The Atelier Wen INFLECTION is the world's very first non-limited, permanent collection of bracelet watches in full-tantalum.

A rare, highly corrosion-resistant metal famed for its enigmatically dark bluish-grey tone, startling density, inertness and difficulty in machining, tantalum is rarely employed in the world of watchmaking outside of a handful of superlative brands — and even then, its use is usually confined to the case.

The creation of a full tantalum bracelet is no mean feat in-and-of-itself, and has historically been isolated to just a small handful of known examples due to its notoriety for resisting machining and finishing. Atelier Wen takes this achievement several steps further by not only introducing such a watch as a permanent collection, but executing it to an extremely high-degree of finishing throughout its varied alternations of brushed, frosted and mirror-polished surfaces. This is something made even more intricate by a design that eliminates all exposed flat planes on the case and bracelet, creating a far more complex interplay between countless concave and convex surfaces.

These curved surfaces were specifically designed to capture the natural sheen and beauty of the material, with its dark, bluish-grey hue being far more apparent on concave and polished areas. They also translate to a highly comfortable experience on-wrist despite the material’s weight.

While this material achievement might be the watch’s most prominent element, it is just one of several exceptional features in the series. INFLECTION's tantalum construction encases a fine, grand feu enamel dial in inky black, crafted by the atelier of Kong Lingjun, one of China's foremost enamel workshops. This has been adorned with gilt numerals created by the acclaimed designer, Lee Yuen-Rapati, drawing inspiration from Chinese bamboo paintings to form their lithe shapes. Complementing these are a set of shapely, highly curvaceous leaf-shaped hands that have been moulded individually rather than stamped, and are amongst the most voluminous in the industry. Their concave planes have been polished by hand to a high mirror finish, and have been plated bronze to complement the indices.

INFLECTION also sees Atelier Wen debut the use of an iconic movement from the Girard-Perregaux brand — the self-winding manufacture calibre 03300, that has been customised with sweeping, waved côtes that mimic motifs of wind that are found throughout Chinese culture.

INFLECTION measures 40mm across, at the widest point of its circumference, and stands at a mere 10.2mm tall, including its double-domed, box sapphire crystal. It is water resistant to 10ATM/100m, and has a power reserve of 48h.

Project Tai Yu is a respectful homage to Master Kiu Tai Yu (1946–2020), China’s first member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI, joined 1992) and one of the true pioneers of modern independent Chinese watchmaking. A trailblazer who created Asia’s first tourbillon wristwatch in 1991 and invented the patented Mystery Tourbillon. Project Tai Yu faithfully revives one of his most pivotal works — the iconic Millennium watch — as a meticulously researched recreation. It preserves the master’s original vision while introducing subtle enhancements for improved longevity, reliability, and contemporary finishing standards.

At the heart of the watch is the IATY-01 automatic movement — an in-house calibre developed by Independent Atelier. Built on the reliable ETA 2836 base, it has undergone extensive yet discreet refinements, including enhancements to the escapement, balance shaft, shock protection (Incabloc), regulator, and hairspring.

These upgrades were executed with the utmost respect for the original design. The goal was never to visibly alter the watch or its distinctive character. Rather, they ensure the timepiece can be worn daily and maintained with full confidence in modern lifestyles, delivering superior reliability, serviceability, and longevity while faithfully preserving Master Kiu Tai Yu’s architectural and aesthetic vision.

More than a limited-edition timepiece (strictly 25 pieces), Project Tai Yu represents a cultural and horological act of preservation. It honours the pioneering spirit of one of independent watchmaking’s most important yet under-recognised figures. Through meticulous research and collaborative craftsmanship, Independent Atelier bridges past and present, ensuring Master Kiu Tai Yu’s legacy endures for future generations of collectors and watchmakers, while contributing meaningfully to the global narrative of Chinese independent horology.

Mandetbrote Orbital II – Redefining the Geometry of Time

For centuries, mechanical watches have measured time through the continuous rotation of hands around a circular axis. It is a language of timekeeping so familiar that it is rarely questioned. Mandetbrote Orbital II dares to explore a different path.

Building upon the orbital display concept introduced by the original Secret Orbital Time, Orbital II transforms the traditional circular journey of time into an entirely new geometric experience. Instead of following a conventional orbit, the hour indication travels along a rounded quadrilateral trajectory, creating a constantly evolving interaction between movement, space, and perception.

At the heart of the watch lies an original mechanical architecture developed by Mandetbrote. Through a sophisticated transmission system, conventional rotational motion is transformed into a dynamic orbital display that combines straight segments with flowing curves. The result is a mesmerizing mechanical choreography rarely encountered in contemporary watchmaking.

Inspired by the harmony between geometry, motion, and mechanical engineering, Orbital II invites the wearer to experience time not as a repetitive cycle, but as a journey through changing forms. Every transition along the orbital path reveals a new visual relationship, turning the passage of hours into a kinetic performance.

The watch is powered by the reliable Miyota 9015 automatic calibre and protected by a domed sapphire crystal. A multi-layer dial featuring a starry-sky-inspired surface treatment enhances depth and light interaction, further enriching the visual experience of the orbital display.

More than a timepiece, Mandetbrote Orbital II represents an exploration of alternative mechanical geometry within contemporary horology.

It is not simply a new way to display the hours. It is a new path for time itself.

The AB-05 Skylight Sun marks Qian GuoBiao’s first foray into partial skeletonisation, representing a refined evolution of his “Facing the Sky” philosophy. Inspired by the poetic interplay of light and mechanical rhythm, the Skylight Sun captures the warmth and vitality of sunlight filtering through an open sky — a metaphor for clarity, openness, and the living heartbeat of a timepiece. Building upon earlier dial-side balance concepts, this model invites the wearer to witness the direct transmission of energy from the mainspring through the gear train to the prominently displayed balance wheel, embodying the brand’s core pursuit of mechanical transparency and emotional connection.

Housed in a compact and wearable 39mm stainless steel case (10mm thick, 46mm lug-to-lug) with a stepped bezel and sapphire crystals on both front and back, the AB-05 Skylight Sun features a distinctive copper openworked dial with a hand-engraved gold-coloured tremblage surface. This labor-intensive finishing technique, requiring over twenty hours per dial, creates a radiant, textured “sun-like” effect that contrasts beautifully with the visible portions of the movement. Blued steel lance-shaped hands complete the elegant and luminous composition, while maintaining excellent legibility.

At its core lies the in-house hand-wound calibre AB-05, developed and finished by Qian GuoBiao in his atelier. Operating at a deliberate 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) with a 40-hour power reserve and 17 jewels, the movement is designed with a clear, architectural layout that prioritises visibility and harmony. The balance wheel is positioned at 8:30 on the dial side, allowing the wearer to observe its steady oscillation and the flowing energy of the gear train in real time — a restrained yet captivating display of horological poetry.

Water resistant to 50 meters and presented on a custom JeaYou blue textile strap, the AB-05 Skylight Sun is limited to just 18 pieces. It stands as a confident expression of Chinese independent watchmaking: technically precise, visually poetic, and deeply human in its celebration of light, time, and craftsmanship.

BEHRENS x Vianney Halter : Master Collection KWH

Chinese high-end independent watchmaking brand BEHRENS has partnered with master watchmaker Vianney Halter to unveil the latest Master Cellection KWH limited edition.
The inspiration for the Master Collection KWH watch came from a visit to Halter’s workshop. BEHRENS founder Lin Bingqiang noticed an antique electricity meter in Halter’s collection, which echoed a similar industrial artifact he owned. This moment of serendipity sparked the idea of translating the aesthetics of vintage industrial instruments into a modern watch design.
The design draws inspiration from the antique electricity meter, an icon of 20th century industrial civilization. Its square form and mechanical logic are reinterpreted into a compact case, transforming industrial elements into a contemporary horological expression.
Further creative exchanges introduced another layer of inspiration: the classic video games Snake and Tetris.

The watch is powered by the in-house Behrens Caliber BM06 manual-winding movement, co-developed and co-created by BEHRENS and Vianney Halter. Comprising 870 components, it features dual mainspring barrels and delivers approximately 72 hours of power reserve.

The hour display draws inspiration from the classic pixel game Snake, adding a sense of playful nostalgia. This display incorporates BEHRENS’ patented ruby-bearing micro-chain mechanical system, along with a temperature-compensation mechanism to ensure stable performance across varying conditions.
The dial features a circular axle display system. The left axle integrates a power reserve indicator and day-night display, while the right axle indicates minutes. On the caseback, a calendar and moonphase are positioned at 12 o’clock, supported by quick-adjust buttons on the case.

The case is crafted from pioneering materials tantalum alloy and the mechanism is boasted with a deep Lazuline Blue finish. The tantalum alloy offers high hardness, excellent corrosion resistance, and strong mechanical performance. Its naturally dark metallic tone delivers a refined, understated aesthetic. The Lazuline Blue a deep, cool shade that enhances the metal’s natural character, creating a balanced expression of modern sophistication.

Combining industrial design that carries the memory of time with mechanical infrastructure that awakens childhood wonder, they carve out an intimate realm on the wrist.

About Behrens

Founded in 2012 in Shenzhen, China, Behrens is an independent high-end watch brand with full in-house capabilities. Since its inception, the brand has stayed true to its mission of innovating through mechanical art. With a steady stream of creative horological concepts, Behrens has established itself as a modern independent manufacturer with global influence.
Since its founding, BEHRENS has continuously explored the boundaries of watchmaking materials with the spirit of innovation. By expanding beyond conventional applications, the brand brings new depth and diversity to contemporary horology.

About Vianney Halter

Vianney Halter is one of the most celebrated independent watchmakers of his generation. A member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) since 2000, he was awarded Best Watchmaker at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2011. His works are recognised for their revolutionary mechanical structures and futuristic design language, earning him international acclaim.

Halter’s mechanical aesthetics and philosophy align closely with BEHRENS’ vision of blending innovation with the artistry of traditional watchmaking.

Mineroci RD002 with Remontoir D’égalité and Dead-Beat Central Seconds

Background

MINEROCI was founded in China in 2018 by Chang Qu and Zhengyang Pan. Both founders came from a product design background and had worked together for many years running a product design firm. Driven by a deep love and passion for horology, we spent five years teaching ourselves watchmaking theory and craftsmanship, ultimately becoming watchmakers.

With the successful delivery of the RD001, a time-only watch, we turned our attention to a more ambitious movement development project. Through the creation of the RD002, we sought to explore new approaches to power distribution in mechanical watchmaking through the integration of a constant-force mechanism.

Watch Description

The RD002 combines a Reuleaux triangle–based remontoir d’égalité mechanism with a central deadbeat seconds display. The watch employs a specially designed 18-tooth escape wheel operating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), forming the foundation of its escapement system.、The centrally mounted deadbeat seconds hand enhances the visual impact of the jumping-seconds display while also presenting greater design and manufacturing challenges.

The movement is powered by twin mainspring barrels and incorporates a Maltese cross stopwork mechanism to regulate the range of energy release. The power reserve is 38 hours, and we have incorporated a power-reserve indicator on the dial side.

The movement contains 45 jewels, while the completed watch measures 38.5 mm in diameter and 9.8 mm in thickness.

Movement Finishing

The finishing and decoration of the RD002 movement are carried out entirely in-house.

The surfaces of the gold bridges are treated with a combination of sandblasting and satin brushing. All edges are hand-beveled and polished to a mirror finish. All screws are individually black-polished by hand. The large wheel combines black polishing with circular graining.

A Symmetrical Design Bridging East and West

The symmetrical dial design of the RD002 draws inspiration from historically significant pocket watches.

The upper half of the dial, including the prominent central seconds hand, is inspired by a marine chronometer dating back to 1804. Its distinctive characteristics, a central seconds display paired with a subsidiary hour-and-minute dial, shaped the upper section of the RD002 dial.

The inspiration for the lower half of the dial is drawn from the movement architecture of George Daniels’ pocket watch “Hornby II.” A defining feature of this timepiece is a large balance wheel positioned centrally in the lower section of the movement.

We applied this architectural concept to the front of the watch to showcase the motion and aesthetic beauty of the mechanical structure. In the RD002, the balance wheel is displayed slightly below the center on the dial side. To its left is the remontoir constant-force mechanism, and to its right is a follower wheel.

The design of the movement’s reverse side is also based on a symmetrical layout while subtly incorporating imagery inspired by the Chinese lion dance. The lion dance is a traditional cultural performance symbolizing good fortune, prosperity, and success. We used this cultural motif as the basis for the movement’s architecture and visual identity.

PERCEPTION 漩 (Xuán) is Atelier Wen’s Millésime edition for 2025 – a time-limited, community-driven release that marks the brand’s first use of stonework in a timepiece. Its natural pietersite dial, inspired by the visual and symbolic tradition of 山水盆景 (shānshuǐ pénjǐng), or mountain-water landscape gardens, replaces the collection’s hallmark hand-turned guilloché for something altogether more organic: a swirling, iridescent surface of blue, black, gold and brown that seems to shift and breathe with every movement of the wrist.

A natural pietersite dial

For the second year running, the Millésime arrives in the familiar silhouette of Perception – Atelier Wen’s integrated bracelet steel sports watch. But while the form remains, its visual centrepiece has been entirely reconsidered. Guilloché, which has defined every Perception since the collection’s debut in 2022, gives way here to something far more elemental: a dial crafted from natural pietersite.

A rare semi-precious stone found in only two known deposits – first in Namibia in 1962, and later in Henan, China, in 1966 – pietersite is distinguished by its swirling confluence of blue, black, gold and brown veins, a visual intensity born of its chaotic internal structure. Often called the “storm” or “tempest” stone, its iridescent surface shifts with the light in a manner that no engine-turned pattern could replicate.

The creation of the 漩 dial was a process of considerable craft and difficulty. Selecting suitable slabs of raw pietersite required painstaking curation, as natural inclusions frequently yield colour combinations less suited to the watch’s architectural reference. Once selected, each dial is wirecut by hand in a stonecraft workshop in Zhejiang, achieving the twelve individual cut-outs for Perception’s hour indices – a step that demands extraordinary precision given pietersite’s natural brittleness. The dials are then sent to polishers in Guangdong, where they must strike a careful balance: polishing the pietersite to a perfect sheen without compromising the stone’s structural integrity.

The landscape garden as architectural centrepiece

When Perception was first conceived, designer Alfred Chan drew inspiration from the visual language of traditional Chinese architecture – rooftop geometries reimagined as case and bracelet profiles, the structural logic of 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo) joinery translated into the dial’s four-layered construction, and the 石狮子 (shí shīzǐ), or stone guardian lion, presiding over the movement on the caseback.

For the 2025 Millésime, that architectural vocabulary is extended into a new register: the 盆景 (pén jǐng), or landscape garden. Far from decorative, these carefully composed worlds of rock, water and plant occupied the hearts of traditional Chinese compounds as cosmological centres – their arrangement governed by the principles of 风水 (fēng shuǐ), intended to invoke the five fundamental elements and channel spiritual flow, fortune and harmony into the surrounding space. More tangibly, they served as visual anchors, bringing balance to the compound and guiding the experience of the architecture that surrounded them.

Pietersite – known in Chinese as 风暴石 (fēng bào shí), or “storm stone” – was chosen for its natural resonance with the most classical form of such gardens: the 山水盆景 (shānshuǐ pénjǐng), or mountain-water landscape garden, which placed movement and flow at its heart through cascading water, mist and rock formation. Though the stone was only discovered in the 20th century, modern interpretations of 风水 hold it in high regard as an invocation of the water and metal elements. Its swirling depths seem to hold something of those miniature worlds in suspension – still, and yet perpetually in motion.

A love letter to the community

The Millésime was introduced in 2024 as a yearly, community-first release: a limited timepiece offered to Atelier Wen’s global family at priority, serving at once as a celebration of the year past and a canvas for the brand’s most experimental configurations. Each vintage is singular – it will not return.

2025 was a year of considerable significance for Atelier Wen: two new collections, an expanded schedule of global exhibitions and events, and a meaningfully broadened retail presence. None of it would have been possible without the community that has surrounded and sustained the brand. PERCEPTION 漩 (Xuán) is the brand’s response to that – a watch conceived in gratitude, and offered as a token of that relationship. Available between 28 January and 6 February 2026 (11:00 HKT, GMT+8), with the first 225 orders delivered in Q2 2026 and all subsequent orders fulfilled in Q4 2026, 漩 is time-limited by design. Like all Millésime editions before it, it will not return.

The integrated bracelet sports watch, refined

Beneath the stone, 漩 is thoroughly Perception. The case and bracelet are both hewn from 904L stainless steel – the same grade used in the finest Swiss sports watches – with contrasting surface treatments and individually chamfered bracelet links that reflect the exceptional attention to finish that defines the collection. At 40mm in diameter and 9.4mm in height including the crystal, it wears with the discreet authority the design demands.

At its heart is a customised, extra-thin Dandong Peacock SL1588A calibre, measuring just 3.4mm in height. Decorated with circular côtes de Genève, polished jewel and screw sinks, and heat-blued screws, it wears its finishing openly through a sapphire caseback window. The tungsten rotor, itself finished with circular côtes de Genève and black rhodium plating, delivers automatic winding with a power reserve of approximately 41 hours. Rigorously tested and certified by the Horological Research Institute of Light Industry (HRILI), and further adjusted in five positions and for temperature variation, the movement achieves an accuracy of ±10 seconds per day.

The hallmark of the Millésime – a subtle engraving of Atelier Wen’s logo on the caseback – confirms the edition’s provenance without proclamation. The bracelet tapers from 22mm at the case to 18mm at the clasp, reducing gradually in thickness from 3mm to 2.6mm, and incorporates Atelier Wen’s proprietary patent-pending on-the-fly micro- adjustment system and telescopic deployant blade clasp for the kind of daily wearability the design demands.

Inspired by Sanxingdui bronze eye relics, this haute horlogerie piece incorporates geometric order, eye worship and Golden Sun Bird faith of ancient Shu civilization.

Adopting brand self-developed lightweight single-layer graphene composite material, the watch weighs only 8 grams excluding strap, featuring extreme lightness, exceptional hardness and corrosion resistance. Gold leaf is inlaid on matte base to deliver distinctive artistic texture.

Fitted with in-house Cal.BM09 manual winding movement, it is equipped with instantaneous hour jump, day-night and power reserve indications. Cutting-edge material technology paired with oriental philosophical wisdom elevates new benchmark for ultra-thin lightweight mechanical timepieces.

This watch was conceived during a memorable trip to The Forbidden City in China. At first sight of the glazed tilework at Chonghua Gate, the design’s twelve nodal points seemed tailor-made for a timepiece, sparking an ingenious creative inspiration right away. We engineered this irregular sapphire watch case pre-set with twelve hour positions, among which the markers for 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock stand out prominently. This setup eliminates separate hour indices and frees up more display space on the dial.

As our gaze wandered toward the Qianlong Garden, we drew inspiration from flowers beloved by imperial dynasties across history and picked peony, rose, orchid, chrysanthemum, lotus and wintersweet. These blossoms, all blooming toward sunlight with vibrant vitality, are hand-painted onto the dial via miniature enamel craftsmanship.

A visit to the Museum of Clocks and Watches brought to mind words from Jiao Dayu, a renowned independent Chinese watchmaker: Chinese market pocket watches “represent an unparalleled milestone and marvel in horological history, boasting exquisite craftsmanship, elegant silhouettes, remarkable structural diversity, vast production volumes and extensive global reach.”

We reimagined the movement architecture of classic Chinese market watches, namely the Eight-Part Movement. The case back exposes the barrel and balance wheel arranged in symmetrical configuration; the barrel is fitted with a Maltese cross stop-work to prevent reverse winding and regulate the release of mainspring power. The base plate’s reverse side bears hand-engraved patterns replicated from the ceiling of the Ancient Splendid Pavilion in the Palace Museum’s Qianlong Garden, crafted by young Chinese master gold carvers for an elegant, ornate finish.

The strap is crafted from cowhide, with off-white leather paired with green stitching that complements the sapphire case and enamel dial to unify the overall design aesthetic.

Drawing design cues from imperial Chinese architecture and royal gardens and refined with contemporary aesthetics, this timepiece encapsulates traditional Chinese beauty and the nation’s profound cultural heritage within wearable watch art.

The Story Behind a Chinese Enamel Independent Watchmaker — A Heartfelt Gift from a Generation Z Independent Watchmaker from China.

I am LANGLE YUAN, a Generation Z independent watchmaker.

For my "Year of the Horse Furinkazan" creation, I combined micro-sculpture and micro-painted enamel to craft bold geometric horses. The making of this dial was extremely difficult — the most complex, challenging, and tormenting dial I have ever attempted. The intricate engraved lines and color blocks caused tiny pits after the first enamel firing, as well as edge gaps due to shrinkage from cooling. This meant countless rounds of color retouching, refiring, re-polishing, and refilling — layer by layer — until no imperfection could be seen by the naked eye. The first layer of engraving alone took several days.

What makes it even more abstract is the brushed circular metal background behind the horse's head. It is not a separate piece, but integrally carved from an ultra-high-cost special alloy that forms the entire dial. As a result, the entire dial had to be polished strictly in the same direction as the brushing. After the final brushing, only the exposed metal parts retained the brushed texture, while the enamel at the same height had to remain glossy — an almost impossible, master-level operation.

As the dial became thinner with each round of polishing, room for correction shrank. Inside the horse's head — less than 10mm long — are countless tiny geometric color blocks, the smallest only 0.3mm. Anyone who has worked with enamel knows how hard it is to fill such tiny cells, and how many micro‑adjustments are needed through repeated polishing and filling. Look closer: beneath the transparent orange-red enamel of the mane lies a meticulously designed and sculpted relief. The watch is paired with a special JEAYOU Year of the Horse limited strap.

Behind this piece I am so proud of are countless days of torment, endless sleepless nights, and all handcrafted work. Finally, a perfect Furinkazan Year of the Horse limited dial was born. At that moment, the watchmaker's spirit was finally at peace.

Core Crafts: Precious metal micro-engraving, gemstone micro-mosaic inlay, minute repeater complicated watchmaking technique

A collectible artistic timepiece crafted by Shanghai Watch in collaboration with master metal engraver Meihua, this model is limited to 7 pieces worldwide. Each piece features exclusive mosaic inlay patterns, making every watch a unique solitary work. Created entirely by hand over eight months with more than 2,000 hours of meticulous craftsmanship, it perfectly integrates Shanghai’s Haipai urban culture with top-tier haute horlogerie.

Blending mechanical art with urban memory, the watch draws its core inspiration from the historic Shanghai Bund Customs House. Completed in 1893, the building once stood as the tallest structure on the Bund. Its iconic bell tower standardized the tonnage tax timing for ships sailing on the Huangpu River, advancing the standardization and modernization of port management. The solemn bell that awakens the city every morning is perfectly condensed into miniature horological art through exquisite hand engraving.

The watch adopts an innovative layered dial structure, presenting a panoramic view overlooking Lujiazui from the Bund via sophisticated multi-metal micro-engraving techniques. The central Customs House is finely sculpted in 18K gold, while the distant Lujiazui skyline is outlined with 18K gold. The shimmering Huangpu River is carved from PT950 platinum, and the soft, profound sky is meticulously crafted from oxidized silver, forming a three-dimensional miniature urban landscape. The thinnest engraving section measures merely 0.1 millimeters.

Encircling the dial is an exquisite micro-mosaic gemstone ring, inspired by the octagonal caisson ceiling murals inside the Customs House. The eight-sided ceiling is adorned with colorful mosaic maritime motifs depicting ancient sailing ships and warships, integrated with geometric and floral elements. Carefully selected natural gemstones including red coral, jadeite and turquoise are inlaid manually to restore the classic maritime patterns, delivering delicate, exquisite and stunning visual effects.

The case back features an engraved traditional Chinese treasure junk sailing on the sea. The bow is carved with a mythical pixiu sea guardian beast, an ancient sacred creature believed to dispel sea monsters, calm stormy waves and protect maritime navigation. Rooted in ancient Chinese reverence for the ocean and worship of natural deities, this design embodies the uniqueness of traditional Chinese shipbuilding culture, reflecting ancient people’s profound wisdom and artistic interpretation of the sea. Overcoming extreme millimeter-level engraving difficulties, the timepiece features a hand-assembled delicate rigging system on the gold-carved junk, paired with platinum waves and oxidized silver sky. All movement fixing screws are subtly hidden within the hull structure, perfectly integrating oriental aesthetics with Shanghai’s inclusive and pioneering urban spirit.

Equipped with an innovative concealed time-reading system and a high-end minute repeater movement, the watch features a transparent sapphire minute rotating disc overlaying the artistic dial, blending time indication and landscape integration perfectly. The minute repeater mechanism reproduces the century-old melodious chime of the Bund bell tower with rich layered tones. The transparent case back fully showcases the precise operation of the striking mechanism.

The timepiece is fitted with a 46mm 18K gold case, an octagonal sapphire-set crown, and a hand-stitched alligator strap from Jean Rousseau with an 18K gold buckle. Centered on premium handcrafted artistic techniques, it combines profound cultural heritage and sophisticated watchmaking technology, standing as a benchmark masterpiece of contemporary Chinese artistic haute horlogerie.

The Atelier Wen ANCESTRA 蛟 (JIĀO) is a 38mm dress watch featuring an exquisite, hand-hammered dial with multiple layers of grand feu enamel, calligraphed and baguette-cut diamond hour markers, and a high-performance, modern calibre that has been customised in Collaboration with Pequignet Manufacture in France.

ANCESTRA’s case design is rooted in the fascinating narrative of the Hongshan jade dragon; mankind's very first recorded depiction of a dragon. Inspired by the sinuous form of this historic jade artifact, it is a striking tribute to China’s artistic and horological traditions.

A case inspired by the first known depiction of the dragon

The case of ANCESTRA serves as the primary canvas for its referentiality to the Hongshan culture’s carved jade dragons (猪龙 zhū lóng). ANCESTRA’s case and lugs reinterpret these ancient artifacts in the form of elegant, detached lugs that are screwed externally onto the case. The sinuous, lugs mirror the curves of the jade dragon, and are secured with internal screws and intricately engraved, external bolts featuring a traditional Chinese 回纹 (huí wén) motif.

Designed by Sifan Guo and Alfred Chan, the 38mm case is constructed from 904L stainless steel, offering a rich contrast of brushed and polished surfaces, and the detached construction enables extremely sharp transitions between contrasting finishing treatments.

A complex dial featuring hand-hammering, grand feu enamel and mixed indices

Behind its generously domed, box sapphire crystal, 蛟 (JIĀO) features a grand feu enamel dial crafted by the workshop of Kong Lingjun — one of China’s very finest and most renowned enamel maisons. Executed in a fumé finish that ranges from pale silver in the middle to a deep cobalt at its circumference, 蛟 (JIĀO)'s grand feu enamel dial features meticulous hand-hammering (martelé) on its 925 silver dial base.

The multiple enamel layers above this hammered dial base results in a visually arresting texture reminiscent of deep seas. With the sea being the traditional dwelling place of the dragon kings in Chinese mythology, this feeds back into the cultural inspirations of its case. Due to the handcrafted nature of each individual dial, the gradient of this “sea” varies slightly from dial to dial, making each dial ostensibly unique. This gradient is also significantly challenging to achieve due to the high number of shades of blue required to realise it within the limited space present on the dial. The fickle nature of enamel also means that an even ombre effect is difficult to reliably create through the multiple firings needed, thereby resulting in a high rejection rate based on dial colour alone.

The artisanal dial is paired with an original handset with an extraordinarily voluminous, 0.45mm thick profile that lends the already abyssal dial even more depth. Plated in rhodium, the “leaf”-shaped hour and minute hands feature a frosted mid-plane and wide, concave, mirror-polished bevels, catching the light with its subtle interplay of finishes.

The dial is further elevated by calligraphed hour markers that were derived from the visual cues of traditional bamboo paintings. These extend the watch’s Chinese inspirations, and were specially commissioned from the talents of Hong Kong calligraphy artist Elaine Wong. They feature on all odd markers, alternating with baguette-cut diamonds that distribute the dial’s visual weight and add a touch of additional refinement.

A finely finished, modern calibre embellished in poetry

ANCESTRA is powered by a heavily customized Pequignet Calibre EPM03. This modern automatic movement boasts a 65-hour power reserve, 21 jewels, and chronometer-grade accuracy (-4/+6 seconds per day with an average of +/-2s/d). The movement possesses a patented tooth profile within the winding assembly, and benefits from a bi-directional pawl-based “Pellaton” winding system — both of which result in far greater efficiency in energy transmission during winding, as well as durability in the long run.

蛟 (JIĀO)’s movement features a deeply micro-etched main bridge featuring a poetic re-envisioning of the Chinese manuscript 天问 (Questions to Heaven). Attributed to the poet Qu Yuan 屈原 (340–278 BCE), it is framed as a series of poetic questions directed towards heaven, and invokes early Chinese shamanistic mythologies, themes of creation, the interplay of yin and yang and celestial phenomena that supplement the foundational inspirations that ANCESTRA’s design draws from.

The three-quarter bridge is finished to a high degree, and is complemented by a black-polished ratchet return wheel and balance bridge that contrast starkly with the text that surrounds them. Its tungsten rotor has also been skeletonised in order to maximise the visibility of this beautiful new movement through the sapphire caseback. The rotor is plated in a 1.5 micron thick layer of 5N rose gold.

The Four Nobles

The four noble flowers are a quartet of plants - the plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, that each represent one of the four seasons and embody traditional Chinese virtues. They have been depicted in Chinese art, particularly the bird and flower paintings that reached their zenith in the Song Dynasty, for millennia.

In this exclusive collaboration with Revolution, we have paired each flower with complementary birds that exemplify the elegance and grace of classical Chinese painting and lacquered screens. This quartet of magnificent cloisonné enamel dial watches comprises The Four Nobles collection, the culmination of Oriental art, exquisite craftsmanship and centuries of historical tradition and savoir-faire.

Spring 蘭 - “Orioles amidst the Orchids”

The fresh perfumed scent of orchids in bloom fills the air as the vibrant colours of spring glisten and orioles sing and take flight.

Colour palette - blue, pink

Kimberlite as Dial, Diamonds as Hands

Diamond Genesis uses kimberlite--the mother rock of diamond--as its dial. Two 3mm natural diamonds are not set as decoration, but as mystery hands floating above the orbit, one indicating the hour, one the minute. At the centre, a flying tourbillon turns in open air: the mechanical core and visual anchor of the watch.

Value, the Sediment of Time

Diamonds crystallise over a billion years in the deep mantle, before kimberlite carries them to the surface. Their value does not come from a moment of brilliance, but from extreme conditions, immeasurable duration, and a process of formation that cannot be replicated. Just like the birth of a diamond, the significant achievements of individuals and human societies come in the same way--they are all sedimented over time.

Perpetual Probing into the Unknown

The central tourbillon turns without rest, embodying the human spirit of exploration. The suspended diamonds, rendered as mystery hands, points to the unknown. Together, they embody the human drive to venture beyond what is known.

The work “FURINKAZAN 18IN18 Pearl of the Orient” is a collaboration between Generation Z independent enamel artist Langle Yuan and independent watchmaker Ricky Hong, who has just turned 18.

The construction and finishing of the movement are all carried out by Ricky. He has applied various finishing techniques throughout the movement, including Geneva stripes and bevelling on the bridges, rounded bevels around the jewels, snailing on the ratchet and winding wheels, mirror polishing on the escape-wheel bridge, and sharp angles on the balance cock.

Interestingly, Langle Yuan used his expertise in micro-engraving and micro-painted enamel to create a starry sky on the balance cock. The Big Dipper is micro-engraved beneath translucent blue enamel, with a hand-scraped texture.

The enamel dial and enamel hour disk are hand-painted and polished by Langle. They feature a micro-engraved and micro-painted enamel scene of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour at night, including towering skyscrapers, a shimmering sea surface, and Hong Kong’s iconic red sailing junk. The sail of the junk and the deep blue sky are rendered in translucent enamel.

The dial also incorporates a new luminous material developed by Langle. A heat-resistant special mineral is ground and mixed into the enamel pigments. When night falls, the tiny stars, buildings, searchlights, sea, and hour indicators on the dial glow, as if you were personally experiencing Victoria Harbour at night.

The watch is paired with a Himalayan crocodile leather strap made by JEAYOU.

Four Years of Craftsmanship | Decoding the Design Core of the Zbioland 961 Exclusive Movement

A movement is the soul and heart of a timepiece.

To create the Barcelona ZBL1009 exclusive watch, Zbioland has unveiled the brand's first custom in-house movement — the 961 calibre. After four years of refinement, six iterations of design solutions, and comprehensive stability testing across all dimensions, this movement grants this singular timepiece its own unique power and watchmaking credibility.

961 | Every Digit Carries Its Own Meaning

961 is no arbitrary designation — each number embodies Zbioland's research philosophy and brand trajectory:

The digit 9

The Barcelona ZBL1009 is Zbioland's 9th original timepiece, distilling the brand's accumulated design and watchmaking expertise.

The digit 6

Represents the six complete design iterations this movement underwent. The development team repeatedly optimized the movement architecture, power distribution, and internal layout, subjecting each version to rigorous field testing, stability screening, and comparative evaluation before finalizing the iteration with the most stable performance and optimal compatibility with the ZBL1009 case design.

The digit 1

Symbolizes Zbioland's first proprietary custom in-house movement — a milestone marking the brand's breakthrough beyond exterior design and its mastery of core watchmaking craft.

Four Years of Deep Development for One Exclusive Movement

Unlike mass-produced generic calibres in the market, the 961 movement was purpose-built exclusively for the Barcelona ZBL1009 — a one-to-one custom solution.

Four full years of development: from initial blueprint conception, structural testing, and component machining, through durability trials, rate adjustment, and field stability validation. Every stage refined with meticulous care and iterative optimization. This approach eliminates the homogeneity and poor compatibility inherent in universal calibres, ensuring the movement's architecture, power output, and overall quality perfectly align with the Barcelona ZBL1009's positioning as a singular design statement.

One Movement, One Watch — Achieving Singular Collectible Value

Multiple original creations in reserve, six rounds of extreme design iteration, four years of dedicated proprietary research and development, and the brand's inaugural exclusive movement.

The 961 calibre is the Barcelona ZBL1009's exclusive heart — and a testament to Zbioland's commitment to original craftsmanship and its refusal to accept commoditized design.

Through four years of artisanal refinement of a proprietary movement, this Barcelona timepiece achieves its singular collectible essence.

The Moon's cyclical orbit around Earth, with its ever-shifting phases, has long been regarded as astronomy's most romantic phenomenon, and horology's most enduring complication.

The Aelier Astronomer Watch introduces a new large-aperture moon-phase mechanism featuring a single, fully visible moon disc.

The complication adheres to the precise 29.53-day lunar cycle, with an accuracy that deviates by just one day every 122.5 years.

Unlike conventional large-aperture moon-phase displays, the in-house Caliber A6001 automatic movement incorporates a variable-speed moon disc—its angular velocity accelerates, then decelerates, following a cosine curve derived from trigonometric calculations. This motion works in concert with the circular moon-phase aperture, allowing the terminator line to traverse the moon's surface with natural, fluid precision. This approach liberates the aperture from the heart-shaped curves typically required by traditional calculations. By adjusting the moon disc's rotation speed, different aperture profiles become possible, opening new avenues for large-aperture moon-phase design and expanding both form and application.

The moon disc itself carries an embedded three-dimensional metallic micro-sculpture, faithfully reproducing the lunar topography. Coated with Super-LumiNova, it appears subdued by day and glows like a full moon on the wrist by night, capturing the texture and presence of the real celestial body. Dial markers and lettering are executed in raised metal relief with fine brushed finishing, while the moon-phase window features chamfered and polished edges. Each layer of detail builds depth, playing with light and shadow to achieve a quietly refined sophistication.

Seeing a Segment of Time

In an age when smartwatches and smartphones have perfectly solved the problem of precise timekeeping, what is the true purpose of a mechanical watch?

We have become accustomed to glancing at a dial simply to read the time, yet rarely do we perceive the passage of a duration itself. This watch employs a combined hour-and-second display architecture in which the hour disc advances through a 90-degree arc every fifteen minutes, allowing the wearer to intuitively experience a segment of time unfolding. Through a mechanical object, objective time is transformed into a subjective perception of duration.

Slowing Down Through Reverse Thinking

Modern life moves at an ever-increasing pace. This watch proposes an alternative rhythm.

On the left side of the dial, a counter-rotating seconds wheel completes one revolution every two minutes. Moving in the opposite direction and at half the speed of the central seconds indication, it introduces a deliberate visual contradiction.

Each glance at the watch becomes a subtle reminder to slow down, reconsider assumptions, and view the world from another perspective. Sometimes, a different direction reveals a different answer.

Your Life Creates Your Time

This is an automatic mechanical watch. The wearer's everyday movements—walking, raising a hand, turning the body—are transformed by the oscillating weight into stored energy within the mainspring.

Its fully skeletonized construction exposes every gear engagement and every rotation to view. The movement of the mechanism and the movement of the wearer become inseparable parts of the same system.

Your life generates the energy that powers the watch; your life, in a sense, creates your time.

Perhaps this enduring relationship between human movement, mechanical motion, and the perception of time is why the mechanical watch continues to exist today.

Rooted in the millennial heritage of Chinese craftsmanship and the ancient art of metal chiseling, and built on Peacock's 67 years of expertise in high-end watchmaking, this work redefines the aesthetic and technical standards of the Oriental tourbillon. Breaking away from the established paradigms of Western watchmaking, we integrate Eastern philosophy of creation into complicated timepieces, merging the endangered art of fine micro-chiseling with our in-house developed tourbillon technology. This fills the industry gap in integrating traditional Oriental arts with modern high-end watchmaking, and brings Oriental craftsmanship to the forefront of the international horological stage.

The watch's design draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese cosmology of "round heaven and square earth". Our proprietary Wrapped Vision case employs a segmented finishing process: mirror polishing on the edges and inner lugs, fine brushing on the case surfaces, and a concave polished bezel, harmoniously balancing architectural beauty and everyday wear resistance. The dial features naturally layered hand-chiseled textures with excellent legibility. Dual-structure hands and four-faceted hand-finished indices create dynamic light plays through artisanal craftsmanship. Premium materials — 904L aerospace-grade steel, fine-grain calfskin leather, and anti-glare sapphire crystal — unite culture, aesthetics and functionality into a seamless whole.

The watch is powered by Peacock's in-house developed PAX9610A ultra-thin free-sprung tourbillon movement, which significantly improves timekeeping accuracy and stability. With a movement thickness of just 3.5mm and an overall case thickness of 8.9mm, it delivers an impressive 68-hour power reserve. The patented Peacock Eye screw is crafted using micrometer-scale chemical etching, and its accompanying tool has undergone multiple material optimizations to overcome long-standing technical challenges of micro-components. The movement's diverse finishes — perlage, Côtes de Genève and double spiral patterns — balance visual elegance with practical transmission and dust-repellent performance.

All core manufacturing processes are executed entirely by hand by master artisans, granting the work exceptional rarity. Each hand-chiseled dial takes 10 to 20 hours to complete by artisans with over 15 years of experience, with a single artisan producing only 30 pieces per month. The full hand-finishing of a single movement exceeds 120 hours, including the highly challenging chamfering of 4 internal angles and 1 external angle — a process that requires a master watchmaker with over 10 years of experience to work continuously for 20 hours under a 10x magnifier. All handcrafted processes have a zero-tolerance for error: the slightest imperfection results in the part being scrapped, and mass production can never replicate this unique handcrafted texture.

This timepiece is a profound convergence of Peacock's 67 years of independent watchmaking expertise and 3,000 years of Chinese chiseling civilization. In collaboration with leading artists, we have adapted and modernized traditional chiseling techniques, breathing new life into this ancient art form in contemporary watchmaking. True to its philosophy of independent manufacturing, Peacock perpetuates the legacy of handcrafted watchmaking with this work, while infusing it with Oriental chromatic aesthetics throughout.

The Divine Craft Tourbillon transcends the mere status of a timekeeping instrument to become a transmissible work of art, bearing the essence of Oriental culture and artisanal spirit. Limited to 108 pieces worldwide — a number derived from traditional Buddhist mala bead culture, symbolizing perfection and the eternity of craftsmanship — the hand-chiseled textures will develop a unique patina with wear, granting each watch an irreplaceable temporal signature. Representing the pinnacle of contemporary Oriental craftsmanship, it combines exceptional artistic appreciation, technical collectibility and family heirloom value.

The TIMETHIS Ref. 2601SS1-A “Sichuan Panda” Complete Calendar Automatic Watch with Natural Aquamarine Bezel presents a lighter and softer interpretation of the “Sichuan Panda” theme in a refined 34mm size.

The 34mm case offers a more intimate and wearable scale. It does not rely on a bold visual presence, but instead conveys an effortless, elegant, and everyday wrist presence through balanced proportions, delicate details, and a restrained silhouette.

This timepiece features a hidden T-setting structure, with natural aquamarine encircling the bezel. The clear, translucent light-blue tone of aquamarine evokes associations with air, water, and sky. Aquamarine brings a lighter, clearer, and more breathable sense of Eastern poetry.

The natural aquamarine bezel gently surrounds the panda-themed dial, adding a brighter, younger, and more relaxed expression to the cultural imagery of the Sichuan Panda. It is like a breeze moving through a bamboo forest, or a touch of pale blue within mountains and water, giving the panda theme not only charm, but also a quiet, refreshing, and spacious aesthetic quality.

Within its refined 34mm case, the watch features a complete calendar display, integrating the day, month, and date into a compact yet balanced dial layout. Through practical mechanical functionality, natural gemstone material, and a light visual language, it reveals a softer, more transparent, and more breathable side of the “Sichuan Panda” collection.

When the smoke of war cleared, the aviation industry left behind countless power machines of exquisite mechanical order. The five-cylinder radial aircraft piston engines of World War II—relying on their odd-numbered cylinder configuration arranged in radiating symmetry and stable cyclical combustion—sustained the long-distance flights of early lightweight fighters and training aircraft.

While researching extensive archives of vintage aviation machinery, ZBL’s designers were profoundly moved by the radial engine’s balanced, spoke-like geometry and the mechanical rhythm of reciprocating pistons. These historical engines bore the imprint of their era—possessing the raw power of wartime industrial engineering while embodying the refined symmetrical aesthetics unique to precision mechanics. This inspired the decision to transplant that sealed-away aviation mechanical beauty into watch design.

Most contemporary watch design pursues either minimalism or luxury spectacle, yet mechanical-themed works often lack genuine narrative depth and intrigue. ZBL’s creative intent is to break free from homogeneous design thinking—to transform verifiable historical aviation engineering into watchmaking language. Rather than ornamental flourish, the design directly translates the engine’s crankshaft and five radiating pistons in their original configuration, employing iridescent finishing techniques to simulate the thermal light-refraction of an engine at full throttle. The dial becomes a miniature aviation engine—static, yet imbued with inherent dynamic tension.

The watch employs a dual-sided time-telling structure: the front face presents the complete five-cylinder radial piston artistic form alongside essential timekeeping; the reverse prioritizes practical readability. One face to admire, one to use—flip and switch between two distinct experiences.

A proprietary quick-release lug system enables rapid dial conversion. By removing the strap and attaching a clasp, the watch freely transforms between wristwatch, pocket pendant, and sartorial hanging piece—breaking the conventional boundary that confines watches to the wrist alone. Mechanical aesthetics transcend scene-dependence; one watch serves multiple contexts and purposes. This is not merely a timekeeping accessory, but an emotional anchor for mechanical enthusiasts and vintage aviation aficionados.

The wearer carries a fragment of aviation history on the wrist, experiencing within a confined space the craftsmanship and power of old industrial engineering. In the noise and chaos of daily life, the orderly beauty of hard-core mechanics settles the mind. Through a timepiece on the wrist, one anchors their own vintage nostalgia and mechanical romance.