Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey Ji Hands-On Review
Recently I came across Atelier Wen and was drawn to their watch, Porcelain Odyssey ‘Hao’, which had a beautiful blue-and-white porcelain dial. As I learned more about the brand, I became intrigued by their unique story and added their watches, including the Feynman One, to my list of micro-brand watches to review. Atelier Wen was created by two French entrepreneurs, Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, with the help of Chinese designers Li Mingliang and Liu Yuguan. Their goal was to blend the traditions of French and Swiss watchmaking with Chinese design and artistry, resulting in a watch that would impress even seasoned collectors.
From my perspective, these watches serve as the brand’s means of communicating to the watch industry that our closed-minded and essentially negative attitudes towards watches made in China are outdated. I can confidently say that this watch, priced at $700, can compete with a $1000 Seiko made in Japan, as well as most watches in that price range that are labeled as “Swiss” made. Moreover, what is truly impressive is the brand’s commitment to transparency. The watches are accompanied by a booklet that provides information about every component of the watch and where it was sourced. With the exception of the dial, they disclose the manufacturer of each component and even the partner responsible for assembling the watch. This level of transparency has earned my admiration for the Atelier Wen team.
Case
All parts of the Chinese-made watch are sourced from China except for the Japanese 316L stainless steel case, which is made from imported raw materials. The case has a consistent mirror-polish finish throughout, except for the brushed lug surfaces. It features a modern design with slight angular details, but still maintains its identity as a dress watch.
The case is 39mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug width of 47mm. It is categorized as a comfortable dress watch. The crown bears the brand’s signature, measures 6.4mm in diameter and is approximately 3.5mm wide. The overall design of the case is simple and elegant, which is expected from a dress watch.
Now, let’s take a look at the case back. The solid case back features an impressive and luxurious embossing of a Kun-Peng, a mythical creature found in Chinese folklore that can change its shape from a fish (Kun) to a bird (Peng). Despite being done by a machine, the embossing is so stunningly intricate that it resembles a hand-carved three dimensional design. This is truly remarkable considering the cost of $700.
The watch’s case back and crown are not designed to screw down. The watch has a water resistance rating of up to 50 meters. Although this is acceptable for a dress watch, it would have been better if the watch had a screw-down crown and a water resistance rating of at least 100 meters, which is now common for dress watches. The combination of brushed and polished surfaces on the lug areas creates an interesting look, but a fully polished case would have been equally attractive in my opinion.
Dial
The watch face foundation is made up of a dial that is created by heating Zirconium Oxide to a temperature of 1400 degrees Celsius and then coating a copper plate with it. This particular type of ceramic is more robust than ordinary ceramics, making it less prone to cracking. It is considered a good choice for its high fracture toughness and thermal insulation, making it more expensive than typical porcelain.
The layer in question has flawless finishing and I could not observe any imperfections or abnormalities in the finishing. The surface is highly reflective, which makes it challenging to capture in photographs, but its appearance in person is stunning. Any particles visible on the dial are simply reflections of the shiny indices or dust particles on the glass, which were a result of my negligence. However, the actual dial surface is free of dust particles, which is remarkable for a watch priced at $700. For those who doubt the quality control of Chinese products, both this watch and the Traska Freediver (which were both QC’d in China) have been thoroughly checked. Atelier Wen has revealed that their partner for assembly and QC is Fiyta Watches in Shenzhen, and their work is commendable.
In terms of design, the watch features a small seconds register positioned at 6 o’clock, along with hour and minute hands placed in the center, reminiscent of watches from mid-century France, Switzerland, and Germany. The indices consist of a mix of highly polished dots and baton markers, while the leaf hands are well-crafted and rhodium-plated. Upon inspection, I was unable to find any flaws or debris on the hands, which is often a common issue with watches in this particular price range.
The minute track featured on the watch is derived from a Chinese Huiwen pattern and is also influenced by minute tracks found on Western railways. Its white color complements the blue dial and adds a unique touch to its design. However, it may take some time to adjust to reading the minute markers since they alternate between both sides of the pattern track.
Atelier Wen’s marine chronometer-style sub-dial features Chinese characters that represent Earth, Fire, Sky, and Water, respectively. The characters are printed beautifully along the four main axes and are easily legible, even under close examination. However, due to the lack of finer demarcations, accurately tracking the seconds hand can be challenging. It’s important to note that this watch is designed as a dress watch and not a high-precision timekeeping instrument. At the topmost position of the Atelier Wen watch face, the brand’s logo and font are placed. The typography used by the brand is uncomplicated and appropriately blends with the blend of Eastern and Western design influences.
Movement
It is not unexpected that Atelier Wen has chosen a Chinese movement for their watch. The choice made by the company was both intentional and admirable as they went for a modified version of the Dandong/Peacock Caliber SL-3006 instead of a typical entry-level Chinese movement. As per Wen’s statement, Peacock movements are considered more posh in the market, and the SL-3006 is a replication of the ETA 2824-2 movement. To support the small seconds design, the SL-3006 has been customized, and the rotor has a perlage finish with côtes de Genève. Moreover, the ghost date position has been removed, and the movement has been adjusted to 5 positions by Fiyta, their assembly partner, with a rating of +/- 10spd.
Personal Experience
The watch’s dimensions of 39 x 47 x 11.7 mm provide a comfortable fit on the wrist. I have no issues with this size. The watch comes with a high-quality leather strap that has a quick-release feature, and there are additional strap options available for purchase. While the buckle has a combination of polished and brushed surfaces and features the brand’s logo and name on the inner surface, it is a bit too large, measuring almost 23.5mm at its widest point. Despite this, the strap’s quality and color make up for this design flaw.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, unless you have a dislike for the design, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t purchase one of these watches. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll come across another watch with a porcelain or ceramic dial at such an affordable price. While the Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain dial is a contender, it has a price tag of approximately $1700. The Seiko SPB047 has an enamel dial and can be purchased for under $1000, but its design is uninspiring and its 6R15 movement is somewhat unimpressive for a watch that costs $1000. Alternatively, anOrdain offers an enamel dial watch for around $1300, which is also a viable option. However, it’s hard to pass up the Atelier Wen offering, which is priced at $700.
The watch proves that a Chinese watch, which is made with great care and high-quality components sourced from all over China, can compete with Japanese and Swiss watches despite the cheap price range of $100-200. Atelier Wen takes pride in creating a watch that is distinctly Chinese.
I encourage you to consider purchasing this watch as it will likely impress you, just as it did for me. While I cannot speak to its long-term durability, Atelier Wen offers a 30-day return policy and a 2-year manufacturing warranty to address any potential issues. Additionally, as the watch is a clone of the ETA 2824-2, servicing it should be straightforward even after the warranty has expired. If you value owning a unique timepiece, you may be interested in one of the 570 available watches.
