Introducing: The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” In Tantalum
As a materials engineer, I get excited whenever a watchmaker uses an atypical material. Over the last decade, carbon and ceramics have become more prevalent for watch cases. However, aside from new gold alloys, it has been relatively quiet on the metals front. Using tantalum isn’t new, but it’s so uncommon that it deserves attention whenever a watch brand chooses it. When one of my all-time favorite brands decides to work with the notoriously challenging metal, I’m more than interested. Project 21 is Ming’s latest creation, and despite its exclusivity, it can lay claim to the title of my favorite watch of 2025 thus far.
I’m an unabashed Ming fanboy. This small independent brand rarely releases a watch I don’t love, but I’m certainly more drawn to some than others. I’ve put my money where my mouth is and own several models. While the highest-end pieces are sadly outside of my budget, I still enjoy covering them because they show what Ming can do without too many constraints. Today’s Project 21 exemplifies this perfectly because of the tantalum construction.
Project 21 — Background
In 2023, Ming hosted a dinner in Singapore for some of its most loyal collectors. During the evening, someone asked founder Ming Thein what a personal watch would look like if there were no commercial constraints. I’ve been fortunate to spend time with the Ming team and can only imagine the philosophical discussions that must have occurred. At the end of the evening, a deal was struck with the support of the attendees. Ming provided an upper price limit, estimated delivery timing, and the use of a new-to-Ming movement. Project 21 was born.
The design stage
Unsurprisingly, Ming Thein chose a vintage-esque watch style, size, and movement for Project 21. Starting with the last one, Ming had never worked with the Frederic Piguet 21, a manual-winding caliber with a mere 1.75mm thickness. This caliber was in production from 1925 until the early 2000s when the movement maker became part of the Swatch Group. The list of brands employing this caliber is lengthy and impressive, including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and more. With this movement’s 20.8mm diameter, Ming opted for an appropriate case size.
Normally, Ming watches hover around the 38mm mark. For Project 21, Ming answered the call to design a watch for himself and chose a 35mm diameter and 6.9mm thickness. The dimensions were also more appropriate for the Piguet movement. With these numbers in mind, what case material could provide the right amount of torsional rigidity, water resistance, heft, and uniqueness? Enter tantalum.
Tantalum, a challenging material
Tantalum is a rare, highly corrosion-resistant metal with more than twice the density of iron. It easily satisfies the heft requirement, but it is infamously challenging to machine and form. Blame the metal’s ductility, penchant for work hardening, and low conductivity for wreaking havoc on tools and displaying an ugly surface. This is where the Alternative Horological Alliance, comprised of Ming, J.N. Shapiro, and Fleming, came to the rescue.
When the AHA was first announced during Geneva Watch Days 2024, Josh Shapiro showed a tantalum bracelet for Ming watches that he and his team had made in their Los Angeles workshop. This now looks like foreshadowing because, once again, Josh painstakingly created the cases for Ming’s 21.01. Impressively, the cases contain meticulously polished, brushed, and sandblasted surfaces. I honestly cannot imagine the level of difficulty.
Even the 3.5mm tantalum crowns are produced internally and contain multiple surface finishes. Shapiro carries out all these operations in-house. Praneeth Rajsingh, Ming’s CEO, was kind enough to send photos of the production process from a recent visit. The result is a single-piece case with a screw-affixed tantalum display back. The lack of a separate bezel increases the visual mass and makes the watch appear stronger. The top side is brushed, while the rear and sides are blasted. The inner rehaut has a polished finish.
The Souscription
There’s more to Ming’s Project 21 than the case. The Piguet 21 caliber was extensively reworked by the surface-treatment firm TitAl SA and Mathis Horlogerie. Mathis re-envisioned the movement and added a titanium skeletonized bridge, chatons, anglage, and sablage (sandblasting). TitAl provided surface treatment to the movements in dial-matching colors.
Regarding the dial, the 10 original “backers” of Project 21 have purchased a blue Souscription version of the watch. In fact, the dial is made of two layers. The top layer is borosilicate by FEMTOprint, like the 20.01 Series 3, and it contains a pattern of multilayered strakes. The lower brass dial is 400 microns thick and has a similar strake pattern. For the Souscription, the dial has a blue CVD coating.
The serial-production Ming 21.01
Perhaps “serial” is a generous word for the non-Souscription Project 21 as only 15 pieces will be made. However, that’s an increase of 50% over the blue version. This model has a dial and movement coated in warm-looking 5N rose gold.
It will ship with a brown calf strap from Jean Rousseau, which includes a Flying Blade buckle made of brushed titanium. Buyers can also choose an additional strap from the Ming shop. Perhaps a sporty option would work to take advantage of the watch’s 50m water resistance rating.
Availability, cost, and final thoughts
The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” is a beautiful watch that combines process and production know-how, innovative materials, and classic watchmaking. It also comes in a size that’s particularly attractive for someone with a medium-to-small wrist. In other words, I’d love to own one. It seems like a modern take on the Borgel-cased Patek Philippe Calatrava 565, and I’m in love with that watch. The design is fabulous, and I’m sure all 15 “serial” watches will be gone within minutes through Ming’s site or the brand’s growing number of retail partners. I say this despite a price tag of CHF 32,500. It’s awesome, and if I could go for it, I most certainly would.
