Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Ming 57.04 Iris, A Destro Monopusher Chronograph Launching the Fifth-Generation Design
Balancing technicality with playfulness, sculptural casework with wearability, and complication with clarity, in a signature Ming style.
Independent watchmaking thrives on daring ideas, and Ming is one of the few modern brands that embody this spirit vividly. Since its debut in 2017, the collective led by designer and photographer Ming Thein has built an impressive catalogue of over 75 references, each exploring a distinct facet of horology. The early 17-series brought the brand instant recognition, while the 19.02 Worldtimer expanded the creative vocabulary into complication. The 18.01 H41 diver proved that technical performance could be reimagined through MING’s minimalist lens, and the radical 20.01 Chronograph Concept introduced collectors to sculptural dials and futuristic construction. Along the way, the brand has picked up awards and carved out a niche for experimental, highly distinctive design paired with Swiss mechanics.
This year, Ming introduces a watch that marks continuity and yet another bold step forward: the 57.04 Iris. This limited edition is the first to feature Ming´s fifth-generation design language and the brand’s very first destro (left-handed) watch. It is also the most accessible priced chronograph the brand has yet created, built around a hand-wound Sellita movement. But as usual with Ming, the story goes far beyond what’s inside, into the watch´s architecture, colour, and constant refinement.
5th-Gen Design and Case Style
Ming describes its latest design as a modern take on Art Deco, and that comes through clearly in the sculptural steel case. Measuring 40mm across, 11.85mm thick, and 47.8mm lug-to-lug, it looks bold but remains wearable. The standout lugs are a construction of multiple parts with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, creating sharp contrasts and architectural depth… Unmistakably Ming.
The case features sapphire crystals front and back, with laser-cut indices in the top crystal filled with the brand’s proprietary Polar White lume. Water resistance is rated at 100m, so the watch is as practical as it is expressive. At 9 o’clock, a large, tactile crown incorporates the chronograph pusher, the defining detail of this left-handed monopusher design, and it doesn’t dig into the wrist when worn on the left hand.
A Spectacular Colour-Shifting Dial
The Ming 57.04 Iris earns its name from the dial. The “Iris effect” is created with a multiphasic coating over a brass base, producing colour shifts that can look turquoise, purple, green, or orange depending on light and angle. It’s dynamic, hard to pin down, and alive in a way few dials manage. The deep, fluted dial layout adds dimensionality, while a sandwich-style 30-minute chronograph counter at 6 o’clock exudes a black hole-like pull in daylight but shines like a star in the dark thanks to luminous treatment.
The diamond-cut, blue-coated hands are also filled with Super-LumiNova X1, keeping the design performance-oriented even while it plays with light and colour. The look of the watch at night is, as often with Ming, as powerful as it is during daylight.
Modified Sellita Power
The new 57.04 Iris is powered by the Sellita for MING SW562.M1, a hand-wound calibre developed with Sellita specifically for this watch. Based on Valjoux architecture, it was reconfigured for a destro layout, placing the crown and monopusher on the left. Functions include hours, minutes, central chronograph seconds, and a 30-minute counter at 6 o’clock, with a clean, no-date layout. The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations/hour and when fully wound, it offers a 60-hour power reserve. The finishing is distinctively MING, pairing an anthracite mainplate with a gold-coated main bridge visible through the sapphire caseback.
The 57.04 Iris ships with two options: Ming´s stainless steel Universal Bracelet, designed to integrate across multiple models, and an anthracite goat leather strap fitted with a stainless steel tuck buckle. The 20mm lug width allows for broad strap compatibility, though the sculptural stepped lugs give the watch a strong visual identity regardless of choice.
Availability & Price
At CHF 6,250, limited to 100 pieces, the MING 57.04 Iris is a bold yet carefully considered chronograph. It debuts a new line of Ming design, mixes daring colour with good mechanics, and shows once again that the brand is unafraid to challenge convention while keeping things wearable and practical.
For more information, please visit MING.watch.
2 responses
It’s interesting and different and the price isn’t absurd… but this one doesn’t quite do it for me. I own several Mings but generally prefer the modern design language rather than this art deco modern blend. It’s also quite a bit larger and thicker than their 37 series which already hits the sweet spot for me. The dial is pretty cool though.
I’m happy they’re starting to dig into the Sellita catalogue add some variety to their watches beyond basic 2 handers in the under $10k range.
I like it but for the price it should have a column wheel.