In a crowded watch market where seemingly everyone is inspired by everyone else (admittedly, an oversimplification, but roll with me), MING is its one of a kind. Since 2017, the Malaysian microbrand has imbued each of its pieces with its now-instantly recognizable design language and a knack for innovation.
Following up the remarkable release of last year’s GPHG Award-winning 37.09 Bluefin — the brand’s second-ever diver, which eschewed the brand’s dress watch proclivity for that of a tougher timepiece — MING has now dropped an all-black iteration inspired by sea urchins.
Stealthier Presence Underwater
Named for the Japanese word for “sea urchin,” the Uni variant of the 39.09 diver retains the 38mm diameter of the stainless steel case, as well as the 44.5mm lug-to-lug and 12.8mm thickness. With MING, it’s often subtle or small changes that delineate one model from the next, and here it’s the color black. Surrounded by a DLC-coated matte black case, the dial, crowns, and FKM rubber strap are also black. The dial itself is made of a black-coated metalized sapphire.
Also, just like last time, the watch is powered by the manufactured automatic movement based on the Sellita SW300, providing the wearer with 50 hours of power reserve. It can be viewed through the caseback window.
An Innovation in Legibility
The Uni model also brings back the famed crown and bezel system of the Bluefin, as well as the diver’s 600m of water resistance — which won’t be as deep as the 6,000m capable of the sea urchin but you can view the numerical similarities as an homage of sorts.
A major feature on the Bluefin and Uni are the dual crowns: one to set the watch and one to operate the unidirectional inner bezel with a 60-minute scale. However, there’s a twist; unlike a normal dive watch (or any watch with a rotating bezel), the element that rotates here is the dial itself, entirely.
So how do you tell the time? Well, MING — who’s known for its lume play, including the first-ever white-glowing lume debuting late last year — has injected Super-LumiNova X into etched cavities in the sapphire crystal itself. As the hands move, they tell the time referentially to these lumed indices on the crystal. Pretty cool!
Some Changes
The Uni doesn’t have exactly the same design as the Bluefin. For one, the indices design is a bit different with the Uni, placed in a more cog-like iteration, which actually improves legibility. Recognizing that not all sea urchins are black, MING has given the minute track here an orange color for its first 20 minutes, which glows orange as well — a definite rarity in the watch world.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 38mm
Lug-to-Lug: 44.5mm
Case Thickness: 12.8mm
Case Material: Black DLC-coated stainless steel
Water Resistance: 600m
Movement: Sellita for MING SW300.M1 automatic
Band: Black FKM rubber strap
Limited Edition?: Yes, 150 (first run)
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 150 pieces, at least on this first 2025 run, the 37.09 Uni diver is priced at CHF 5,250 (~$5,790) — about $300 more than the Bluefin model. Head over to MING’s website to learn more.
Recap
MING 37.09 Uni Diver
MING swaps the blue color of its Bluefin diver for a black one, adding some cool details like a rare orange-glowing lume and a more legible indices design on the crystal.
