No shortage of lume here.
Ming
Two years ago in Dubai, I handled what immediately became one of my favorite modern watches, the Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition Worldtimer. Housed in the Malaysian brand’s distinctive 29-series case and featuring numbers and city names in Arabic on the dial, it was unlike any travel watch I’d ever seen, and completely captured my imagination. (For those who agree with my assessment, it’s actually still available on the brand’s website for 22,000 CHF, or about $26,500.)
Now, Ming has released a new version of this model that, somehow, may be even more compelling: the 29.01 Midnight. Limited to 25 pieces and similarly priced at 22,000 CHF, the 40mm watch radiates an almost tactical look thanks to its DLC-coated grade 5 titanium case with a sapphire box crystal, flying blade lugs with polished top and bottom, and matte caseband. The large black dial, like that of most worldtimers, features a rotating 24-hour portion that can be adjusted in coordination with a city disc, which remains static and is printed on dual levels of sapphire.
Off-white printing for the city names (in English this time) and sand-colored printing on the 24-hour ring provides welcome contrast, while an inner section in white represents the hour indices as a series of curved dashes and an inverted triangle as a 12 o’clock pip. Finished with the brand’s unique handset, the net result is a distinctive piece that’s immediately recognizable as a Ming product. Furthermore, there’s enough Super-LumiNova to delight every collector’s inner child: glowing X1 on the sapphire components and hands and orange-colored lume on the 24-hour indices mean that the watch lights up like a Christmas tree in the dark.
This being a Ming watch, the same amount of attention that has been lavished on the dial has also been applied to the movement. Take a peek through the sapphire crystal caseback and you’re greeted by the Schwarz-Etienne for Ming Cal. ASE 222. Powered by a tungsten micro-rotor and outfitted with 31 jewels, it features a bespoke bridge design by Ming Thein (the company’s founder and chief creative), a fully skeletonized barrel, and 5N rose gold-coated plates and bridges. Adjusted to five positions and featuring plenty of negative space, it provides a visual feast for the wearer as well as plenty of technical bona fides: a new mounting system and ceramic ball bearings increase winding efficiency, while 86 hours of power reserve make for a long weekend-proof wearing experience.
Provided with a 22mm FKM rubber strap with a DLC-coated buckle, as well as an additional strap of the customer’s choice, the 29.01 Midnight Worldtimer is a sporty choice for the modern traveler. While 50m of water resistance may seem low for such a sporty design, it’s actually more than adequate for almost any aquatic activity save proper scuba diving.
For someone who finds himself frequently strapped into a business-class seat on the way to some far-flung locale — and who frequently forgets where he is and where he’s headed! — there could scarcely be a better timekeeper.
