Introducing The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” in Tantalum

In 2023, during a memorable dinner for Ming collectors in Singapore, Ming Thein was handed a challenge: how would a watch designed entirely for himself, within feasible limits but free of any other constraints look? Could something like that ever be made? And would he create an edition for the collectors at the dinner? That is how the Ming 21.01 Project 21 was born.

The latest Ming release is the result of creating something truly special, something the independent company had never done before. From the design to the materials, the size of the watch, and, of course, the movement, every aspect is unique. Yet, it remains unmistakably a Ming watch at first glance.

For this special occasion, Ming introduced two editions. The first is the "Souscription" edition, reserved for his friends who attended that dinner, a story Ming shared in detail during a previous meeting with Waqt. The second is the "Serial" edition, featuring a golden theme from the dial to the movement. This is the only version available for purchase, as the subscription pieces have already been allocated to their owners.

For Project 21, Ming chose a compact case with a 35mm diameter and a 6.9mm thickness. These dimensions were also well-suited for the Piguet movement. Small watches often feel light or even hollow, so Ming designed a case that would be as heavy as possible: solid all around the movement and without a separate bezel for added rigidity. He selected tantalum, a material with more than twice the density of iron, to create a case with three contrasting finishes, produced with the expertise of J.N. Shapiro.

The case features a mirror-polished rehaut edge, a finely circular brushed concave bezel that flows into the lug tops, and a sandblasted finish around the flanks that seamlessly transitions into the bottom. It is protected by sapphire crystals on both sides and offers 50m of water resistance.

The dial side is equally special. Despite being ultra-thin, the Project 21 dial is available in two variations. The first, the "Souscription" edition, features a blue shade with a multilayered pattern of strakes encased within a fused borosilicate layer produced by FEMTOprint, similar to what was seen in the 20.01 Series 3. This is suspended over a CVD-coated brass plate that is just 400 microns thick, yet it carries milling that echoes the strake pattern. The second version is the Serial edition, limited to just 15 pieces. This model has both its dial and movement coated in warm 5N rose gold.

The indices are etched into the external crystal, and the skeletonized hands have polished, angled flanks. Due to the watch's thinness and thematic intent, there is no luminous material.

Powering the watch is the vintage Frederic Piguet 21 caliber, an ultra-thin movement created in 1925, measuring just 1.75mm in thickness. It remains one of the thinnest movements ever made and one of the longest-produced. Over the decades, this movement has been used under different names by prestigious brands such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Blancpain, and Cartier.

These vintage movements have been sourced, modified, and reworked for Ming by Mathis Horlogerie and TitAl SA. This manually wound movement offers a 38-hour power reserve and has been redesigned with an entirely new level of finishing. It now features a skeletonized titanium train bridge with jewels set in chatons, sandblasted surfaces, and polished anglage. It operates at a frequency of 3Hz. For the standard version available to the public, the movement is coated in 5N gold to match the dial.

The watch comes with a brown calf leather strap from Jean Rousseau, featuring a Flying Blade buckle in brushed titanium. Buyers can also choose an additional strap from the Ming shop.

Following the delivery of the 10 omakase Souscription editions with blue dials to trusted collectors and friends, the Serial edition, limited to just 15 pieces is available for public release. This version features a 5N rose gold-coated dial and matching movement with 5N rose gold-coated bridges. It is priced at CHF 32,500, approximately 134,500 AED.

For more information visit Ming’s official website.