Millésime 2024 睦 (Mù)

Perception 睦 (Mù) is the latest iteration of Atelier Wen’s lauded integrated bracelet sports line, PERCEPTION. It features a meticulously engine-turned guilloché dial from the atelier of Master Cheng Yucai, the very first master guillocheur in China, this time executed in a regal purple. The dial colour varies startlingly between a captivating ultraviolet and a rich, deep purple under different lighting conditions.

Hand-turned guilloché by China’s very first master guillocheur

The star of the show is undoubtedly the hand-turned dial, carved on a rose engine of Cheng’s own design and fabrication in his hometown of Xinmi, China — an engine that he owns a patent for, owing to the uniqueness of its construction from the European engines of old. 睦 (Mù)’s dial is carved in a pattern known as écailles de poisson, and plays hypnotically with the intersections between an intricate myriad of straight and curved lines. 

With few masters of the craft left in the world, and fewer still learning it due to the advent of alternative methods of manufacture such as CNC, stamping and laser-engraving, guilloché has become increasingly rare in its traditional stronghold of Europe. Cheng hopes to bring about a renaissance of the craft through the nurturing of younger, promising artisans that he teaches at a local college, and has trained a number of disciples who he hopes will extend this artisanal tradition under his guidance.

Grade 5 titanium construction and finishing

PERCEPTION 睦 (Mù) features a construction of grade 5 titanium throughout the svelte dimensions of its case and bracelet — at 40mm across its widest circumference, and just 9.4mm in overall thickness. These have been executed with an elaborate combination of mixed finishes. 

The dramatic and distinctly flat brushing on its upper surfaces contrasts sharply against angular, hand-finished chamfers on each individual edge of its case and bracelet, and the links have been carefully finished to ensure perfect flexibility, minimal play and a flowing, comfortable drape on-wrist.

PERCEPTION’s clasp features a patent-pending, original micro-adjustment system that allows for on-the-fly re-sizing, as well as a telescopic, sliding extension in the blade of its clasp, allowing it to slip over the hand easily and adjusted for up to ⅔ of a link without removal from the wrist.

Design inspirations

The PERCEPTION series draws upon traditional cues in Chinese architecture, reinterpreting them in sleek, contemporary form. 

These can be found in the manner its case and bracelet subtly reference the sloping rooftops and hexagonal windows of Chinese palaces and pagodas. On a more macro-level, its dial structure harks back to the ancient Chinese methodology of building construction, 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo), which relies on friction and imbrication to join beams together without the use of wood or glue.

These architectural cues are complemented by tastefully incorporated traditional motifs such as the beautiful 回纹 (huí wén) pattern — that doubles functionally as PERCEPTION’s chapter ring. PERCEPTION’s caseback further echoes this, etched with the stylised face of a stone lion — that extends the architectural concept further with the motif’s traditional service in guardian statues that stand watch outside important buildings and monuments.

An ultra-thin automatic movement

PERCEPTION 睦 (Mù) is powered by the SL1588A ultra-thin automatic movement from the Liaoning Peacock watch manufacture in Dandong, China. It features 41 hours of power reserves and at just 3.4mm, allows PERCEPTION’s overall proportions to be kept exceedingly thin.

The movement is decorated generously in multiple finishes, with perlage on its base plate, circular côtes de Genève on its bridges and rotor, and generous chamfering on all edges.