The Five Best MING Watches Money Can Buy
By global funding through six enthusiasts who reside in different parts of the world, each of whom has a love affair with certain timepieces otherwise known as watches. A man of many talents, Ming Thein, is the official head of the MING team. Together, this group dedicates itself to the exquisiteness of watch design by paying attention to what other watchmaking masters are doing and how the consumer responds. From casual watch-wearers to refined collectors, MING aims to reach out to and satisfy as many consumers as possible. Despite a combined experience pool of 80 years’ worth of talent, the team openly admits they prefer to have their product designed through the manufacturing talent of Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne and Jean Rousseau Paris. This work is done from the Swiss Nation, which is then sent to Malaysia for quality inspection before releasing the finished product to the market, which can only be accessed at this time from the company’s website. They do not commit to third-party partnerships with resellers, nor do they have an interest in wholesaling.
5. MING 17.01
This 1.50 inch by 0.4-inch watch was the first-ever produced by MING when the company was officially launched in 2017. Since it was the company’s first timepiece to be made available to the market, the team wanted to be sure of nothing but the best possible product coming from their group. Going up against watchmaking giants such as Phillips and Seiko, MING has already earned themselves a cult following who rather enjoy the concept of a new kid on the block that is just as capable as the rest of the most respected watchmaking companies in the business. Exactly 150 watches of this model have been made, which originally started selling at $900 apiece. The features of this watch include a blue dial made of a SuperLumiNova-coated three-part sapphire. The grade five titanium case is fastened with stainless steel screws and three different watch straps. While there are no more of these watches expected to be made by MING at this time and are presently sold out, still doesn’t rule out the possibility of an anniversary edition. MING is only four years old as a company but has quickly become the brand to watch in the world of superior-quality timepieces. Ten-year editions are not uncommon, so this still makes this particular model one to watch, literally.
4. MING 17.09x Massena LAB Limited Edition
William Massena, a longtime associate of Ming Thein, is known for “Massenizing” watches with his unique flair for design. In addition to introducing other watch manufacturers to Massenazation, this has also been applied to MING’s 17.09 design. This recreation of the original MING 17.09 was done through the lens of Massena LAB. This throwback design reminisces the age of the infamous Rolex honeycombs of the mid-20th century. The dials are virtually identical to the shape of actual honeycombs, as is the etched design right in the face of the watch itself. What contributes toward the visual depth of the numbers on the watch comes from the Super-LumiNova XI coating over the sapphire crystal. Underneath the dial is a modified version of the Sellita SW330-2 and it has an independent setting hour, which allows travelers to switch between time zones without difficulty. As of 2021, two hundred of these limited edition watches come in the honey dial color, each valued at $2,750 (USD) while 150 of them featuring the black dial color, valued at $2,595 (USD).
3. MING 17.03 GMT
The MING 17.03 GMT brings great value, especially to the customers who benefited from the cooperation of this watchmaking company when it came to addressing their concerns, which was the price tag of quality watches. The three-part sapphire dial is coated with a thicker Super LumiNova coating as opposed to MING’s original watch designs back in 2017. This dial movement is also automatic, with a 48-hour power reserve. The double-sided anti-reflective coating is also an improvement they’ve made. These watches have come in leather straps as well as a bracelet strap is made from titanium with straight spring-up bars, as well as a concealed folding clasp, and is the first among the MING watches to have its strap match the color of the face of the watch. This is classified as a surprisingly comfortable watch to wear. Upon its release in 2018, the MING 17.03 GMT fetched a price of $1,778 (USD).
2. MING 20.11 Mosaic
This watch is the result from feedback MING received where customers were looking for a larger watch for their collection. Now measuring at 1.63 inches by 0.6 inches, the MING 20.11 Mosaic was made available. The hands are made from sapphire and coated with ceramic Super-LumiNova (HyCeram). There’s also sapphire to be found on the dial, as well as a double anti-reflective coating over the front and rear crystals. This watch’s movement is fashioned after the MING 19.05’s skeleton-like bridges and micro-rotor winding. This watch is finished in black DLC with a diamond-cut angle. Probably the most striking feature of this watch is the sapphire dial that is laser-engraved with a mosaic design. This limited edition watch was made available for online purchase as of 2021 for $15,629 (USD), but only fifty were made, it’s already been sold out.
1. MING 17.06 Copper
The classical etched copper coloring scheme adds a clean design that makes this watch a must for enthusiasts who appreciate the modern blend of style and simplicity. The MING team admits it took them two years and four model lines to finally achieve a watch with this idyllic quality level. This is credited to access with superior materials to work with after establishing themselves as quality watchmakers that have what it takes to run with the “big boys” of watchmaking. The steel casing of this watch is met with a high-quality leather strap. The face diameter measures 1.5 inches. The self-winding mechanism has a power reserve of up to 42-hours’ worth of timekeeping. It also features a water resistance level of 328 feet. This watch was made available in 2019 at $1,347 (USD) and has since sold out.