The world of Chinese watchmaking can often be a misunderstood realm, not least due to language barriers, opaque operations and certain preconceptions about the ‘Made in China’ label. Where you might get access to individual artisans in their workshops, opportunities to step into the world of large-scale suppliers come by way less often.

Atelier Wen, the microbrand who’s quickly become the face of Chinese watchmaking, is changing that.

Their mini-documentary series “Inside the Atelier” takes a look into the craftsmanship behind the brand. In the first episode, they look into the work of Master Cheng Yucai, the guilloché master responsible for creating the brand’s exquisite dials. Now onto the second episode, they’ve secured exclusive access into Peacock Watch Company — the first time the factory has ever let cameras in.

For those less familiar, Peacock Watch Company is one of the largest movement manufacturers in China and whose movements are used in Atelier Wen’s line-up. Based in Dandong, North Eastern China, the city’s output of high-quality caliber manufacturing has earned it the moniker “Geneva of the East”.

If you’re wondering how Atelier Wen managed to get camera access past those typically circumspect gates, the answer lies in the founders Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron’s deep connections in the country.

Tallendier, a horological enthusiast since age 14, left such a lasting impression in China that the appointment of “Execution Expert” was bestowed unto him by the Chinese government. This allowed him exclusive access to the legendary Mainland watch companies, including Peacock Watch Company, who have been working with Atelier Wen since its inception.

Meanwhile Buiron, born and raised in Hong Kong, boasts degrees from both Peking University and Tsinghua University (where he met Tallendier). As you’ll see in the film, his Mandarin skills easily go toe-to-toe with the mainland’s native speakers, making him a familiar face on Chinese television.

Says Tallendier, “They usually never let people nor cameras in so it’s a really rare and unique opportunity to show what it’s actually like inside. Peacock makes 1.5 million mechanical movements per year, but is a black box to almost everyone.”

So influential are Tallendier and Buiron that they were, in fact, able to persuade Peacock to produce an upgraded version of their SL1 movement for the Perception range.

In conversation with Revolution founder Wei Koh about the 2023 launch of Atelier Wen × Revolution Perception – Xi (喜), Tallendier revealed, “We convinced the Dandong watch movement factory (Peacock Watch Company) to make a thinner version of their SL1 automatic caliber. For us, it was really important that Perception features a sense of elegance in its proportions. We wanted a 40mm case size, but also a slim profile. Thanks to the creation of the SL1588 for us, we were able to keep the thickness of the watch at just 9.4mm.”

For an industry where opacity is often de rigeur, this mini-documentary series produced by the young upstarts is certainly a refreshing look into what’s possible outside the typical Swiss manufacture.