The New Atelier Wen x Revolution Ancestra Yao

Atelier Wen has spent the past few years rewriting what “Made in China” can mean in watchmaking. Founded in 2018 by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, the brand builds its pieces around Chinese crafts and culture (grand feu enamelling, guilloché, and case finishing) while partnering with serious movement makers. With the Ancestra line, introduced with the Jiao model, Atelier Wen moved into refined dress-watch territory, combining a Hongshan jade dragon-inspired case with a high-grade French calibre by Pequignet. For Revolution magazine’s 20th anniversary, and the launch of Revolution Arabia, the publishers join forces with Atelier Wen for the Ancestra Yao, a Dubai Watch Week 2025 debut that shifts the “East meets West” idea into “East meets East”, connecting Chinese craft with Middle Eastern aesthetics and history.

The 904L stainless steel case repeats the sculptural design of the original Ancestra. At 38mm in diameter and 11.3mm thick, it’s compact yet substantial, with detached lugs screwed in from the outside, their curves inspired by early Hongshan jade dragon carvings. The higher-polish 904L steel and alternating brushed and polished planes give the case a crisp, almost jewel-like presence. A double-domed sapphire crystal with a multi-layer anti-reflective coating protects the dial, with a second domed crystal on the back; water-resistance is a practical 100m, making it a cultural piece you can still wear daily.

The dial is where the “Silk Road” narrative comes alive. Crafted by Kong Lingjun’s Beijing atelier, it starts with a hand-worked 925 silver gratté base, its fabric-like texture created not with sandpaper but with a custom eight-bladed engraving tool. Over this, layers of translucent fumé grand feu enamel shift from light sand in the centre to dark chocolate at the rim – colours chosen to echo desert landscapes and the earthy tones of the Middle East.

Hour markers alternate between Eastern Arabic numerals (odd hours) and lab-grown baguette-cut diamonds (even hours). Rhodium-plated, tri-planed hands continue the play of light and a micro-hammered mid-plane flanked by sharply polished concave facets that shimmer as the watch moves.

The Atelier Wen x Revolution Ancestra is powered by a customised Pequignet EPM03 automatic movement, visible through the back. The three-quarter bridge is deeply micro-etched with lines from Questions to Heaven. Finishing is very considered: black-polished balance bridge and ratchet-return wheel, a rotor combining snailing on the raised edges, frosted recesses and a perimeter motif of hui wen. The calibre operates at 28,800 vibrations/hour, offers a 65-hour power reserve, uses bi-directional winding and is regulated in six positions and three temperatures to exceed chronometric standards.

The watch is worn on a hand-stitched full-grain leather strap: cream Epsom upper with Zermatt lining, closed by a 904L steel pin buckle with polished bevels and fine brushing. Orders for the Ancestra Yao open during Dubai Watch Week 2025, from 18 November (12:00 GST) to 27 November (23:59 GST), with each watch built to order and delivery scheduled for late 2026. Price is EUR 5,100.

For more information, please visit shop.revolutionwatch.com and AtelierWen.com.