On the Wrist: Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò

If you asked me to name the hottest watch brands founded within the past decade, I would feel compelled to mention both Massena LAB and Atelier Wen. While Massena has previously released some sub-$5k watches solely under their own brand, they’re known for their design collaborations with other highly respected brands. And Atelier Wen is one of the most respected Chinese luxury watch brands today. So it’s fitting that they did a project together, and I was fortunate enough to try one on. Here are my quick thoughts on the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò.

First Impressions of the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò

The watch is made of solid tantalum, which is even denser than most formulations of 18k gold, so I expected it to be heavy. And indeed, it is in fact heavy. But it wasn’t slip-and-sliding around my wrist at all, largely thanks to the super easy tool-free quick-adjust clasp that made it possible to size it perfectly. With Atelier Wen’s adjustable clasp, you don’t even need to take the watch off your wrist; you can press on the logo and slide.

The smooth downward contour of the lugs on the Inflection also help it sit well on the wrist. Although it’s a 40mm watch, I would say it wears more like a 38mm. There are no sharp edges anywhere on the watch. It has a ton of wrist presence without being too “loud.”

Price

Limited to 50 pieces total, the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò is priced around $41,000, which is roughly an $11,000 premium over a typical Inflection Shuò. But a $41,000 watch is exactly what it feels like. This is the second-most expensive Massena Lab watch ever, behind only their ~$150k Sylvain Pinaud collab.

Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Dial

Massena’s influence–and what separates the Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò from the tantalum Inflection models released in 2025–is the dial design. The centerpiece of the solid white gold dial features a handmade tremblage pattern, and it looks phenomenal up close. Interestingly, it has what I would call a “China-fornia” dial, meaning half of its hour numerals are Arabic and half are Chinese. So-called California dials (half-Roman and half-Arabic) were first made by Rolex in the 1940s, and this is an interesting take on that aesthetic.

40 examples will be made with a rose gold hour ring. 10 will be made with a white gold one, made for existing family and friends of the brand (and already sold out). Personally I do prefer the white gold one, as the amazing tremblage work doesn’t need any help to “pop,” but they’re both outstanding.

Movement

While some earlier Atelier Wen models used Peacock-derived Chinese movements, the Inflection line uses a thin modified Girard-Peregaux GP03300 movement. Look at how the spiral sunburst pattern on the rotor is matched by the shape of the plates as well as the finishing on them:

Massena LAB and Atelier Wen have both done a good job of moving upscale in recent years, and now they’re doing it together. I think this is the kind of thing we can expect more of from Massena LAB. For a few years they were making some excellent vintage-inspired luxury watches under $5,000 under their own brand name, and they might do some more at some point in the future.

But Massena LAB’s brand director, Alexander Boutin, views high-end collaborations as the brand’s core competency, with the relatively affordable Massena watches being more like an occassional “favor” to enthusiasts. Regardless of the price point they play at, Massena LAB seems to succeed. They were founded by a titan of the online watch nerdscape, William Massena, and it warms my heart to see someone with a background in watch content writing and forum moderation thriving.