Out of the Ming Watches Special Projects Cave, and it’s been several years in the making, but the brand haven’t abandoned the challenge of making what they believe are the world’s lightest mechanical wristwatches: the MING LW.01 Manual and LW.01 Automatic. They are a featherweight 8.8 and 10.8 grams respectively and for the watch head only.
The challenge
For our fourth anniversary, we wanted to push the envelope further than we – or any other brand – has ever done. Coincidentally, some movements became available that would enable us to make something interesting: what started with thinner eventually became lighter, and then lightest. Why? Because we wanted the challenge. We set ourselves some ‘conventional’ constraints, though: the watch had to be a wearable size, and retain certain tactile qualities such as the texture and thermal transfer of metal. More importantly, it would have to be practically wearable and not technically compromised purely for the sake of lightness.
As it turns out, it would take us a couple of years longer than expected and an exhaustive amount of metallurgy and testing.
Exotic solutions to chase numbers
MT began by rethinking the entire case construction to minimize the amount of metal used, whilst retaining (and maximizing) rigidity. In a normal watch, the dial is fixed to the movement, which is in turn fixed to the caseband, with upper and lower bezels forming the front crystal and caseback respectively. The MING LW.01 has a combined “dial” ring and movement holder shaped like a hat, just 0.5mm thick in places but ribbed for strength. To prevent injury to the dial or disruption of the movement, this assembly is supported from the rear by a cage with 3D struts. It also caps and seals the entire assembly to the bezel, which despite being very narrow, is internally hollowed to save further weight.
There is no actual dial per se: the outer ring/background is the movement holder, and the central movement portion is occluded by a gradient print on the outer crystal – which also contains the index markings.
We explored a wide range of ultralight materials including carbon fibre derivatives and hollow-core 3D printing, but ultimately found that AZ31 Magnesium-Aluminium-ZincManganese alloy from Smiths High Performance was both lighter than carbon (1.77g/cc, vs ~2g/cc density), more consistent to produce than hollow 3D printing, and more importantly retained the feel of metal. It is further surface treated by plasma electrolytic oxidation by Keronite for corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, with a further composite protective layer. Material choices do not stop there: even the crystal is not sapphire, but instead Corning Gorilla Glass 6 via Knight Optical with an additional hardening treatment. At 2.40g/cc, it is significantly lighter than the 3.98g/cc of traditional sapphire whilst retaining 670 Vickers hardness and high impact resistance.
Every single component on the watch – down to the screws (in PEEK composite), hollowing of the bezel, and anglage of case buttressing – was optimised to hit the absolute balance of durability and weight. The crown is in anodised aluminium for durability of threading reasons. Finite element simulation was used to check the overall torsional rigidity of the watch case. Fixed integral bars machined from the same billet as the case both contribute to the rigidity and are lighter than steel spring bars.
The final result is a complete head weight of just 8.8 grams with manual winding, 10.8 grams with automatic winding, and an additional 0.6 grams for the matching AZ31 buckle, and 1.2 grams for the ‘record’ spec Alcantara strap. This puts a ready-to-wear watch at 10.6g or 12.6g.
Referencing details
The Ming LW.01 has several distinctive features that pay tribute to our earlier creations: the pulse seconds disc with an interference pattern as an evolution of MT’s own Ochs und Junior Simpleton of 2016; a shuriken hour hand from the 17.03, and the gradient and skeleton peripheral ring on the crystal from the 19 series. Indices are a visually ‘lighter’ skeletonized version of the 37 series. It also of course carries the same flared lugs and ergonomic crown of our other watches.
It takes an entire village
To machine AZ31 magnesium – let alone to the wall thicknesses and tolerances required – requires some special expertise. Reto Helfenstein of Helfenstein Mechanik was brought in on the recommendation of some mutual friends; his expertise with similar materials for the aerospace industry has proven invaluable. The raw AZ31 billet comes from Smiths High Performance in the UK, and Keronite handles the plasmaelectrolytic oxidation. Manufacture Jean-Rousseau created the single layer Alcantara straps that weigh just 1.2 grams, yet are soft and comfortable to wear without being floppy. Included with the watch are also a selection of other straps for a different feel. We also include a second buckle – in aluminium and in our tuck buckle design – by DBMF. Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne figured out which components within the ETA2000 could be removed or lightened to further save weight, and which had to remain untouched for reliability. Final assembly and testing are conducted at Schwarz Etienne.
Availability, pricing and deliveries
The LW.01 is a Special Projects Cave release, limited to 200 watches, and priced at CHF 19,500 (a 50% deposit is required for order confirmation). It will be available to order on 27 October 2023 at 1PM GMT exclusively from www.ming.watch
The choice between manual (ultimate lightness) or automatic (practical) can be decided by the customer at the time of order. Deliveries are expected to begin Q4-2024.
MING LW.01 Technical Specifications
Functions
- Hours, minutes and running indicator; automatic winding
- Ultralight:
- Total 12.6g
- Head 10.8g
- Buckle 0.6g
- Strap from 1.2g
Movement
- ETA 2000.M1 modified by Schwarz-Etienne for MING
- ~36h power reserve at full wind
- Automatic winding
Case, dial & hands
- 38mm diameter, 6.5mm thickness
- PEO treated AZ31 magnesium alloy case and dial; crown in anodised aluminium; screws in PEEK composite
- Corning Gorilla Glass 6 crystal with hardening and antireflective treatment o Unique buttressed case construction with integral “dial”/movement holder o Pulse seconds running indicator o 25m water resistance o 20mm lug width with fixed bars
Strap/ bracelet
- ‘Record’ single layer Alcantara strap by Jean Rousseau Paris, with signed AZ31 Magnesium buckle
- Two-tone double layer Alcantara strap by Jean Rousseau Paris, with signed AZ31 Magnesium buckle
- Single layer natural rubber strap by Jean Rousseau Paris, with signed AZ31 Magnesium buckle
Leather travel pouch handmade in Kuala Lumpur by Studio Koji Sato
Extended 3-year mechanical warranty
Made in Switzerland
Priced at CHF 19,500 including insured shipping via DHL Express
MING continually aims to improve product where possible to improve aesthetics and functionality; to this end, we reserve the right to make minor changes prior to final delivery.
About MING:
Horologer MING was founded and funded by six enthusiasts from around the world under the leadership of Ming Thein, a photographer, designer, business strategist and above all, a lover of watches. Together, the MING team draws from extensive collecting experience ranging from vintage to avant-garde; from quality affordables to six-figure commissioned independent pieces.
Our goal with MING has always been to make the watches we ourselves want, and to bring back that sense of excitement and discovery through deliberation and refinement in every detail while also delivering value beyond the price point. We neither pretend to have history nor are we burdened by it. We will be the first to admit that we don’t build in-house but rather on the strengths of dedicated partners like Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne, Agenhor and Jean Rousseau. All our watches are assembled, regulated and tested in Switzerland, with final quality control completed personally in Malaysia.
MING is our way of sharing our experience with enthusiasts – budding aficionados and seasoned collectors alike – who want to discover watchmaking substance beyond brand. We are proud to have our efforts recognized at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, with multiple finalists and the 17.06 Copper winning the 2019 Horological Revelation prize.
In 2021 we also launched the Special Projects Cave, an invitation-only program to create small runs of experimental pieces that are concept-driven and unencumbered by regular production constraints or economics. 2022 marked the fifth anniversary of the brand, with over 50 references released to date.