Introducing: The Ming 20.01 Series 3 In Rose Gold
It’s easy to fall in love with the dials in Ming’s watches. They’re often multilayered and offer unique material applications. The brand’s use of luminescent materials and simple, modern designs has me wondering what’s next after each release. Today’s 20.01 Series 3 delivers the answer, and this might be my favorite look yet.
We’ve discussed at length how Ming offers special, inventive details regardless of the price point. For example, the entry-level 17.09 featured a guilloché dial, and the latest 37.09 Bluefin added the kind of multilevel goodness usually reserved for more expensive models. Today’s subject, a flagship Special Projects Cave model, blends industry-first materials and hand-applied craftsmanship. Because it’s a top-of-the-line edition, it should be stunning. Thankfully, it is.
The Ming 20.01 Series 3
The Ming 20.01 Series 3 is an 18K 5N rose gold watch with a 41.5mm diameter and 14.2mm thickness. It follows the same form as the Series 2 from 2021 but adds a strong helping of my favorite metal. Here, the bezel, crown, pusher, case back, and main case are made of the precious alloy. Only the middle case band uses DLC-coated Grade 5 titanium. All told, 34 highly finished pieces unite to create the watch case.
A side view of this chronograph shows the crown at 4 o’clock with the pushers at 10 and 2 o’clock. The 20.01 Series 3 features one of my favorite Ming calling cards, the hollow “flying blade” lugs. In addition, the titanium mid-case band provides structural rigidity and a welcome dose of contrast.
We’re here for the dial!
A gold Ming chronograph is enough to pique my interest, but the dial of this watch is second to none. For starters, it’s supposedly the first watch dial made of fused borosilicate. If you’ve used Pyrex glassware, consider yourself an everyday borosilicate expert! The glass is known for having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and, thus, can withstand extreme temperature changes. So, why use this material for a dial?
Ming worked with a partner, Femtoprint SA, to produce these dials with 600 voids created by a laser. They’re arranged in a radial pattern, and the effect is mesmerizing. That’s not all, though, because each of these 600 voids has been manually filled with liquid Super-LumiNova using a syringe. If you grew up playing the board game Operation, imagine trying to fill these little cavities perfectly! Aside from the luminous-filled areas, the rest of the dial is clear and exposes the movement.
The domed sapphire crystal is laser etched on its underside, and the indices and scales are then filled with luminous material. As with many other Ming watches, this creates a multilevel, three-dimensional effect. Ming gave the hour and minute hands opposite lume patterns. The blued chronograph hands differ slightly in shape and length.
The AgenGraphe Cal. 6361.M1
The AgenGraphe Cal. 6361.M1 comes courtesy of Agenhor in Switzerland. Ming has used this movement before in other 20.01 models. This time, though, the movement has an 18K 5N rose gold plating. A closer look also reveals polished anglage on a large number of edges. It’s a gorgeous hand-wound caliber that ticks along at 21,600vph and has 55 hours of power reserve. Functionally, the 6361.M1 has a central 60-minute counter that jumps when the other blued central hand completes a one-minute revolution around the dial.
On the wrist
Despite its larger footprint, Ming states that the 20.01 Series 3 will fit smaller wrists due to its short lugs. The soft anthracite goatskin strap with Alcantara lining from Jean Rosseau should also make it comfortable. An 18K 5N rose gold “flying blade” buckle is standard. For those who wish to take advantage of the watch’s 50m depth rating, switching to a more suitable 22mm-wide strap is advisable.
Availability, cost, and final thoughts
The Ming 20.01 Series 3 will sell for CHF 43,500, with deliveries starting this October. Only 20 numbered watches will be available. Ming will include one year of WAX Shield Insurance against theft and a complementary service during the first five years of ownership. The watches will be available directly on Ming’s official site. This is one of the prettiest pieces I’ve seen from the brand so far, and while it’s expensive, it’s not significantly more expensive than the titanium 20.01 Series 2 from three years ago. With so few coming to market, they will find wrists quickly.
