MING Goes Dark with a Blacked-Out Version of Its Innovative Worldtimer

Indie watchmaking often thrives on design innovation that breaks from traditional Swiss aesthetics, and few brands exemplify this better than MING. Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, the Malaysia-based company has consistently delivered timepieces with a distinctive visual language that’s unmistakably their own. Just look at literally anything they’ve ever made, from the haunting 37.02 Ghost Titanium to their own take on the diver with the 600m 37.09. 

Now, MING is taking one of their most technically impressive watches and giving it the full blackout treatment with the new 29.01 “Midnight”, transforming their already impressive Worldtimer into something even more striking.

FROM MALAYSIA WITH LOVE

MING’s ascension in the watchmaking world is nothing short of incredible. Founded by photographer and watch collector Ming Thein alongside five other enthusiasts in 2014, the brand was born from a desire to create high-quality timepieces at a time when iconic watches were becoming financially unreachable for most collectors. Their debut 17.01 in 2017 established their minimalist design language, and despite originating outside traditional Swiss watchmaking centers, they’ve rapidly built a cult following that’s slowly evolving into mainstream reverence.

SHADOWS AND LIGHT

The 29.01 Midnight isn’t MING’s first venture into worldtimers. They’ve been working in the category since 2019. However, this new release builds on the 29.01 Worldtimer released in 2023, now featuring a new “Midnight” motif that takes the brand’s already sophisticated world time complication and wraps it in a black DLC-coated stainless steel to create a monochromatic effect.

The blacked-out aesthetic creates a stunning visual dynamic where the luminous elements appear to float in darkness, as MING has been known to do in the past. Filled with lume (more on that below), the cities are listed around the outside of the sapphire crystal “dial,” representing the 24 time zones, and give off a remarkable glow in low light settings as they’re suspended above the base dial below. Aside from creating a sort of dimensionality on your wrist, the lume play here also significantly helps with visibility.

TECHNICAL MASTERY

Spec-wise, the Midnight is the same as the past 29.01 release, featuring a 40mm grade 5 titanium case with its hallmark “flying blade” lugs. But this time, it receives a glossy black DLC treatment on polished surfaces while maintaining a matte finish on the sides. The bezel-less box sapphire crystal serves dual purposes as both crystal and bezel, bonded directly to the case body to create that distinctive MING silhouette.

The brand’s design ingenuity is on full display with its famed dial construction, which places the aforementioned static sapphire upper dial above a rotating metallic 24-hour disc. As time progresses, this disc rotates via a peripheral ball-bearing track to display the correct time across different cities. True to MING’s focus on functional design, everything, from city names to hour markers and hands, is filled with HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova X1, creating that signature glow in darkness. Lastly, the watch is given a black FKM rubber strap with a DLC-coated “flying blade” buckle.

GOLDEN HEART

Powering this stealthy timepiece is the Schwarz-Etienne for MING Cal. ASE 222, a micro-rotor automatic movement with bridges entirely designed by Ming Thein himself. While the exterior embraces darkness, the movement offers a warm contrast with 5N rose gold-coated plates and bridges featuring diamond-cut anglage. Visible through the exhibition caseback window, the skeletonized barrel architecture and curved tungsten micro-rotor add visual depth while also improving winding efficiency and giving easier indication of power reserve, which holds 86 hours on tap.

SPEC SHEET

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Priced at CHF 22,000 (~ $27,000), the MING 29.01 Midnight Worldtimer is limited to just 25 pieces with deliveries expected in June 2025. This is significantly more limited than the 2023 version, which saw a 100-piece run instead. The watch is available directly from MING and through their authorized retail partners, requiring a 50% deposit upon order.

Recap

MING 29.01 Midnight Worldtimer

Following its steel version in 2023, MING made a blacked-out version of its 29.01 Worldtimer, printing the city names on the upper sapphire crystal, filled with lume so they glow and give visual depth to the watch.

Learn More: MING