Atelier Wen x Revolution Ancestra 垚 (Yáo): connecting cultures through craft

0 0 Sunday, 23 November 2025 Edit this post

Atelier Wen collaborated with the Revolution Magazine to create a special edition of the Ancestra, a model introduced last July that we reviewed here.

Unveiled at Dubai Watch Week 2025, the Atelier Wen × Revolution: Ancestra 垚 (Yáo) ideally connects China and the Middle East.

Founded by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, Atelier Wen has been building a new definition of "Made in China." Their watches bring together independent Chinese craftspeople, designers and artists, who specialise in enamel, engraving and case finishing, elevating traditional techniques with modern purpose and underscoring the brand’s deep commitment to Chinese culture and craftsmanship.

Two main factors led Atelier Wen to conceive the Ancestra 垚 (Yáo). First, 2025 marked a significant increase in interest from clients and supporters in the Middle East, aligning with Atelier Wen's first participation in Dubai Watch Week and the establishment of new retailer partnerships in the region. Second, this timing coincided precisely with the 20th anniversary of industry partner Revolution Media and the launch of the new Revolution Arabia platform.

This commemorative edition stands out for its spectacular dial.

Made in the atelier of Kong Lingjun, one of China’s very finest and most renowned enamel maisons, it uses a translucent fumé grand feu enamel that fades from desert sand to dark chocolate, hues that are very difficult to stabilise in enamel and that instantly bring to mind the region’s tones and landscapes.

Beneath it, a 925 silver base features a gratté finish (a scratched texture that appears almost woven yet is entirely crafted by hand).

While most artisans use a wooden cabron with sandpaper to create this effect, Master Kong and his team rely on a custom eight-bladed engraving tip, giving the gratté a stronger, fabric-like look that subtly echoes the silk once carried along those trade routes.

Arabic numerals alternate with baguette-cut diamonds around the edge while tri-planed rhodium-plated hands highlight the finishing: micro-hammering on the mid-plane, and mirror-polished concaves on the other two, the light dancing off the brushed metal.

Crafted from 904L stainless steel with brushed and polished surfaces, the case measures 38 mm in diameter and 11.3 mm in height, including a double-domed sapphire crystal with five layers of anti-reflective coating.

Its detached lugs, shaped after the flowing curves of a jade dragon, are externally bolted to the case and secured internally with screws.

Each bolt is engraved with a traditional Chinese 回纹 (huí wén) motif, a squared spiral symbolising continuity and harmony.

Decorated with the brand's symbol, the screw-down crown contributes to ensuring water resistance up to a pressure of 10 ATM (approximately corresponding to 100 metres / 330 feet).

As with the Launch Edition of the Ancestra, the movement of choice is a heavily modified EPM03 calibre by French manufacture Pequignet.

This self-winding movement runs at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a 65-hour power reserve. It delivers chronometer-grade precision, regulated to −4/+6 seconds per day with an average deviation of just ±2 seconds, meeting the standards of the Observatoire Chronométrique de Besançon.

The three-quarter bridge is micro-etched with a design inspired by 天问 (Questions to Heaven), the classical Chinese poem by Qu Yuan (340–278 BCE) that presents a series of philosophical questions posed to the cosmos.

This decoration is complemented by a black-polished ratchet-return wheel and balance bridge, both standing out against the engraved text. A skeletonised tungsten rotor, plated with 1.5 microns of 5N rose gold, reveals the movement through the sapphire caseback.

The watch is delivered on a hand-stitched full-grain leather strap featuring an Epsom leather upper and a Zermatt lining made of alpine calfskin from Tanneries Haas. It closes with a stainless steel buckle with mirror-polished bevels and finely brushed surfaces. Lug width is 20 mm.

The Atelier Wen × Revolution: Ancestra 垚 (Yáo) is priced at €5,100 / US$5,850 (excluding taxes and duties) and is available for pre-order until 27 November 2025, with deliveries scheduled for late 2026. Each piece will be hand-built to order. atelierwen.com