Inflection 幽 (Yōu)

The Atelier Wen INFLECTION is the world's very first non-limited, permanent collection of bracelet watches in full-tantalum.

A rare, highly corrosion-resistant metal famed for its enigmatically dark bluish-grey tone, startling density, inertness and difficulty in machining, tantalum is rarely employed in the world of watchmaking outside of a handful of superlative brands — and even then, its use is usually confined to the case.

The creation of a full tantalum bracelet is no mean feat in-and-of-itself, and has historically been isolated to just a small handful of known examples due to its notoriety for resisting machining and finishing. Atelier Wen takes this achievement several steps further by not only introducing such a watch as a permanent collection, but executing it to an extremely high-degree of finishing throughout its varied alternations of brushed, frosted and mirror-polished surfaces. This is something made even more intricate by a design that eliminates all exposed flat planes on the case and bracelet, creating a far more complex interplay between countless concave and convex surfaces.

These curved surfaces were specifically designed to capture the natural sheen and beauty of the material, with its dark, bluish-grey hue being far more apparent on concave and polished areas. They also translate to a highly comfortable experience on-wrist despite the material’s weight.

While this material achievement might be the watch’s most prominent element, it is just one of several exceptional features in the series. INFLECTION's tantalum construction encases a fine, grand feu enamel dial in inky black, crafted by the atelier of Kong Lingjun, one of China's foremost enamel workshops. This has been adorned with gilt numerals created by the acclaimed designer, Lee Yuen-Rapati, drawing inspiration from Chinese bamboo paintings to form their lithe shapes. Complementing these are a set of shapely, highly curvaceous leaf-shaped hands that have been moulded individually rather than stamped, and are amongst the most voluminous in the industry. Their concave planes have been polished by hand to a high mirror finish, and have been plated bronze to complement the indices.

INFLECTION also sees Atelier Wen debut the use of an iconic movement from the Girard-Perregaux brand — the self-winding manufacture calibre 03300, that has been customised with sweeping, waved côtes that mimic motifs of wind that are found throughout Chinese culture.

INFLECTION measures 40mm across, at the widest point of its circumference, and stands at a mere 10.2mm tall, including its double-domed, box sapphire crystal. It is water resistant to 10ATM/100m, and has a power reserve of 48h.