The Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo goes all out with grand feu enamel, diamonds, and a high-end Pequignet movement
Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo 腕表倾力呈现大明火珐琅工艺、钻石镶嵌及高端 Pequignet 机芯
Borna Bošnjak
Ever since their first model, a Kickstarter success, Atelier Wen has sought to deliver features usually seen on grail-level, unobtainable pieces to a price that more enthusiasts could comfortably afford. Though impressive, the success of the Perception doesn’t quite tell the full story of their creativity, but that changes today. Meet the Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo, whose name means scaly dragon, if my Chinese translation skills are up to par. A look at the dial reveals where the inspiration comes from, but, as has become the norm with Atelier Wen’s dials, there is more than meets the eye. Other than the intricate finishing, the fact that this Ancestra is a proposition in a market segment completely different from the Perception’s is clear from the choice of movement, too.
自首款 Kickstarter 众筹大获成功的表款问世以来，Atelier Wen 始终致力于将通常仅见于天价梦幻表款的工艺特征，以更亲民的价格呈现给钟表爱好者。虽然 Perception 系列的成就令人瞩目，但还不足以完全展现其创意实力——直到今天这款 Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo 的诞生。其名译为"鳞甲神龙"（若我的中文翻译无误），表盘设计灵感来源一目了然，但正如 Atelier Wen 一贯的表盘哲学，视觉之下暗藏玄机。除了精妙的润饰工艺，这款 Ancestra 通过机芯选择就清晰表明：它与 Perception 系列瞄准的是截然不同的细分市场。
The dial 表盘
But before we get into that, let’s take a closer look at that dial. At first glance, there might seem like there’s a lot going on – and there is. The baguette-cut markers alternate with calligraphed (but printed) numbers by artist Elaine Wong, with an alternate style that is yet to be unveiled switching it up, with diamonds for the odd hours and Lee Yuen-Rapati-designed (of @onehourwatch fame) Western Arabic numerals for the even ones.
但在深入探讨之前，让我们先仔细看看这款表盘。初看之下，表盘设计似乎元素丰富——确实如此。艺术家 Elaine Wong 创作的书法体数字（采用印刷工艺）与长条形切割时标交替呈现，另有尚未公布的交替样式设计——奇数小时位镶嵌钻石，偶数小时位则采用由@onehourwatch 知名设计师 Lee Yuen-Rapati 创作的西式阿拉伯数字。
The backdrop of all this is a stunning round of grand feu-enamelled goodness. Made by Kong Lingjun’s workshops (the founder of Koncise, an enamel-first watch brand), the 925 silver blank is first hand-hammered, before undergoing the arduous process of grand feu enamelling. To make sure they didn’t have too easy a time doing it, in addition to the uneven surface, the Ancestra also sports a noticeable gradient going from a pale silver to a deep blue towards the dial’s edge. How difficult are they to make exactly? Well, Atelier Wen quotes a 50% failure rate, so that should paint a picture.
这一切的背景是一轮令人惊叹的大明火珐琅工艺杰作。由孔令钧的工作室（珐琅优先腕表品牌 Koncise 创始人）打造，925 银质表盘先经手工锤击处理，再历经艰巨的大明火珐琅工序。为确保工艺难度，除了凹凸不平的表面外，Ancestra 表盘还呈现出从淡银色到边缘深蓝色的明显渐变。制作难度究竟多大？Atelier Wen 透露成品率仅 50%，这个数字足以说明一切。
While that’s all well and good, I’ve left the best – or at least, my favourite – till last. The Ancestra’s hands are just gorgeous and surprisingly three-dimensional. Each sloping side is scalloped, transitioning to a frosted upper surface, coming together to form an elegant feuille shape, measuring pretty much double the thickness of regular watch hands to achieve this complex shape.
虽然上述设计已足够出色，但我把最精彩——或者说我最钟爱的部分留到了最后。Ancestra 系列的指针简直美得惊人，且出人意料地富有立体感。每处斜面都采用扇形凹槽设计，过渡至磨砂处理的顶面，共同构成优雅的叶形轮廓。为实现如此复杂的造型，其厚度达到普通表针的近两倍。
The case 表壳部分
Though there’s plenty going on with the dial, the added thickness hasn’t translated too badly onto the case. With a 38mm diameter and 46mm lug-to-lug, the dimensions are those of an ideal daily wearer. Add the very domed crystal into the equation, and the thickness sits at 11.3mm, which is just about as tall as I’d want a watch of this style to be.
Interestingly, Atelier Wen has given the Ancestra a screw-down crown and 100 metres of water-resistance, which does seem at odds with its complex and (dare I say) haute horlogerie hallmarks, but hey – you won’t see me complain about extra robustness. Speaking of the crown, it’s once again surprisingly intricate, with engravings surrounding its perimeter, and the Atelier Wen logo signed in blue.
The overall design was very much thought out to mitigate any perceptions of overbearing thickness (see what I did there?) with a convex bezel that steps down to the lugs, which are the outstanding feature of the case. Created as separate pieces, they screw into the case flanks with visible, polished bolts bearing a “回纹” motif, and also make for precise transitions between the alternately finished surfaces. Similar to some Perception models, the Ancestra is cased in 904L stainless steel, so expect those polished bevels and bezels to really shine. The top-down shape is reminiscent of a more modern cornes de vache style, reminding me specifically of the ones you’ll find on some of Andersen Geneve’s modern offerings.
The strap
As much as a good strap can completely change how a watch feels, a bad one can also make it that much worse. Thankfully, that’s not something you’ll have to worry about with the Ancestra. Not only is the included Epsom-patterned number a suitable stylistic choice that doesn’t steal thunder away from the dial, the watch’s 20mm lugs open you up to a world of secondary market options. If you do swap, however, you’ll want to make sure your new strap tapers to 16mm, as Atelier Wen has also paid close attention to their buckle design, with hand-polished bevels as highlights.
The movement
The big development for Atelier Wen, and one you’ll get to witness via the sapphire caseback, is the movement situation. The Perception made the most of the Dandong SL1588, but I’m not surprised that for a watch of this calibre (puns on fire today, aren’t they?), they chose to upgrade to the Pequignet EPM03. The calibre launched in 2021 as Pequignet’s third in-house movement, serving as the slimmer, less complicated foil to its flagship Calibre Royal. In Pequignet’s line-up, you’ll find it under the Calibre Initial moniker, featuring a patent for its Pellaton-like reverser in the automatic assembly.
The manufacture states that some 70% of components are sourced in France, with others being of Swiss origin, but for Atelier Wen’s purposes, the movement has been etched with an ancient Chinese manuscript dealing with the themes of creation, appropriate considering the watch’s name. Though machine-applied, such intricate engraving really is a striking way of decorating a movement, sitting surrounded by frosted surfaces of the main bridge. For the exposed ratchet wheel and balance cock, Atelier Wen chose a traditional black polish, while the open rotor is in gold, highlighted by the same engraved pattern you’ll find on the Ancestra’s dial.
The verdict
If you’re sitting pretty like Atelier Wen did, with every new, limited Perception model selling out in an insignificant amount of time, you’d be forgiven for sticking to your guns until something really special came along. The Ancestra feels like this one special thing, and it’s proof that the steadily increasing price of the Perception didn’t scare the brand leadership from stepping into a clearly very different bracket. Once again, Atelier Wen’s ability to put together a team of artisans and designers to create a mesmerising piece of design impresses – that dial really is a stand-out.
But most importantly, the Ancestra looks like it hasn’t really cut any noticeable corners, and that the creators’ visions were translated into the final product without much compromise. Sure, I could get on board with those saying the watch would’ve benefitted from 10mm or less in thickness – perhaps with a manual movement and less water resistance – but as far as a daily wearable watch goes, there’s little to moan about.
The choice of a Pequignet movement admittedly really surprised me. Pequignet’s COO placed it somewhere in between an entry-level Sellita and Vaucher’s VMF3002, but it’s hard to fully quantify, as it hasn’t really seen use outside of Pequignet’s own watches. Comparing the Ancestra to those, I’d say that even though it’s fighting with one hand tied behind its back, it’s a battle the Atelier Wen wins easily.
Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo pricing and availability
As of publishing, the Atelier Wen Ancestra Jiāo is available now, exclusively for a seven-day order window. Price: US$5,850
| Brand | Atelier Wen |
| Model | Ancestra Jiāo |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 11.3mm (T) x 46mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 904L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial |
Hand-hammered silver, gradient grand feu enamel with baguette-cut diamonds
|
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Leather strap, stainless steel pin buckle |
| Movement | Pequignet EPM03, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Limited to a 7-day order window |
| Price | US$5,850 |
