The people at Ming showed us hosts of upcoming releases and conceptual drawings during our time together with them for the watches in Geneva. As two biggest fans of the Fratello team brand, Balazs and I did the difficult task of keeping the traps closed until these pieces were finally released. Today we can discuss what is probably the most enthusiastic waiting for. 57.04 The iris chronograph is coming out in the light. For many reasons, it’s shocking.
Every time I review Ming’s watches, I find myself referring to the brand’s powerful design DNA that is clearly executed throughout the work. The modern and simple case with a unique shape gently whispers traces of vintage caratrava. However, the scalloped rug announces that it only hangs on the wrist. Next, there is the dial. Each watch I review is different, but the simplicity is often linked. 57.04 IRIS continues all these characteristics, but leads to unique case designs.
Ming 57.04 Iris
The latest Ming celebrates the brand’s eighth anniversary and bangs it. Instead of kitschy pieces announcing anniversary, they work more. This watch is a monopusher chronograph with a crown attached to the left. But in my opinion, the best points are the case design, dial and price. We’re used to the complicated pieces of Ming that occupy the pricing tier above. Interested parties are pleased to hear that this watch is firmly below the five-digit mark.
57.04 Iris is a 40mm x 47.8mm watch made from 316L stainless steel. It features a new 11.85mm thick case design, consisting of nine separate pieces. This includes a polished bezel with a gentle concave surface and convex curve. It may not be clear, but the recipient of this work is in the lag. Here, Ming introduced three-level layered designs.
Triple layer lug
Certainly, when I saw the design rendering in April, I wasn’t selling. I was busy so I was worried that the attractive, simple Ming case design would erase so many details. However, we would like to inform you that the final design is very in line with the spirit of the brand. It is clean, crisp and beautifully executed. Each layer includes a polished top surface and horizontal brushed sides. The close focused appearance reveals that the two inner layers are separate pieces.
Continuously changing dial
57.04 Iris includes a bowl-shaped dial with relatively steep sides. Made from machined brass, it covers details and is finished with a versatile coating. The material appears straight as purple or pink, but changes dramatically when viewed at angles.
The Greens and Blues shine to create another experience. Ming clearly sees this, but it reminds me of oil on water. It’s a strangely beautiful view. Another notable detail is the black 30-minute counter at the bottom of the dial. This is a sandwich construction with the Super Luminova X1 below. It shines through the counter scale and slim notch in the center of rotation. I had a hard time reading the passage and, after all, I’m not the only one! For the prototype I spent time in, the small slot is only 0.16mm wide. In production models, this is twice as thick and becomes more noticeable.
Like many Ming watches, the 57.04 iris includes a bright index design etched on the underside of the sapphire crystal. The motif is laser cut and manually filled with branded ultra-white optical material. With regard to the hands, these also show changes. The rounded and tapered shapes are familiar, but the diamond cut time and minute hands are blue, indicating the application of Super Luminova X1. Tonely, it fits perfectly with the dial.
Manual winding movement based on Sellita
Fortunately, the 57.04 Iris has a manual winding movement. The Ming SW562.M1 is a Cerratabase caliber with a 60-hour power reserve. In particular, the monopusher attached to the crown controls the chronograph function. The movement is on display via sapphire crystal, showing an anthracite main plate and a quarter plate of 4N gold. Wrapping up the “destruction” movement is a relatively unorthodox activity, but thankfully it is a smooth activity. Similarly, the chronograph operation is a pleasant experience with clear click action.
Comfortable on the wrist
A further nod, Ming includes a polished steel bracelet and a gray goat skin strip with a tuck buckle as part of the package. I’m a huge fan of bracelets, but I’ve noticed that most of the time I use straps. Goat leather is incredibly supple, but strong. The case head was handled well, but the watch didn’t feel unbalanced. As for size, I mainly wore a small ming watch, but the 57.04 iris is often worn due to reasonable rug to rug length. Furthermore, the thickness felt completely reasonable. Overall, the watch is ordered on the wrist, and details like the lugs and dials really make them stand out from the crowd.
Final Thoughts
Ming produces 100 pieces of 57.04 Iris. Each cost CHF 6,250, making it an interesting suggestion. As mentioned before, this is the brand’s first chronograph priced below CHF 10,000. Certainly, it’s not a small amount of money, but considering the cost of mainstream chronographs from major brands, they are now thousands of Swiss francs above this level. Ming may not be a direct competitor to, say, Speedmaster or Carrera, but it becomes a distinctive and confident choice. It is also beautifully constructed. Yes, my last view on 57.04 Iris is that the brand has once again created a standout piece that is an evolution of Ming’s design. This watch will be available on the official Ming site at GMT on August 26th at 1pm.
