Zach Brass
Before we dig into the new Ming 37.02 monolith, we want to do a bit of “previous” stuff. Since its founding in 2017, Horologer Ming has accumulated a strong cult following, as its deprived designs of its boundaries attract the attention of watch nerds from the start. A few years before Kickstarter’s success, including Furlan Marri and Studio Underd0G and recent hype monsters like Toledano & Chan, Ming was an IT indie brand and initially placed in the entry position. The competition for Ming Drops was so strong that we had to find a way to fight the bots from distributions from real fans and buyers of the brand. It certainly requires a village, but it’s fair to say that the brand’s secret sauce is the clear vision of founder and chief creative Ming Thein.
An established and well-known designer and photographer, Tien was a watch enthusiast before becoming a watchmaker, but he has clear advantages and perspectives when it comes to watches and aesthetics. As a designer, he had tools to think outside the box and break molds. As a photographer, he certainly knew what designs would translate well in photographs.
Both the brand and the man himself, Ming may have continued his autopilot, pleased with his early glory. However, the brand has since grown its portfolio to include more complex designs, such as diving watches and elaborate chronographs. However, this new Ming 37.02 is a little closer to the brand’s early days and more entry-level roots. The brand has revealed that this is a direct sequel to the value-driven 37.02 minimalist.
“The 37.02 minimalist, launched in 2024, marked the first watch in our permanent core collection and, more importantly, it’s back to being stocked and ready for shipment,” explains Ming. “Minimalists were important as watches that encapsulate what Ming is. They are distinctive yet reduced-quality, sophisticated technology, and great value.” Now, about the review…
case
Signature Min case foam remains. This is a case where there are few bezels and leave most of the real estate on the front on the dial. This kind of movement results in greater wear on the watch, but the case proportions actually guarantee the presence of a very compact 44.5mm lug-to-lug Goldilock, with a diameter of just 11mm thick. From the monolith name, the brushed matte blast finish of the 100-meter water-resistant stainless steel case has a stealthy stone-like texture thanks to anthracite DLC coating.
Dial
The dial looks very black, which is a bit paradoxical. It’s actually a black hole in the wrist, but the black hole swallows all the light and trust me in the dark, this thing glows brightly. Ming has long been known to use Sapphire on the dial to create dimensions and depth, and despite only showing time and minutes, it is a very elaborate dial to craft. Sapphire disks have laser cut channels filled with bright material with liquid. Although not a symmetrical presentation, the various ring sectors are balanced and arranged in a way that vaguely shows the time and minutes.
The bright material used for the dial sector ring is the brand’s proprietary Ming Polar white luminous material, which was developed personally by Ming Thein. It glows bright, true white, in stark contrast to a black background. However, the hands of the hours and minutes use the blue Super Luminova to further contrast. For even more readability, minutes have strictly coated boundaries while the hand of time is completely coated.
strap
Hearing feedback from cult supporters and clear love for the mango FKM rubber strap presented in the wake of Unidivers, Ming presents the 37.02 monolith from the gate to the mango FKM rubber strap. It is secured to the wrist via a case matching tack buckle system with plenty of loopholes for sizing. If you’re interested in taming the look, the lug width is very strap-friendly 20mm wide, and the strap has a quick release tab for easy removal (or attachments). Personally, I love the pop that is especially heading into the summer, despite the stealthy look of the case and dial.
Movement
You can’t become a normal Jane with Ming. Therefore, the brand chose to use the Sellita caliber to keep prices down, but this “Sellita” caliber on the Ming SW300.M1 has been highly altered until it considers it to be a custom extension of the outer case and dial aesthetics. It is skeletonized to give it a more future look and is anthracite coated on the bridge to match the tone of the case. It never has record-breaking endurance with a fairly standard 45-hour power reserve. But it’s automatic and Celita is respected with robust performance moves that offer quality watches at low cost.
verdict
Watch Snobs struggle to pay more than USD 3,000 for a Sellita-powered watch at any given time. But whether you think such a position is established or unfounded, I personally can comfortably deliver this watch with a CHF 3,500 with such a highly customized design, with its highly customized design and its sapphire dial and unique laminar material that launches when considering the complexity of the make-up. Also note that Ming balances “accessibility and exclusivity” here and is a permanent roster member, but in 2025 it only offers 100 titles.
Ming 37.02 Monolith Pricing and Availability
Ming 37.02 Monolith is only available through Ming.Watch or its certified retail partners. Price: CHF 3,500
Brand Ming Model 37.02 Monolith Case Dimensions 38mm(d) x 11mm
