Ming 17.01 Review

Here it goes - my first watch review and it goes to Ming Watches for coming onto to the scene with a big bang! 

I own watches from several watch brands at all sorts of price points, including Rolex, Panerai, Patek, Omega and Breguet. I also own several Casios that get very little wrist time as I enjoy wearing mechanical pieces. Even though I've been holding off on purchasing a new watch lately, the decision to order a Ming watch was quick and easy given the accessible price point, the light titanium case, and the limited edition run that was highly publicised and therefore requiring one to act fast. 

I picked the anthracite dial given that I already own a blue sunburst dial and that the Chronometre Bleu (which shares many cues with the Ming 17.01) is on my short list. 

I eagerly waited for about 4 days to receive the watch. Un-boxing was sweet, Mr. Ming includes a letter entitled "Dear Connoisseur" personally signed by him. The watch itself comes vacuum-sealed, similar to a Patek. I love that there are 3 leather strap options included with every watch. The anthracite version comes with a navy blue strap installed on the watch with the second options being light or dark brown. The warranty card is made from a metal alloy featuring the same digital guilloche engraving as on the watch's dial. 

Now for my first impressions on the watch:

It's light, and thin enough to fit under most cuffs - something I've really come to appreciate with my Panerai Radiomir 338 at 42mm - my daily wear for the past couple of months.  

The '0' at 12 o'clock immediately attracts the eye. This design feature gives the watch great symmetry and really stands out in person. I suspect that with regular use it won't feel like much of an oddity anymore, and it's a nice touch to an otherwise toned down design. 

The part you'll all wonder about - the craftsmanship - is good. Ming had a great PR effort for launch and the Hodinkee review especially commended the build quality. At this price point it's very good indeed, but certainly doesn't match the finishing on a Panerai, much less higher priced Swiss watches. There aren't any faults in the case, it just doesn't feel like (and quite fairly isn’t) a high-end Swiss watch. 

The polished bezel however reflects the light very nicely and is on par with any other high-end watches I've owned. 

The case's brushed finish gives off a darker hue as expected from titanium. The brushed finish offers a nice contrast but isn't done to a level seen on higher end Swiss watches. This is especially evident in the way that light reflects off the case in between the bottom lugs, which is visible to the wearer as the strap contours the case but does not cover the entire it's entire height. From this perspective the case does look more industrialized, as if it came out of a machine that wasn't purposely made to brush finish a watchcase. 

The digital guilloche is just what it promises to be. My silver dialled Breguet Marine stands in perfect juxtaposition to this dial; with a strong silver finish that Breguet says is hand made using some very old tools. The dial centre on this Ming reflects light in a subtler way than a Breguet, especially in the anthracite colour. It's certainly not something I would gaze at with admiration as with a Breguet. I'm really curious to compare it to the black dialled Marine which I suspect will also be much more striking in different light conditions given its white gold base and hand made pattern. In dark conditions, the dial of this Ming is overall quite sedate. 

The index part of the dial is a real pleasure to look at. The hour markers are painted in white and seem to float over the backdrop, which has a beautiful brushed finish. The accuracy with which the hour markers and chapter ring are painted in white is very nice to see. The hour and minute hands are also painted white but could benefit from a better finish, as the paint is not 100% uniform on the hands. 

Winding this watch is an absolute pleasure. It winds easily and the crown' s design really stands out with its deep and distinctive grooves. The fact this is a manual wound watch is a major attraction to me so I'm really happy with the way this one works. No need to pull out the crown for winding, which is cool. This doesn't make me like my Panerai Radiomir any less but gets me to wonder if it has anything to do with waterproofing. Not having to pull out the crown is a sensible suggestion.

The lugs on this watch are very nicely executed. The polished top and brushed sides give it a very contrast and further highlight it's unusual shape. 

In terms of wearing comfort the leather strap hasn't been broken in yet and I'm sure that with more time it will wear really well. At 38mm it's a modestly sized watch that should please many. 

The leather straps are okay for a watch at this price, especially given that there are 3! I love the white stitching (coincidentally have the same on my Radiomir). My particular navy strap seems to have the leather peeling off on one side of the strap where it meets the lug, and I may end up upgrading it in the future because of this. 

The buckle is polished and I wish it had a brushed/polished finish like the case does. Can't have it all can we! 

Overall I'm really pleased with this watch. It's exciting to be part of something new and to own a potentially historic piece. As a businessman myself I find Ming's story quite captivating and think that his entrepreneurial endeavour looks very promising. I'm looking forward to future creations with great anticipation and wish Team Ming all the best on their journey. 

Hope you’ve enjoyed my review. I’ll post pictures to compliment visually.

Happy collecting.

Marouf