoy that kind of anticipation and I don’t see why it shouldn’t apply to watchmaking, too. If the idea works well, we could carry it forward to future launches. There are many ways to make a purchase more fun.

Does it entail additional costs for you?

Some, but it’s definitely worth it and a huge incentive for the community. We always try to offer our fans something extra, in this instance a second strap in leather.

Each purchaser of a Perception Millésime 睦 (Mù) is entered into a draw for one of three tantalum prototypes.

How many watches were you hoping to sell until the preorder window closed on October 21?

This is actually the first time we’re taking preorders for a non-collaborative model. Our previous non-collaborative piece was over two years ago: a limited edition of 300 that sold out in 24 hours. The last collaborative models we made, of around 100 pieces, found buyers in a matter of minutes. We expect this latest iteration of the Perception to be a hit with our community, particularly as they have been pushing us for a purple dial.

Atelier Wen has set itself the mission to demonstrate the very best of Chinese watchmaking, more associated with entry-level production, on international markets.

What would you say are this model’s strengths?

All the dials are crafted by Master Cheng and his studio (read our article here). Less immediately perceptible is the care that goes into the finishing. We’ve improved a substantial number of points, starting with the quality of the mirror polish. We’ve always imposed high standards on our suppliers but we played off the competition to obtain even better quality. This whole journey has been a learning curve and as we continue to go forward, we reflect the greater capacities of China’s artisanal and industrial fabric, which we want our watches to represent.

The purple of the dial is complemented by the darker shades of the grade 5 titanium case and bracelet.

Including movements?

Yes. This model is fitted with a Dandong movement. While it may seem easier, in terms of both image and production, to use Swiss calibres, we’re sticking to our decision to showcase Chinese expertise. But we do need to go further and are currently developing our own movement. Insufficient demand means there aren’t really any high-end Chinese movements on the market.

The industry focuses on entry-level instead. So, we’re going to work on our own quality movement, a calibre without complications but built to the highest standards of thinness, winding and power reserve, and incorporating the latest technologies and top-notch finishing. It should become our base movement. We’re developing this new movement in collaboration with Dandong and hopefully it will be ready by end 2025. It’s a pilot project for them, too, and an opportunity to gauge their capacities.

After these initial three prototypes, Atelier Wen says it will propose more tantalum watches in the future.

Generally speaking, is it possible to buy an Atelier Wen watch from the website without having to preorder?

Yes. Previously we’ve run wait lists but managing these lists takes up time and resources, and can be a source of frustration for customers. For that reason, we’ve decided to build a certain amount of stock.