It is always gratifying to find entrepreneurs who, in addition to being entrepreneurs, try to find new paths in a world like that of watchmaking where, if everything has not already been said, it is very difficult to innovate without investing fabulous amounts. And innovation does not necessarily have to be technical: it can also be conceptual.
A few weeks ago I received an email from Robin Tallendier asking me if I would let him present his project on the forum. Four partners in their early twenties, two French and two Chinese, determined to demonstrate that Chinese watchmaking can make watches on a low budget – we already knew that, I told myself – and of quality, not only real but also perceived. This was already more difficult, and my curiosity was added to Robin's argumentative ability. The result of that conversation isin this thread, so there will be no need to repeat it here.
What I have had in my hands is one of the prototypes of their first watch, of which I would like to leave my impressions. There has been everything: checking that they have taken it very seriously and that they have fulfilled what they promised in terms of quality and at the same time what seemed to me to be some beginner mistakes. The good part is that the latter have an easy solution.
Classic watch measuring 39mm in diameter and almost 12mm high, which includes its 2mm sapphire crystal. Well-turned steel case (Japanese 316L steel, marine grade), all of it in mirror shine including the bezel, except for the top part of the lugs – faceted – which has a light brushing. I like the portability and how well it sits on the wrist, something that is certainly helped by the flexibility of the “vegetable dyed” leather strap. Strap that has quick release pins, no tool needed and no risk of scratching those polished lugs. Sapphire crystal, blind caseback... we go in parts.
The crown, although it has a sufficiently marked engraving so that it does not slip, seems a bit short to me. I understand that it is a commitment to the “dressable” aesthetic, but the fingers need at least half a millimeter more to feel comfortable. This crown has three positions, although the middle one has no function. Since the caliber is a clone of the ETA 2824, I imagine it will have to do with the quick date adjustment, which has been omitted in this model. By the way, this Peacock SL3006 comes with top finishes (cotes de Geneve, pearlescent), is adjusted to five positions and its deviation is less than 10 seconds per day (verified by my watchmaker).
Despite the finishes of the caliber, the “fathers of the invention” have decided to leave it hidden under a profusely decorated blind caseback. And that is good, because it is a nod to connoisseurs, who are little impressed with certain things, but at the same time it is marking distance with many of the -legal- watches produced in China, who believe that showing the machinery gives them a point of distinction. The blind cover is not threaded but is fixed to the box with four screws, which does not prevent it from maintaining the five-atmosphere watertightness that it advertises (also verified).
The dial, the first thing that catches your attention when you look at any watch, is where the most emphasis has been placed: it is made of ceramic and the main argument of its campaign. Zirconium Oxide on a copper base with the indexes and other indications buffered. In the model with a completely blue dial (the one I have here is the one with the white dial) there are metal indexes that are rhodium-plated. The theme and its motivation are explained in the post that Robin opened, so I will not expand on it and will only say that the sphere looks very well executed. The leaf-shaped needles are bluish (I assume due to chemical means) and I have to say that they are devilishly difficult to photograph, they almost always come out black.
The logo of the company appears on both the dial and the crown already mentioned.Atelier Wen. It may not be necessary to translate the word 'Atelier', but for those of us who do not know or study Chinese in school it will be useful to say that 'Wen' is the Chinese character for 'Culture' 文. That's the brand. The logo, just above, is a very elaborate synthesis of the Kunpeng myth (bird and fish) that Robin himself details for us in the forum thread that I referred to above and that is seen much clearer on the blind back of the watch.
The entire box – I have already said it – looks well finished and polished, with some facets that give it personality although they inevitably remind me of other more famous ones. In the background or back you can still see good work that aligns with the declared desire of the promoters to "raise the perception that Chinese products have in the West, especially watches." And what we see is the representation – now much more realistic – of the Kunpeng fish-bird flying over a raging sea. I liked the degree of satin for this engraving, which combines perfectly with the mirror polish of the outer circle.
The sapphire crystal is curved, with a “huge” thickness of between 1.5 and 2mm covered by up to 5 layers of anti-reflective. That thickness doesn't make it protrude from the bezel, which I guess is there to hold it against the case and adjusts to its height. The anti-reflective layers work well, but I don't know if it is their quantity (five) or the two millimeters of the glass itself that produce a refraction that at least to me is unpleasant and for a moment makes me think of mineral crystals in cheap watches. This point, along with the internal bezel that descends from the crystal to the dial making it appear smaller, are the only two points that I would put in the “cons”. Although I agree with the 39mm measurement, I think that the watch would gain in freshness if a “full” dial could be obtained, without edges and with a glass that would bring that dial closer to the eyes of its wearer, who is ultimately the one who has to enjoy it.
At the time of writing these linesAtelier WenIt is a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter that on its first day already more than covered its funding goal. Four days later, that goal has already tripled. A good omen!
