Take a look at our newest merchandise
When Ming presents to ship you a watch to spend time with, you don’t say no, even when it’s one thing you will have seen earlier than. The Ming 29.01 Worldtimer hit the market virtually precisely two years in the past. This week, the mannequin obtained an improve or, higher but, a line extension with the brand new Ming 29.01 Midnight. Whereas it is vitally much like its predecessor at first look, this new timepiece presents greater than meets the attention.
I first noticed the brand new 29.01 Midnight in Geneva throughout one of many latest watch soirées. Usually, I’m not an enormous fan of all-black watches, however it caught my consideration with its wrist presence.
Ming
Mike, our resident Ming aficionado, is aware of how a lot I assist the model. Fortunately, I’m not the one Fratello author with a tender spot for Ming, however the title does certainly come up fairly continuously in our Fratello On Air podcast. Moreover, I purchased my very first and, to this point, solely Ming, the 17.09, after take a look at driving Mike’s a number of occasions. That watch virtually landed in my lap after one in every of our listeners heard within the podcast that I used to be available in the market for one. He reached out, made a deal, and the remaining is historical past. Proudly owning a Ming is the closest I’ve ever come to being in a secret society. It’s an “if you realize, you realize” kind of membership that solely chosen members can be part of. In case you put on a Ming in watch circles, the approval nods and the sneaky winks will begin coming eventually.
29.01 Midnight
All that is to say that I didn’t hesitate one bit when the model requested if I’d wish to spend a while with the newest mannequin, the 29.01 Midnight. To convey you on top of things concerning the mannequin line, the 29.01 first debuted in early April 2023 in a Grade 5 titanium case with a wide ranging bespoke Schwarz-Etienne motion and a sapphire dial with a heavy Tremendous-LumiNova X1 software. A number of months later, throughout Dubai Watch Week, Ming doubled down with the 29.01 Dubai Version. The watch had very comparable options, however this time, it housed a standard Arabic dial for the Center Japanese market. Then, whereas Ming was busy releasing a few of the coolest items in recent times, the 29.01 went to sleep — till now. The brand new 29.01 Midnight builds on the success of its titanium counterpart with a number of updates, the obvious being its stealthy black case.
On the wrist
I obtained the 29.01 Midnight on the soon-to-be iconic Ming rubber strap. I may write paragraphs solely on the strap, however we’re not right here for that. Let’s simply say it’s extraordinarily comfy. Other than the rubber strap, the case and dial are each black, giving the timepiece an understated class. As Ming cleverly places it:
“It’s for covert evening missions. Secret assignations. Lifeless drops. Worldwide individuals of thriller. Solo pilots on polar routes. Nocturnal scorching air balloon pilots. Combating crime (by evening). Individuals with discrete and discreet paramours. Lovers of delicate heat accents. Negotiations of the utmost significance. Competitor reconnaissance. Or plain ol’ insomnia.”
I couldn’t have mentioned it any higher. And that is coming from somebody who isn’t the largest fan of black (ceramic, DLC/PVD-coated, and many others.) watches. But because of its darkish look, the Ming 29.01 works on the wrist. At 40mm, we aren’t speaking a couple of small watch, even when the thickness is simply 11.8mm. The DLC-coated Grade 5 titanium case and the polished and blasted “flying blade” hole interlocking lugs assist cut back the load and create the sensation that you’re barely sporting something on the wrist.
Usability
But the true essence of the 29.01 Midnight lies within the worldtimer complication. In spite of everything, why would you get a timepiece with such a complication for CHF 22,000 (ex. taxes) if to not have it as your companion in your journeys world wide? Sadly, I may solely take the watch with me to my journey to Berlin, which is in the identical time zone as my house in Karlsruhe, however that’s not even a difficulty. Due to the deep box-style sapphire entrance crystal, bezel-less development, and the sapphire arms with HyCeram ceramic Tremendous-LumiNova X1 fill, the legibility is nice. For me, the one issue was studying the metallic 24-hour disc, however hey, I’m over 40, so it would simply be my eyesight. With a 50m water resistance ranking, this gained’t be your favourite dive watch, however who cares?
What’s inside?
Let’s flip the watch over and spend a couple of minutes discussing what’s beneath the domed rear crystal. The guts and soul of the Ming 29.01 Midnight is the Ming-exclusive Schwarz-Etienne caliber ASE222. We’re speaking a couple of 31-jewel, 5.6mm-thick computerized motion with a bidirectional winding micro-rotor. A outstanding a part of this caliber is the skeletonized barrel, however the 5N-rose-gold-coated bridges with diamond-cut anglage are gorgeous too. The motion is a feast for the attention, no matter whether or not you’re a fan of Ming’s watch designs or not. Watchmaking magnificence have to be appreciated, and this caliber is as lovely because it will get. With round 86 hours of energy reserve, the watch offers you adequate juice to spend the weekend with out it and throw it again on the wrist very first thing on Monday morning.
Closing phrases
The brand new Ming 29.01 Midnight comes as an version of 25 items, with supply beginning in June 2025. Admittedly, a value of CHF 22,000 plus tax doesn’t put it within the “reasonably priced” class for many. Additionally, this shouldn’t be your first Ming watch. However in case you are contemplating getting it, you most likely have a number of Mings already anyway. What doesn’t stop to amaze me on this, in addition to most different Mings, is the design consistency. It’s the “DNA” we hear about again and again in numerous press conferences however hardly ever discover in most manufacturers’ catalogs. A Ming watch, nonetheless, together with the 29.01 Midnight, is immediately recognizable, even from a distance, because of its robust design traits. What number of different watch manufacturers are you aware that may say the identical?
