Atelier Wen PERCEPTION - INTANGIBLE GREY YING

Finishing: Hand-made guilloché turned on a rose engine by china’s sole guilloché master craftsman.

Indexes: Applied rhodium-plated indices (heat-blued on ying)

MOVEMENT

The movement features acustomised 32 jewels extra-thin (3.4mm) automatic movement. decorated in circular côtes de genève with polished jewel and screw sinks, and heat-blued screws. tungsten rotor with circular côtes de genève and black rhodium plating. +/- 10s per day and further adjusted in 5 positions and for temperature fluctuations. tested exhaustively by the horological research institute of light industry (hrili)

Caliber: SL1588

Type: Self-winding Automatic

Power Reserve: 41 hours

Jewels: 32

Frequency: 28,800 vph(4HZ)

FUNCTIONS

• Central hour,
• Minute

STRAP

Material:904l brushed stainless bracelet with individually chamfered links and exceptional attention to finish.

Finishing: Tapering from 22mm at the case to 18mm at the clasp, and thinning gradually from 3mm at the case to 2.6mm at the clasp.

Quick-Release Spring Bars

Clasp: Telescopic deployant blade system for enhanced comfort and wearability. (proprietary, patent-pending on-the-fly micro adjustment system.)

WARRANTY

Five-year Warranty

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A MODERN MARRIAGE OF CLASSICAL CHINESE ARCHITECTURE AND ARTISANSHIP

Perception draws from the exquisite geometries found in traditional Chinese architecture. It features an exquisite hand-turned guilloché dial by China’s only master of the craft, Cheng Yu Cai, alongside a custom extra-thin automatic movement. These are elegantly encased within a 904L steel case, with accompanying bracelet, that have been finished with immense attention to detail. It bears a striking contrast between the slimness of its case and the depth of the guilloché dial which defies physical perceptions.

HANDMADE MÉTIER D'ART DIALS BY CHINA'S SOLE GUILLOCHÉ MASTER CRAFTSMAN

The central element of Perception's dial is without a doubt the écailles de poisson guilloché by the workshop of Cheng Yu Cai, China's one and only master guilloché craftsman. The hypnotic interplay between straight and curved lines in the fish scale pattern is a celebration of light and shadow, and each dial has been meticulously hand-turned on a rose engine of Master Cheng's own design, taking a staggering 8 hours to produce.

The age-old intricacies of guilloché mean that there are fewer than 30 known masters of the craft left in the world. In the modern era, the difficulties of true guilloché have seen the vast majority of watch brands turn to more automated avenues such as stamping and CNC-machining, since engine turning requires enormous skill and any momentary slip or loss in concentration necessitates beginning all over again. Yet it is precisely in an unending quest for elusive, human perfection that we hope to preserve and celebrate the immense value of the craft.

INSPIRED BY TRADITION, REIMAGINED IN THE PRESENT

Perception's dial is not just about its guilloché element. Its complex 4-part construction is modelled after 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo), an ancient Chinese approach to building assembly. This form of construction features the extraordinary characteristic of being a friction-based assembly without the use of any nails or glue.

Perception's hands are leaf-shaped, adhering to the lineage cast by one of the Porcelain Odyssey's defining design features, which suited the continuity of our brand’s design language. They too have been constructed with a voluminous profile, creating greater visual depth to the dial, and have been lumed with Superluminova X1. They have also been broadened slightly to suit the watch's sportier profile. The hands come in two variations: rhodium plated on the 缥 (Piāo) and 霞 (Xiá), and heat-blued on the 影 (Yǐng).

A COMPOSITION OF CLASSICAL LINES

The case of Perception is evocative of shapes found in Chinese architecture. The curved silhouettes of pagodas provide inspiration for its flanks, and the tops of its lugs feature subtler angles reminiscent of roof structures. These characteristics are amplified by the great care taken to accentuate the contrast between the applications of horizontal and vertical brushing, as well as the mirror-polished reliefs and chamfers that frame them. The use of 904L steel lends further emphasis to this visual impression here, possessing a greater lustre than its more common 316L counterpart.

Considering the dial’s depth, Perception's case is impressively thin at just 9.4mm in total height, and thanks to the layering of its profile, it wears even thinner. Despite this, water resistance has not been compromised, withstanding depths of up to 10 ATM/100m.

It also features a double-domed sapphire crystal with 10 layers of anti-reflective coating, ensuring perfect transparency and readability.

THE BEATING MAW OF A STEELY GUARDIAN

The semi-display caseback of Perception features a window that doubles as the mouth of a deeply-embossed 石狮子 (Shí shīzi), or stone guardian lion; these being found at the entrance of most Chinese temples and major buildings.

When the rotor is aligned with the window, forming the lion's mouth, it appears to laugh in a stark contrast against the sobriety and almost brutalist character of the rest of the watch. And when the rotor swings the other way, the lion's mouth opens to reveal the watch's balance wheel as it oscillates away.

A PATH OF BRUSH AND SHIMMER

Like its case, Perception's quick-release bracelet is also crafted of the same luxurious 904L steel, forming a gleaming path that leads up to the watch itself. The bracelet's central links feature an uncanny asymmetry in their hexagonal shapes, and once more hark towards elements like rooftops and windows found in traditional Chinese architecture.

CONCEALED CONVENIENCE ON-THE-FLY

The bracelet is complemented by a fully custom clasp with an on-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanism that has been developed in-house. Made of no less than 32 parts, it is operated through a large, central pusher that is concealed behind our logo that adorns the middle of the clasp.

THE SL1588: TESTED AND TAILORED FOR UNCOMPROMISING ELEGANCE

Perception's case houses a hi-beat, original calibre designated the SL1588. Supplied by Dandong/Peacock's new state-of-the-art manufacture, the movement has been heavily customised for us. These modifications include an extended power reserve of approximately 41 hours; a marked increase from its base movement’s 38 hours, as well as the removal of the default date-complication, and a slightly slimmer profile compared to its original configuration in the SL1.

The movements leave the factory at +/- 10s/d after being drop-tested and observed in hot, cold and ambient temperatures, as well as measured across 48 hours of continuous running.

REF: PERCEPTIONYING