Atelier Wen Perception ‘Millésime’ Mu Titanium Hands-On Review
Not long ago I wrote a review of the Atelier Wen Perception in stainless steel. With the Perception in steel, Atelier Wen managed to create an extremely high quality and unique integrated bracelet that I would be happy to wear every day. The brand also managed to lean into its Chinese origins in a way that elevated the brand rather than diminished it.
And since my review just two months ago, Atelier Wen has been making further waves in the watch industry. First, just two weeks ago, Atelier Wen did something rather incredible, launching a full tantalum Perception in collaboration with Revolution Watch. For those who are not familiar, tantalum is an incredibly hard metal to work with. And so, most brands just won’t do it. Now, more recently, we have seen brands start to make watches from tantalum. But they tend to be very high end, like the F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu or the Fleming Series 1. Obviously, a brand known for producing watches around $3,000 creating a tantalum watch is rather incredible.
But the most incredible part is the fact that Atelier Wen is producing this tantalum watch with a full tantalum bracelet. Most brands have been unable to create tantalum bracelets because it is just too expensive. Audemars Piguet did so years back with a full tantalum Royal Oak Offshore, and the newly minted Alternative Horological Alliance (“AHA”) comprised of Ming, J.N. Shapiro and Fleming, are attempting to do so as well.
Well, the tantalum “Grail” Atelier Wen Perception Tantalum “Hong” was limited to just 25 pieces, priced at $10,000 and sold out quickly. It was a major step up for a Chinese brand trying to be recognized alongside their Swiss counterparts.
And while I felt it necessary to mention the tantalum Perception here, my review is not about that watch. This review will cover the brand new just released titanium Perception ‘Millésime’ Mù. So, I guess a little background is in order. Up until now, only two limited models of the Perception have been available in titanium. All other models have been offered in stainless steel. And while the Millesime Mu is still a limited edition, it is the first titanium model that is not part of a collaboration.
This titanium perception kicks off the Millesime project, which is a community driven effort by Atelier Wen to produce yearly limited editions. Additionally, 3 of the customers of this watch will be randomly selected to receive the purple guilloché dial of the Millesime Mu in a full-tantalum prototype case instead of titanium. This seems like an incredibly fun way for Atelier Wen way to engage their customer base, but will result in some pretty nerve-wracking unboxings.
But let’s get into the Millesime Mu in titanium. First, I am happy to say that the watch is made from Grade 5 Titanium (which is of higher quality than Grade 2). Grade 5 Titanium is higher in strength than both stainless steel and Grade 2 titanium and contains about 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. And while it is stronger than steel, it is also 30% lighter as well. So this variation of the Perception is both lighter and stronger than its steel counterparts.
The titanium is also quite a bit darker than stainless steel. I think that it gives the watch an even sportier look. And it may be just me, but I really like the look of a fine polish on titanium (perhaps moreso than on steel). The Perception’s bezel is polished as well as the chamfered edges of the case. On the bracelet, the edges of the outer links of the bracelet are faceted and polished and even the edges of the inner links are polished. This polishing is very subtle, but manages to add a level of sophistication and luxury that wouldn’t be present without it. There clearly is a lot of attention to detail paid to the finishing on both the case and bracelet.
As I discussed in my previous review, the case shape is octagonal with “ears” reminiscent of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. However, the Perception does not feel like a retread of either the Royal Oak or Nautilus, even though there are some slight similarities. At 40mm in diameter by 47mm lug-to-lug, it actually wears smaller than its size would suggest. This is likely due to the fact that the lugs are sloped downwards, giving the watch a very tight fit to the wrist. At 9.4mm in height, it is pretty thin as well.
The bracelet is a unique H-link with hexagonal pieces holding the links together. It is somewhat of a geometric take on the Nautilus bracelet, but I actually think it looks better than the Nautilus’ bracelet. On top of that, the extreme lines present on the bracelet match that of the case perfectly. Like all versions of the Perception, the titanium models have a microadjustment that can be adjusted while on the wrist. All the wearer has to do is press the logo on the clasp. It’s pretty ingenious. It’s great to see smaller brands do innovative things, even if its as small as the microadjustment.
As is the case with all Perception models, the star is the dial. The dial is hand-guilloched by the only master Guilloché Master Craftsman in mainland China. For the limited edition titanium ‘Millésime’ Mù, Atelier Wen has gone with a deep purple color. It is fairly bold, but the darker titanium tones it down quite a bit. When you look closely at the dial, you can tell that Master Cheng spends significant time handcrafting each dial (around 8 hours to be exact).
The watch runs on the customized 32 jewel, extra-thin (3.4mm) Dandong SL1588A automatic movement. It is well finished with côtes-de-Genève, perlage and anglage. It has a 41-hour power reserve and runs at +/- 10s per day. Additionally, Atelier Wen has adjusted it in 5 positions as well as for temperature fluctuations. For those worried about buying a luxury watch with a Chinese movement, these extra adjustments should give peace of mind. I personally have reviewed two different Perceptions and have not had any issues with the movement.
Overall, I am a big fan of the Atelier Wen Perception ‘Millésime’ Mù. Having now reviewed both the stainless steel and titanium models, I am not sure which I would choose given the chance. Perhaps due to the fact that Atelier Wen went for Grade 5 Titanium and because I don’t have a full titanium watch in my current collection, maybe I would go with the titanium model. But any Perception is a great addition to your collection. You can pick up the Atelier Wen Perception ‘Millésime’ Mù in titanium from October 7th through the 21st online or at some of the events they will be attending. It will retail for $3,588 USD.
