Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Introduce the Inflection Shuo

A 50-piece limited edition combining a 99.9% pure tantalum integrated case and bracelet with hand-finished solid 18K gold dials and a extensively customised Girard-Perregaux movement.

Atelier Wen and Massena LAB have joined forces to create the Inflection 烁 (Shuò), a new high-end interpretation of the Inflection collection that places artisanal dial craftsmanship at the centre of the watch. Limited to just 50 pieces, the collaboration combines the collection’s distinctive integrated architecture with solid 18K gold dials decorated using demanding traditional techniques.

The Inflection Shuo brings together hand-executed tremblage, hand engraving, custom-designed Arabic numerals and hand-calligraphed Chinese numerals in a composition inspired by the California dial layout. Beneath this elaborate surface sits a extensively customised version of the Girard-Perregaux GP03300 automatic movement, while the case and integrated bracelet are crafted from 99.9% pure tantalum.

The result is a watch where the material, movement and decoration have all been developed around the same idea: combining contemporary watchmaking with traditional craftsmanship and a distinctly Chinese visual language.

The Most Ambitious Dial From Atelier Wen

The collaboration between Atelier Wen and Massena LAB was built around a clear objective: to create a dial that would push artisanal craftsmanship as far as possible. The Inflection Shuo therefore moves beyond conventional dial decoration, combining precious metal with techniques that require extensive manual intervention.

Each dial is crafted from solid 18K gold, with the Rose Gold variant using approximately 14.59 g of gold and the White Gold version approximately 14.66 g. The choice of gold is not merely symbolic. Its relative softness allows the artisans to execute the delicate tremblage and engraving with a level of definition that would be considerably more difficult to achieve on harder metals.

The result is a surface with remarkable texture and depth, where the appearance changes continuously as the watch catches the light. Rather than being perfectly uniform, each dial carries the subtle individuality that comes from being worked by hand.

A California Dial Reimagined

The most immediately distinctive element of the dial is its numeral layout. Inspired by the California dial concept, the Inflection Shuo combines Arabic numerals across the upper portion with Chinese numerals below, bringing two different visual traditions into a single composition.

The Arabic numerals were custom-designed by William Massena rather than taken from an existing typeface, while the Chinese characters were specially calligraphed by a Hong Kong calligrapher for the collection. Each numeral is then engraved entirely by hand.

The numerals are filled in blue, matching the blued hands and creating a strong contrast against the precious-metal dial. An outer ring, also decorated with tremblage, is framed by a finely engraved huiwen motif, a traditional Chinese decorative pattern that adds another cultural reference to the composition.

The result is more than a decorative interpretation of a California dial. It reflects the nature of the collaboration itself, bringing together different cultural references and design approaches within a single watch.

Tremblage Executed Entirely by Hand

At the heart of the dial’s character is hand-executed tremblage, one of the most demanding decorative techniques used in traditional watchmaking.

Using a hand-held graver, the artisan continuously oscillates the tool across the surface of the gold, creating thousands of tiny and irregular facets. Each square millimetre is individually worked, producing the characteristic shimmering texture associated with the technique.

The process leaves virtually no room for error. A misplaced movement can permanently damage the surface and force the artisan to begin again. The irregularity is therefore not a flaw, but an essential part of the finished appearance.

As light moves across the dial, these tiny facets break up the reflections and create a subtle sparkling effect that changes depending on the angle of the wrist.

For the Inflection Shuo, the tremblage and engraving are carried out by specialist engraver Coralie Mercier for GT Cadrans in Switzerland, bringing the dials to a level of artisanal execution consistent with high-end métiers d’art watchmaking.

Two Precious-Metal Dial Variants

The Inflection Shuo is offered in two dial executions, each using solid 18K gold as its foundation. The White Gold version presents a cooler and more restrained appearance, while the Rose Gold version introduces a warmer tone to the composition.

A radially brushed hour sector sits above the tremblage base, creating a contrast between the directional texture of the brushing and the irregular reflections of the hand-worked surface. Depending on the version, this sector is executed in white gold or rose gold.

The blue-filled numerals and blued leaf-shaped hands provide a consistent visual element across both versions, ensuring that the elaborate dial remains coherent despite the differences in precious-metal colour.

A Case Made From 99.9% Pure Tantalum

The complexity of the dial is matched by the unusual material used for the case and bracelet. The Inflection collection is built around 99.9% pure tantalum, making it one of the defining characteristics of Atelier Wen’s high-end watchmaking.

Tantalum is valued for its dark blue-grey appearance, exceptional resistance to corrosion and remarkable density. It is also notoriously difficult to machine and finish, making the material particularly demanding when combined with the complex curved architecture of the Inflection.

Rather than relying on large flat surfaces, the case uses a mixture of concave and convex forms. The flowing geometry extends from the bezel through the case middle and into the integrated bracelet, creating surfaces that continuously interact with the light.

Brushed, frosted and mirror-polished finishes are used throughout the exterior, highlighting the different planes of the tantalum while retaining its distinctive natural colour.

40 mm of Curved Architecture

The Inflection Shuo measures 40 mm in diameter, with a compact 45 mm lug-to-lug measurement and a thickness of 10.2 mm including the crystal. These proportions allow the watch to retain a relatively restrained presence despite the complexity of its case and bracelet.

Both the front and rear are protected by double-domed sapphire crystals, each treated with five layers of anti-reflective coating. The sapphire caseback provides a clear view of the extensively decorated movement beneath the watch.

Water resistance is rated at 100 metres, while the screw-down crown is produced in tantalum on the White Gold version and solid rose gold on the Rose Gold version.

A Customised Girard-Perregaux GP03300

Behind the dial is a customised version of the Girard-Perregaux GP03300, an automatic calibre from one of Switzerland’s oldest and most respected watch manufacturers. For this collaboration, the movement has been extensively reworked and decorated to complement the artistic direction of the Inflection Shuo.

The bridges feature sweeping curved lines inspired by motifs representing wind in historical Chinese paintings. The architecture was developed by Atelier Wen designer Alfred Chan together with Sidoine Lescauville and the Girard-Perregaux technical team.

These flowing forms create a deliberate contrast with the considerable density of the tantalum case. The bridges are finished with ruthenium plating and dramatic anglage, alongside sharp exterior angles and laser-etched waved lines radiating from the centre of the movement.

Black-polished screws provide additional contrast, while the custom winding rotor follows the same wind-inspired language and is finished in 5N rose gold plating.

The automatic movement operates at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and provides approximately 48 hours of power reserve. It contains 27 jewels, is adjusted in five positions and for temperature, and features a hacking-seconds mechanism.

A Tantalum Integrated Bracelet

The case flows directly into an integrated tantalum bracelet, maintaining the visual continuity that has become central to the Inflection design. Brushed external links contrast with polished central links, creating a combination of finishes that echoes the treatment of the case.

The bracelet also incorporates a patent-pending four-position on-the-fly micro-adjustment system, allowing the wearer to fine-tune its fit directly on the wrist. A telescopic deployant blade and quick-release mechanism further improve practicality.

These features reinforce an important aspect of the Inflection Shuo: despite its focus on artisanal craftsmanship, the watch has not been conceived purely as a display of decorative watchmaking. Its architecture also incorporates solutions intended for regular wear.

The Meaning Behind Shuo

The Chinese character 烁 (Shuò) conveys ideas associated with shining, sparkling or radiance, making it particularly appropriate for a dial whose appearance is fundamentally defined by its interaction with light.

The tremblage surface does not produce a static reflection. Instead, the thousands of tiny facets catch and scatter light differently as the wrist moves, creating an effect that can range from subtle to distinctly luminous.

The name therefore describes more than the appearance of the watch. It captures the central role that light plays in revealing the craftsmanship of the dial.

A Collaboration Between Two Design Languages

The Inflection Shuo represents a meeting between two distinct creative approaches. Atelier Wen brings its focus on Chinese cultural references, unusual materials and contemporary watch architecture, while Massena LAB contributes its design perspective and interest in historical watchmaking aesthetics.

That dialogue is particularly visible on the dial. The California-inspired layout, custom Arabic numerals, Chinese calligraphy, blue accents and traditional huiwen decoration could not easily be reduced to a single cultural reference. Instead, they form a deliberate combination of different influences.

The movement continues the same idea from another direction, using historical Chinese painting as inspiration for its flowing bridges and rotor. The result is a watch in which the cultural references are integrated into both the visible mechanics and the decorative surface.

Limited to Just 50 Pieces

The Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuo is limited to 50 pieces worldwide. Ten White Gold dial versions are reserved for established clients of Atelier Wen or Massena LAB, while 40 Rose Gold editions are available to the public.

Orders open on 26 August 2026, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2027. The price is CHF 33,800 excluding taxes.

With its combination of solid 18K gold, hand-executed tremblage, engraved numerals, 99.9% pure tantalum and a extensively customised Girard-Perregaux movement, the Inflection Shuo represents one of Atelier Wen’s most ambitious projects to date.

Rather than treating craftsmanship as an isolated decorative element, Atelier Wen and Massena LAB have incorporated it into almost every aspect of the watch, from the materials and case architecture to the dial and movement. The result is a limited edition that sits at the intersection of contemporary independent watchmaking, traditional métiers d’art and Chinese cultural design.

Technical Specifications

For more information, please visit the official Atelier Wen website.

Explore the releases of 2026.