When Ming offers to send you a clock to spend time, you don’t say no, even if it’s something you’ve seen before. Ming 29.01 WorldTimer came to the market almost two years ago. This week, the model received an upgrade, or even better, a line extension with the new Ming 29.01 Midnight. Although it looks very similar to its predecessor, this new watch offers more than just eye-catching.
I first saw the new 29.01 midnight in Geneva with one of the most recent watches soisier. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of all black watches, but the presence of my wrist caught my attention.
Akira
Our resident, Min enthusiast Mike, knows how much I support the brand. Luckily, I’m not the only author of Fratello with a soft spot on Ming, but in Fratello on Air Podcasts, the name actually comes up quite often. Plus, I bought it first, but so far after testing the microphone a few times, I only bought the 17.09 Ming. After one of our listeners heard on a podcast that I was in the market, the watch actually landed on my lap. He reached out, made a deal, and the rest is history. Owning Ming is the closest thing I’ve ever had to come to a secret society. This is a “you know, you know, you know” type club that only selected members can participate. Wearing the Ming in the watch circle will result in approval nodding and a mean wink will come sooner or later.
29.01 Midnight
All of this means that I didn’t hesitate a bit when the brand asked if they wanted to spend their time in the middle of the night, the latest model, 29.01. To speed up with regard to the model line, the 29.01 first debuted in early April 2023 with a grade 5 titanium case with a breathtaking custom-made Schwarz Ethienne movement and a sapphire dial with a heavy Super Luminova X1 application. A few months later, during Dubai Watch Week, Min doubled with the 29.01 Dubai edition. The watch had very similar features, but this time it had a traditional Arabic dial for the Middle Eastern market. After that, 29.01 has been sleeping until now while Ming was busy releasing some of the coolest pieces of recent years. The new 29.01 Midnight is based on the success of Titanium counterparts in several updates. Most obvious is its stealth black case.
On the wrist
I soon received my signature Ming rubber strap at midnight 29.01. We could only write a paragraph on the strap, but we are not here for that. Let’s say it’s very comfortable. Aside from the elastic straps, the case and dial are both black, giving the watch a modest elegance. As Ming cleverly puts it:
“It’s for a secret night mission. Secret assignment. Dead drop. International man in mystery. Polar route solo pilot. Night hot air balloon pilot. Night battle (until night).
I wouldn’t have said that better. And this comes from someone who isn’t the biggest fan of black watches (ceramic, DLC/PVD coating, etc.). However, due to its dark appearance, the Ming 29.01 works on the wrist. At 40mm, we’re not talking about small watches, even if it’s only 11.8mm thick. The DLC-coated Grade 5 titanium case and refined blasted “Flying Blade” hollow interlock rug reduce weight and create a feeling of almost nothing on your wrist.
Ease of use
However, the true essence of midnight on 29.01 is the complications of World Timer. After all, why do you get a watch of this complexity of CHF 22,000 (e.g. tax) when you don’t have it as your companion on travel around the world? Sadly, I only had my watch on a trip to Berlin, which is in the same time zone as my home in Karlsruhe, but that’s not even a problem. Readability is fantastic thanks to the deep box style sapphire front crystal, bezelless construction, and sapphire hands with High-Ceram Ceramic Super Luminova X1 fill. For me, the only difficulty was reading a metal 24 hour disc, but hey, I’m over 40, so that might be my sight. With a water resistance rating of 50m, this isn’t your favorite diving watch, but who cares?
What is inside?
Let’s flip the clock over and spend a few minutes discussing what’s under the domed rear crystal. Ming 29.01 Midnight’s heart and soul is Schwarz-Etienne Caliber ASE222 exclusively for Ming. We are talking about an automatic movement with a 31 jewel, 5.6mm thick, with a two-way winding micro rotor. A notable part of this caliber is the skeletonized barrel, but the bridge coated with 5N-rose-Gold with diamond-cut anchorage is also spectacular. This move is an east feast for the eyes, whether you are a fan of Ming’s watch designs. You need to appreciate the beauty of watchmaking, and this caliber is as beautiful as it gets. With a power reserve of about 86 hours, the watch offers plenty of juice to spend the weekend, and first puts it back on your wrist on Monday morning.
Close the word
The new Ming 29.01 Midnight will be released as a 25-piece edition, with delivery to June 2025. Certainly, the CHF 22,000 Plus tax price is not in the “affordable” category for most people. Also, this should not be your first Ming watch. But if you’re considering getting it, you’ll already have some ming anyway. Like this and most other mings, what won’t stop me from surpriseing with this is the consistency of the design. This is “DNA” that I’ve heard many times in various press meetings, but rarely found in most brand catalogs. However, Ming’s watches, including midnight on 29.01, are readily recognised from afar thanks to their powerful design characteristics. Do you know how many other watch brands can say the same thing?
