The MING 27.01 is a reimagination of their first watch, but without the limits of being affordable

When MING Watches made its debut, it started with a simple yet puristic two-hand watch with a manually wound movement. They made 150 pieces of it and that was that. It was a limited edition run and would never be produced again. Because it was their first watch, they were very careful to keep the manufacturing cost within the limits of the CHF 900 retail price. With the newly launched 27.01 however, it was a chance to reimagine that first watch, to take what they have learned over the years and make a watch that represents the 17.01 without the constrains it once had. And the result is a stunning dress watch.

The MING 27.01 heralds in a new age of design for the brand. Where all previous watches were designed in 2D, this watch was the first to be conceived with the aid of 3D Computer Assisted Design software. At a glance, the overall DNA of MING Watches is still present but for this watch, only the 0 numeral indicator remains while the rest have been replaced with baton-style indices. Deciding to make the 27.01 a dressy timepiece, this is also the first watch in their collection that doesn’t have any lume. As for the dial, they opted for a simple and clean design with a monochromatic colour scheme so it will fit a variety of straps.

The watch retains the case size of 38mm, in stainless steel, not titanium, and has a thickness of only 6.9mm, the thinnest in their collection so far. According to MING, they could actually have made the watch even thinner but decided against it to retain a higher level of rigidity and durability. Additionally, the lugs are made with a new ‘flying blade’ design that is also part of the MING design language 2.0.

The movement that powers the 27.01 is based on an ETA Peseux 7001 but when you flip the watch over, it looks nothing like it. Through the display caseback, the movement is downright gorgeous. The watch may be based on the 7001 but all that left untouched was the gear train and escapement. The bridges and plates have all been remade, by their long-time partner Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne, opening the upper bridges so all the moving components can be clearly visible.

With all the improvements, the price has also taken a big jump and now retails for CHF 3,950, paired with a strap from Jean Rousseau Paris and a travel pouch from Studio Koji Sato. The MING Watches 27.01 is limited to only 125 pieces and from past experience, you don’t have long to decide if you want the watch as it gets snapped up really quickly. It is available to order immediately from www.ming.watch with deliveries expected to begin in September 2020.

Case: 316L stainless steel
Case size: 38mm
Crystal: Sapphire crystal
Thickness: 6.9mm
Lug width: 20mm
Movement: MING 7001.M1 (heavily modified from the ETA 7001)
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: CHF 3,950 (Approx. MYR 17,500)