It might have been several years since MING‘s last dive watch, the 18.01 H41, but we haven’t been idle in development. Today we present the MING 37.09 Bluefin – our latest interpretation of the genre, our first watch with an internally rotating dial and in keeping with our current design language.
Initially, we wanted to exceed the H41 in technical ability. This was achieved but at the cost of severe aesthetic and ergonomic compromises we simply could not solve despite dozens of iterations – after all, there is only so much you can do with a 19mm thick case. In the end we decided to take a step back conceptually to a slimmer diver in the more elegant architecture of the 37-series: enter the 37.09 Bluefin.
It turned out that by tweaks to the curvature of the front and rear crystals, prototypes achieved a crush depth of 900m after 24h saturation – more than three times our initial target. The MING 37.09 Bluefin is thus conservatively rated at 600m. It remains a comfortably proportioned 38mm in diameter with a 12.8mm thickness, 2.8mm of which is externally domed sapphire crystal. Paired with the alternating polished and brushed finishes, this is a watch that wears much thinner on the wrist but has a generous visual presence due to the almost complete absence of a bezel.
Although the MING 37.09 Bluefin is aesthetically similar to the other models in the 37-series, it has its own unique internal construction for two reasons: pressure resistance, and to support the timer scale required of a diver. Instead of using the traditional rotating bezel, we moved this internally onto a Super-LumiNova X1 filled sapphire dial. A sealed crown at 4’o clock rotates the entire dial via a 60-click, unidirectional mechanism secured by sprung bearings. The crown does not pull out or screw down, has a luminous fill to be easily located, and may be operated underwater.
We continue our design tradition of minimizing dial text with new timing scales that are easy to index and read for both main time and elapsed time. They use both colour and diminishing boldness to make it easy to see where the scale begins. As the dial rotates, the Hyceram hour indices are on the underside of the top crystal. The dial also uses a new sapphire process: a deep blue coloured metallization that compliments the scales and handset. It still delivers our signature inversion, which ensures optimal legibility under all lighting conditions – an ideal for a technical dive watch – as well as a dynamic presence and visual character.
The Bluefin would not be a MING without our traditionally excessive amount of luminous material; essentially every marking and hand is treated with various mixtures of SuperLumiNova X1. We also have a new multilayer process for printing on hands that should be even brighter, longer lasting and more homogeneous than before.
We have once again partnered with Sellita to power the MING 37.09, with a customized SW300-1 that offers 50 hours of power reserve, bidirectional automatic winding and the central running seconds required of a dive watch.
Completing the MING 37.09 Bluefin is something that has been in development nearly as long as the watch itself – a moulded FKM rubber strap, with curved bars and universal compatibility with all of our other 20mm lug watches. It was developed to follow the natural shape of the wrist, with the relaxed curvature of the strap forming a 70x50mm oval. In addition to the sculptural surfacing and our logo on the top, the buckle side is also pocketed to comfortably receive the longer end in the same fashion as our tuck buckle straps. It is keeperless and tapered in thickness to sit comfortably on the wrist, and with a compound balanced between softness for comfort and support for heavier watch heads. We honestly didn’t think it would be this complex or expensive to develop, but most of the team now believes it is the most comfortable strap we have made. It will also be available soon as a standalone accessory in other colors and lengths.
Pricing and deliveries
The MING 37.09 Bluefin is priced at CHF 4,950 with 500 of this variant to be produced for 2024. They will be exclusively available at www.ming.watch. Orders open at 1PM GMT on 24 May 2024. A 50% deposit is due at the time of order, with the balance on delivery – which we expect to start in October 2024.
MING 37.09 Bluefin Technical Specifications
Pricing and availability
- CHF 4,950 – 50% deposit for order confirmation
- Deliveries expected to start October 2024
- 500 watches for 2024 available exclusively via www.ming.watch
Functions
- Hours, minutes and seconds
- Internal 60-click timer scale on unidirectional rotating dial, via crown at 4
- Automatic winding
Movement
- Sellita for MING SW300.M1, anthracite skeletonized bridges and rotor with contrast circular brushing
- Automatic winding with ~50hr power reserve at full wind
- Hacking seconds for setting
Case, dial & hands
- 38mm diameter, 12.8mm thickness, 44.5mm lug-to-lug
- 316L stainless steel, with a polished-brushed finish
- Domed sapphire crystals front and rear, with double-sided antireflective coating
- Super-LumiNova X1 indices inside top crystal, and on sapphire dial
- Super-LumiNova X1 coated hands
- 600m water resistance
- 20mm lug width
Straps
- New moulded FKM rubber strap
- 20mm width, curved bars with quick release
- Fitted with ‘flying blade’ tuck buckle with micro adjustment
MING continually aims to improve products where possible to improve aesthetics and functionality; to this end, we reserve the right to make minor changes prior to the 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 customers 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 ceramic-fused 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.
MING is a truly global company with facilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Kuala Lumpur. Production and assembly is in Switzerland, while design, engineering and final quality control takes place in Malaysia. We also collaborate with leading watchmaking partners such as Agenhor, Schwarz-Etienne, La-Joux Perret, Sellita as well as specialists beyond the industry, such as Helfenstein Mechanik, Smiths High Performance and Degrees of Freedom.
For more information, please contact us at hello@ming.watch or visit www.ming.watch. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest updates from MING and follow our journey on Instagram.
MING is a registered trademark in Switzerland and Malaysia and represented by Horologer MING SA, Switzerland.