The MING 20.11 Takes the Classic Mosaic Dial and Elevates It to An Unprecedented Level

MING has just unveiled a new flagship for their 20.XX series and it looks like they have pulled out all the stops for this MING 20.11 Mosaic. At first glance, you may think the 20.11 is just another sapphire dial watch but as with most MING pieces, the true genius of the watch is revealed only when you bust out the loupe and take a closer look at its details.

The star of the MING 20.11 is undoubtedly its dial. Yes, it is a sapphire dial but more than that, it is a 3D laser etched sapphire dial. What this means is that the mosaic pattern on the dial is created out of 2,650 squares, each formed with varying opacity, linear diffraction patterns and etched on three different levels within the sapphire dial. This gives the dial an incredible level of depth, that becomes progressively more impressive the closer you get to it.

MING achieved this feat with the use of a high-power femtosecond laser through a process developed in collaboration with DM Surfaces SA of St. Imier. A process that took about two years to create. As you can imagine, trying to create such a complex pattern on a 1.3mm thick crystal means the rate of failure is also rather high. “Tiny, near-invisible inclusions within the crystal structure can cause the entire dial to shatter as a large amount of energy is being focused on a very small area during lasering.” Who would have thought we would be talking about details on this level when this microbrand launched their first piece at USD 900 in 2017.

Additionally, the hands are also made from sapphire and to make them legible, HyCeram is added so the wearer sees a white outline during the day and has a strong glow in the absence of light. This HyCeram luminescent material is also added to the dial in the form of the indices and its connecting ring, which at full charge, is bright enough to give the etched mosaic pattern a soft glow.

To act as a contrasting background so everything else is legible, the movement had to be coated with a black DLC. the Schwarz-Etienne for MING Cal. ASE 200.2 powers the MING 20.11 has a micro-rotor of sintered tungsten and skeletonised bridges and barrel cover.

All this won’t come cheap of course with the MING 20.11 priced at CHF 14,500 (Approx. MYR 66,337) and limited to 50 pieces. It is highly unlikely many of us will get our hands on one of these, but here’s to hoping we have some affluent friends in the inner circle of the watch collecting elite, so we at least get to see one of these in the metal.