Presenting the MING 37.02 Ghost: a watch that takes the phrase “light as a feather” rather seriously, except it’s made of titanium and is unlikely to float away unless you’re particularly careless with your wrist movements. The Ghost is the result of MING’s penchant for making life more complicated than it needs to be, especially when it comes to materials science and engineering. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine architectural inspiration, a fondness for difficult-to-machine metals, and a healthy dose of horological paranoia, you’re about to find out.
The dial of the Ghost is crafted entirely from grade 2 titanium. Now, before you ask, that’s not the easy-to-machine, “let’s make life simple” grade 5 titanium. No, grade 2 is the sort that likes to deflect tools, harden itself out of spite, and generally make machinists question their life choices. The dial features both radial and circular brushing, giving it a play of light that’s reminiscent of a modernist cathedral—if said cathedral were shrunk to 38mm and strapped to your wrist. Despite lacking any sapphire elements, the dial’s concavity and internal reflections maintain MING’s signature inversion effect, so it looks deeper than your average philosophical debate.
At night, the Ghost lives up to its spectral name with blue Super-LumiNova X1 on the hands and crystal, ensuring you can check the time in the dark, or just admire your wrist glowing like a tiny, stylish lighthouse.
Proved resilient
Inside the Ghost beats the Sellita SW300.M1, a movement that’s been given the full MING treatment. This means anthracite skeletonized bridges and a customized rotor, all visible through the exhibition caseback (assuming you haven’t left it face-down on the nightstand). The movement is self-winding, offering around 50 hours of power reserve, so it’ll keep ticking through most weekends, or at least until you remember to wind it again
Architectural complications
The case is where MING’s engineering bravado (or masochism, depending on your perspective) really shines. It’s made entirely from grade 2 titanium, which, as previously mentioned, is not known for its cooperative nature. The case measures 38mm in diameter, 11mm thick, and boasts a lug-to-lug of 44.5mm, dimensions that promise wrist presence without the risk of accidental wrist workouts.
Thanks to the use of pressure-balanced domed sapphire crystals (front and back) with double-sided antireflective coating and Super-LumiNova fill, the Ghost is both lighter and more robust than its ethereal appearance suggests. At just 35 grams head weight, it’s liable to make you check your wrist to confirm the watch is still there. Water resistance is officially rated at 100 metres, but in testing, the Ghost survived up to 260 metres—so it’s more than ready for your next accidental swim, or an impromptu deep-sea adventure. The caseback still says 100m, a quiet nod to MING’s engineering conservatism and a private joke for those in the know.
The watch is finished with a grey goat leather strap and a matching grade 2 titanium tuck buckle, because why stop at just the case when you can extend the titanium challenge to the accessories as well?
Just because… MING
The MING 37.02 Ghost stands as a testament to what happens when you refuse to take the easy route. By using grade 2 titanium for the case, dial, and buckle, MING has created a watch that is both lightweight and exceptionally robust, with a visual presence that belies its physical mass. The combination of advanced materials, architectural inspiration, and meticulous finishing results in a timepiece that is as technically impressive as it is visually striking, without ever resorting to the path of least resistance (or, indeed, the path of least machining headaches).
In summary, the Ghost is a lightly mischievous technical statement on your wrist, proving that sometimes, making things harder than necessary leads to results that are anything but ordinary.
