The MING 29.01 Midnight represents a significant advancement in the horological offerings from independent watchmaker Horologer MING, following the introduction of their 29.01 Worldtimer in 2023. This limited production timepiece, constrained to a mere twenty-five examples globally, incorporates sophisticated engineering principles whilst maintaining the distinctive design philosophy for which the brand has become recognised.
The dial construction employs a multi-layered approach through which visual depth is achieved without resorting to superfluous elements. A rotating metallic 24-hour disc forms the foundation, engineered to interface with static city names that appear on two separate levels of a sapphire dial overlay. The stratification of these elements creates an impression of suspension within the visual field, enhanced by contrasting indices positioned on the upper sapphire layer and complemented by sapphire hands.
Technical brilliance manifests through the application of HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova X1 to every marking on both the sapphire components and hands, resulting in extended luminosity. The colour scheme incorporates orange numerical indicators which emit a corresponding orange glow in low-light conditions. The systematic organisation of these elements yields a high-contrast legibility whilst maintaining visual restraint, allowing one to register accurate time readings across multiple global locations with minimal cognitive effort.
The timepiece houses the Schwarz-Etienne for MING calibre ASE 222, which has undergone comprehensive reengineering to align with contemporary design parameters. This self-winding mechanism utilises a tungsten microrotor with an organic form factor inspired by toroidal geometry, mounted via an enhanced system incorporating ceramic ball bearings to optimise winding efficiency. The movement architecture features a fully skeletonised barrel, offering improved visual assessment of the winding state, whilst bridges receive 5N rose gold coating with diamond-cut anglage. This 31-jewel calibre measures 30mm in diameter with a height of 5.6mm, and delivers approximately 86 hours of power reserve when fully wound. Technical refinements extend to the movement’s performance, with adjustments implemented across five positional orientations to ensure chronometric consistency. The visual transparency of the movement components reflects deliberate engineering decisions, creating an open, airy aesthetic that encourages visual exploration of the mechanical architecture.
The 40mm diameter case employs grade 5 titanium as its primary structural material, enhanced through the application of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating to improve surface hardness and wear resistance. At 11.8mm in thickness, the case proportions balance visual presence with ergonomic considerations. The engineering approach to the case architecture forgoes conventional bezels, instead implementing a deep sapphire box crystal that bonds seamlessly to the titanium body, functioning simultaneously as transparent viewing portal and structural element. This integration extends to the openworked “flying blade” lugs, which feature an interlocking groove system that mates precisely with the caseback, creating visual continuity from multiple viewing angles. Surface treatments differentiate components through contrasting finishes: polished upper and lower surfaces of the lugs juxtapose against the matte texture of the case flanks, whilst dynamic surface transitions blend these distinctions through carefully calculated curvature. Water resistance capabilities extend to 50 metres, providing adequate protection for everyday wear scenarios.
The 29.01 Midnight demonstrates how technical constraints can serve as catalysts for design innovation rather than limitations. The integration of worldtime functionality within a coherent visual language represents a sophisticated approach to horological problem-solving. The deliberate restriction of production quantity to twenty-five pieces reflects calculated manufacturing capacity and quality control parameters rather than arbitrary scarcity.
The timepiece’s execution through collaborative partnerships with specialists such as Schwarz-Etienne exemplifies the contemporary watchmaking ecosystem’s distributed expertise model. Scheduled for distribution from June 2025, the MING 29.01 Midnight serves as a technical document of current production capabilities within independent watchmaking, capturing both material science advancements and aesthetic possibilities within a functional timekeeping instrument.
The complete technical profile includes: 40mm diameter and 11.8mm thickness titanium case with DLC coating; Schwarz-Etienne for MING calibre ASE 222 automatic movement; bidirectional winding via microrotor; 86-hour power reserve; hours, minutes and world time function; sapphire dial and hands with HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova X1; 50m water resistance; black moulded FKM rubber strap plus additional strap option; and a retail value of CHF 22,000 excluding applicable taxation. The harmonisation of these technical elements yields a cohesive horological instrument that transcends mere functional requirements whilst maintaining absolute clarity of purpose.
MING 29.01 Midnight Specifications
Functions:
o Hours and minutes
o World time function
o Automatic winding via microrotor
Case, dial & hands:
o 40mm diameter, 11.8mm thickness
o Grade 5 titanium with DLC coating
o Polished and blasted ‘flying blade’ interlocking lugs
o Deep box sapphire crystal front with bezel-less construction; domed rear
crystal; both with double-sided antireflective coating
o Sapphire dial with HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova X1 fill
o Metallic 24h disc with Super-LumiNova X1 print
o Sapphire hands with HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova X1 fill
o 50m water resistance
o 22mm lug width
Movement:
o Schwarz-Etienne for MING Cal. ASE 222, 31 jewels
o 30mm diameter, 5.6mm thickness
o Bidirectional automatic winding via microrotor
o Skeletonized barrel
o 5N rose gold coated bridges with diamond cut anglage
o ~86h power reserve at full wind
o Movement adjusted to five positions
Straps:
o Black moulded FKM rubber strap
o Additional strap of customer’s choice
o 22mm width, curved bars with quick release
o DLC flying blade tuck buckle with micro adjustment
2-year limited mechanical warranty
Pricing
o Edition of 25 watches
o CHF 22,000 excluding taxes
o Deliveries expected to commence June 2025
o Available via www.ming.watch and our retail partners
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 is an independent watch brand which aims to revive a sense of excitement and discovery among watch enthusiasts. We are dedicated to refined aesthetics paired with innovative materials, mechanics and engineering.
Led by Ming Thein, an established designer, photographer and business strategist, MING is renowned for exploiting the properties of light, form and colour. We believe in a set of design principles that guide us to create pieces that are immediately recognisable and have longevity. Layering and interaction with light leads to visual balance and legibility; tactility and physical balance begets wearability. Our pieces dynamically reflect their environment, rewarding careful observation, and give collectors the pleasure of continually discovering a new side to their watches.
Our Special Projects Cave pushes this approach even further by allowing customer participation in experimental watches focused on developing specific new technologies. The Cave has already spawned several firsts such as the sapphire Mosaic – an internal 3D structure created inside sapphire crystal with a femtosecond laser, Hyceram – a ceramicfused luminous material, and LW.01 – the world’s lightest production mechanical watch at just 8.8 grams realised using AZ31 magnesium alloy and finite element simulation.
This unique combination of aesthetics and mechanics in watchmaking has won us many accolades, including the Horological Revelation Prize at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and the Sports Watch Prize at the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
MING is a truly global company with facilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Kuala Lumpur. Production and assembly are in Switzerland, while design, engineering and final quality control takes place in Malaysia. We also collaborate with leading watchmaking partners such as Agenhor, La-Joux Perret, Sellita as well as specialists beyond the industry, such as Helfenstein Mechanik, and Degrees of Freedom. We are also a founding member of The Alternative Horological Alliance.