The New MING 22.01 GMT (And Some Words on Availability)

Independent watchmaker MING has been on a roll, enjoying increased popularity since winning the 2019 Horological Revelation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. New models always sell out fast and the brand listened to consumer feedback and increased production for its latest pair of GMT models. The MING 22.01 GMT sits between the new 37-series and recently discontinued 17-series, with inspiration taken from both regarding dial and case design. This is MING’s first GMT watch since 2018 and the design is mature and sophisticated but doesn’t stray far from the established aesthetic.

The case is very wearable at 38mm in diameter and 10.7mm in height (43.9mm lug-to-lug). It’s machined from a solid block of grade 5 titanium (monobloc construction) without spacers, and the design was influenced by the 20-series and 37-series models. There are polished and brushed elements, and the lugs flare out with a subtle twist. A brushed finish flows from the case flanks to the underside of the lugs, highlighting the shape. A concave bezel has brushed and polished sections, while the crown features triple gaskets. A sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coatings protects the dial and features dial elements on the underside, while a sapphire exhibition case back displays the customized Sellita automatic. Water-resistance is rated at 100 metres.

There are two dial options that share the same design elements and are separated by colours. There’s a metal base dial that’s just under a sapphire disk, which creates an inversion effect in certain lighting. Underlying colours can disappear as internal reflections create a cool layering effect during inversion. The base layer is textured with two main colours per dial. The first is Kyoto, which represents traditional Japanese gardens. The centre is grey to represent placed stone, while the chapter ring is dark green. The GMT Arabic numerals are printed in silver on the sapphire layer above, while the indices are laser etched on the underside of the main sapphire crystal with HyCeram X1 luminescence.

The second dial is Gilt and a modern interpretation of old-school brass and gilt watches. The centre is dark gold with a dark cyan chapter ring, and the GMT numerals on the sapphire disk are gilt. The dials have colour matching GMT hands and the open-worked hour and minute hands are from the 20 series and 17.09 and coated with Super-LumiNova X1.

Powering the MING 22.01 GMT is the Calibre 330.M2, based on the Sellita SW330-2 automatic. Customizations include a black circular-grained finish and an open-worked rotor. It has 25 jewels, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) with a 42-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes, hacking seconds and GMT. In the second position, the crown can adjust the GMT hand in one-hour increments unidirectionally, while the third position sets all hands simultaneously while hacking the movement.

MING’s watches are assembled by Schwarz-Etienne in Switzerland, while the 20MM Barenia leather straps in tan or green are produced by Jean Rousseau. An additional leather travel pouch is produced by Studio Koji Sato. Straps include a keeperless tuck buckle with half-hole micro-adjustability and quick release levers.

Both MING 22.01 GMT watches retail for CHF 3,250 with a 50% deposit required for order confirmation. Orders for the Kyoto dial open on March 10th at 1 PM GMT for repeat customers and March 11th at 1 PM GMT for the general public. Orders for the Gilt dial open a week later on March 17th at 1 PM GMT for repeat customers and March 18th at 1 PM GMT for the general public. Deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2022.

As mentioned earlier, MING is increasing production with 300 of each model for repeat customers and 700 of each model for the general public. A new ordering system will also include a five-minute cart hold. This increase is a very welcomed change for MING as prior models sold out before many had a chance to order. The five-minute cart hold will also help buyers successfully complete purchases.

For more information and to place an order, please visit www.ming.watch.