An elegant watch designed with a moon-phase complication that comes to life at night.
Independent watch brand Ming launched its first collection, the 17 series, in 2017. Only two years later, the 17.06 watch received the Horological Revelation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Fast forward to 2021 and more than 40 models later, and the brand has finally introduced its first-ever date watch and first-ever moon-phase watch. However, Ming combined the two complications in one timepiece. The Ming 37.05 watch is elegant as well as creatively designed. While made with the same 38mm case of the popular 17 series, the new watch has a much larger dial opening and a domed front crystal, resulting in a design that looks bigger but feels just as comfortable to wear. Like the moon, the watch comes to life after sunset.
A blue glow shows the current moon phase.
The sapphire dial is multi-layered. It features a midnight-blue to black gradient on the lower section which also displays the subtle date window and moon-phase. Above, the sapphire dial is seamless silver and boasts HyCeram-filled, laser etched hour markers. The watch shows the moon phase via a glowing ring; complete on a full moon, the ring has a partial glow on other phases. The movement is also special. For this timepiece, Ming used a custom Sellita SW288 manual movement. Skeletonized and matte-blasted, the bespoke movement also features anthracite plating and circular-brushed rhodium accents. Owners can admire it via the exhibition caseback.
A black leather strap made by Jean Rousseau Paris and a leather travel pouch from Studio Koji Sato complete the exclusive design. Crafted in a limited-edition series, the Ming 37.05 made its debut online on the brand’s official website While the first 150 pieces were reserved exclusively to existing customers, the other 350 pieces were open to any customer from November 26, at a price of around $5,400. However, both batches quickly sold out, so if you want to grab a watch from this series, the only remaining option is a registration on the cancellation waitlist. Photography© Ming.