It gives us great joy to introduce into our Atelier Wen lineup our very first Millésime edition for 2024, Perception 睦 (Mù), with its alluring purple dial!
Presenting: Perception 睦 (Mù)
The shade of 睦 (Mù)’s dial shifts mysteriously between a striking ultraviolet and a deep, regal purple depending on the lighting conditions, and this is achieved through the use of physical vapour deposition (PVD). Featuring our signature écailles de poisson guilloché dial that is hand-turned on rose engines in Master Cheng’s atelier, it thereby maintains a sense of continuity with our principle Perception variants of 缥 (Piāo), 影 (Yǐng) and 霞 (Xiá). The dynamism of its dial is perfectly complemented by the darker hues of its grade 5 titanium construction, resulting in an array of harmonious interactions between dial, case and bracelet.
Perception 睦 (Mù) launches with several elements that have long been on the community’s wish-list. Where our grade 5 titanium offerings have previously been exclusive to previous limited editions, with this release, we are finally introducing the material into a limited series that is entirely our own. Furthermore, this will be the first time the V2 updates — which we implemented into our 904L steel lines in January 2024 — will be fully incorporated into a titanium variant of Perception.
Additionally to this, 睦 (Mù) will also bear further improvements in the fit and finish of its bracelet — with more dramatic and distinctly flatter brushing on its upper surfaces! The caseback, crown and clasp shell will also be executed in full-titanium, carrying forward the upgrades that we announced with the launch of our collaborative edition, 粹 (Cuì)!
Each 睦 (Mù) will be individually numbered on the caseback, and carries with it a subtle indication of the Millésime’s distinction in the form of a minute CNC engraving of the Atelier Wen seal that has been filled in with traditional Chinese lacquer in purple. This minute hallmark also hints towards a new craft that we will be introducing into our lineup very soon!
A first vintage — of many to come!
As our very first Millésime edition, the translation of 睦 (Mù)’s name captures the spirits of amity, kinship or closeness, embodying the very sentiment of a community-driven approach that these editions are meant to symbolise.
This release holds particular significance for us, marking the very first time we are launching a Perception special edition on our own, and without tying up with a collaborating party.
Before this release, the limited editions we had launched were capped at a fixed number of watches determined by our collaborative partners, and not everyone who wanted to purchase a piece was therefore able to. As we owe much of our growth to the strength and solidarity of our community, we wanted to also ensure that this community was not left untended.
The Millésime project is our answer to this — as a still-exclusive yearly launch, that those in our wider community do not have to outcompete each other for. For this first iteration, 睦 (Mù) will therefore be available within a limited launch window, upholding both the idea of a yearly vintage that, once gone, will never be available again, yet also facilitating its purchase by anyone within said window.
Willy Wen-ka and a trio of tantalum tickets
It is perhaps quite fitting that the dials of our first Millésime will arrive in this vivid shade of purple, seeing as how they are quite reminiscent of the get-up of a certain iconic character from the pages of Roald Dahl’s beloved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Despite how it may seem, the colour itself was not something we considered in our decision to have a little bit of fun with the launch, but instead a happy coincidence!
And this gamified element for the launch will come in the form of three Wonka-esque “tantalum tickets” that will correspond to three full-tantalum prototypes. Each and every purchaser of the 2024 Millésime will also be automatically entered into a special “tantalum ticket” draw — in which, 3 lucky, randomly-selected customers will be receive the same purple guilloché dial encased in a full-tantalum prototype instead of the titanium watch they would otherwise be expecting.
For the past few months, we have openly teased our upcoming work with what is an exceptionally difficult material to master. Beginning with the exhibition of our first proof-of-concept prototypes in Geneva during Watches and Wonders, the tantalising prospect of bringing this project to fruition has left us extremely excited. This is especially so, considering the fact that, to our knowledge, only three full-tantalum braceleted watches have ever been created, and only a very small handful of manufactures around the world have the capabilities of working the material.
We will have plenty more to say about this special metal in the coming months, of course, and this tantalum ticket campaign therefore serves as a lead-in to the introduction of the material into our permanent collection, as well as a celebration for us ultimately being the very first brand to go to market with a serially-produced full-tantalum timepiece on a bracelet — both with the recently announced Grail Watch collaboration, and the upcoming mainstay series that will arrive in early-2025.
These prototypes are refined versions of the ones we exhibited in Geneva back in April during Watches and Wonders, and since our official tantalum release will be markedly different from any of the current releases, this configuration of Perception is not and will never be for sale.
Our very first integrated leather strap
On top of the tantalum ticket draw, we are also extending a further perk for customers who purchase the watch both in-person and through the early-bird orders online.
The first 88 online customers, as well as all pre-orders at our upcoming slate of exhibitions, will receive a complimentary integrated salmon leather strap specially designed to fit Perception’s case.
This will be the first time that the brand is releasing an official leather option for Perception, and as this particular strap has been specifically created for 睦 (Mù), it is an exclusive perk for those who purchase the edition.
It will never be for sale, nor will it ever be available again.
The beginnings of 睦 (Mù)
The idea of a Millésime project was something we had discussed since the release of Perception in early-2022, and though we had spent quite a lot of time talking about it, the concrete decision to launch this specific first edition came about largely as a result of our time in Geneva during Watches and Wonders 2024.
The purple dials were initially just trials that we had conducted and showcased in Geneva, as placeholders within the tantalum proof-of-concept prototypes that we brought with us. As our final dials for the tantalum release were not yet ready, these were meant to distinguish the prototypes from our main Perception line and highlight their experimental and differentiated nature.
At that point, we had no concrete plans to introduce the purple dials into the Perception line-up — though they were nonetheless the product of a long and challenging process to arrive at this specific shade of purple.
However, the attention and excitement for these dials to make it into an actual edition grew unignorable very quickly. Within the first two days of our exhibition, our email, WhatsApp and Instagram messaging channels were already overflowing with requests and queries about the variant, and this continued throughout the next few weeks. Furthermore, we already knew that a number of you in our community had very much wished for a purple Perception variant since the earliest days of the watch’s release back in 2022 — so much so that a photoshopped sticker had repeatedly surfaced in our community WhatsApp group!
This quickly became a constant topic of discussion within the team throughout our time in Geneva, and it became clear that this clamour for the purple dial was not a heat-of-the-moment frenzy, and something that the community genuinely and earnestly wanted. We therefore decided to kick off the Millésime project with this very watch as a means to celebrate the community, and our deep admiration and appreciation for you, in the best way we know how!
The Millésime editions
So what exactly is the Millésime project?
The French word “Millésime” is most frequently employed in winemaking nomenclature and denotes a particular year or “vintage”. The Millésime will therefore be a yearly, limited and community-driven edition that will serve as an annual blank canvas to explore more daring and experimental avenues of colour and configuration across our various lines.
The edition will incorporate our most requested-for and/or most adventurous renditions of existing watches, paying homage to the phenomenal support that we have received from the community. These editions will not be restricted just to the Perception line, and will encompass several other exciting projects that we have just on the horizon!
For the inaugural edition, however, it is only fitting that this first edition of the series is launched in the form of the integrated sports watch that marked our first step towards truly exceptional Chinese watchmaking. And needless to say, we look forward to furthering that journey with you!
