Introducing: The Ming 37.08 Starlight With An Arresting Aventurine Dial
The Ming 37.08 Starlight is the brand’s newest release, and it’s a natural beauty that reacts dramatically to the light. As we’ll see, this watch uses the latest case format, which fits well on wrists of various sizes. Potential buyers will also like that a bracelet is standard and that the model will be produced annually.
Aventurine is one of my favorite dial mediums. I can recall seeing the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase Aventurine and was taken by the sparkly purplish material. Sparkly surfaces aren’t my normal inclination, but aventurine is a form of quartzite rock, and because it’s natural, I enjoy it. That Omega model came out in 2012, and since then, many other brands have used aventurine. Now the Ming 37.08 Starlight uses the material, and it’s one of the best applications.
The Ming 37.08 Starlight
The 37.08 Starlight uses the brand’s familiar 37-series case. It’s a 38mm × 44.5mm stainless steel housing with a slim, polished bezel surrounding a domed sapphire crystal. We’ve seen this case used for the 37.07 Fifth Anniversary Edition, the 37.07 Monolith, and the 37.08 Sand. I can vouch for its legibility and comfort as I own the fifth-anniversary piece.
For this model, the case has brushed sides and a polished top surface. Domed sapphire crystals are on the front and back of the watch. The latter displays the hand-wound Sellita SW210.M1 movement produced for Ming. This watch’s 10.9mm thickness allows it to serve as a daily wearer instead of a delicate dress piece. The large crown is of the push-pull variety, yet the water resistance rating is useful at 100 meters.
We’ve covered the SW210.M1 movement before, but it’s worth mentioning the specs again. The movement offers a 40-hour power reserve, and its specially skeletonized bridges have an anthracite plating. While the movement isn’t overly exotic, it is nicely presented via the display back.
As always, the dial impresses
With Ming, the dial is almost always the main attraction. That’s no different concerning the 37.08 Starlight because aventurine works beautifully with the brand’s design language. Many companies using this glittery stone tend to add details and fonts. In other words, watches with aventurine are often the same as their more mundane counterparts except for the use of this material. The result is a product that doesn’t show off the aventurine. Here, there’s absolutely nothing on the dial, which is exactly how it should be.
The luminous hour track is laser etched into the underside of the crystal and filled with HyCeram. Notably, the hands are shaped differently than those on prior 37-series models and taper slightly toward the ends. They’re also anthracite coated and use a new multi-pass application method for the Super-LumiNova X1.
Wearing the Ming 37.08 Starlight
The 37.08 Starlight is a familiar friend on the wrist. What’s nice is that the brand is including its 20mm polished steel universal bracelet for the first time. This decision resulted from lengthy discussions about a potential strap pairing. I agree with the move because it further highlights the dial and its contrast with the surrounding metal. The bracelet is comfortable, easy to adjust with screwed links, and easy to remove. The only flaw is a lack of micro-adjustment.
If you’ve never seen aventurine in person, it’s a chameleonic material. In darkness, it’s black with very little of the glittery effect that sets it apart from other mediums. In the light, however, it’s a stunning material with endless depth and sparkle. I was lucky enough to catch England on a day with bright sunshine, and while the crystal is highly reflective, the small flecks on the dial stand out in the light.
Availability and pricing
The 37.08 Starlight will be available for pre-order on the Ming site starting on June 28th at 13:00 GMT for CHF 4,500. A 50% deposit is required when ordering, and the remainder will be due when watches begin shipping in approximately four weeks. Ming will make 300 of these watches in 2024, which leaves the door open for further production in future years. Overall, this is another winning release and should appeal to those who enjoy aventurine but have found prior applications too expensive or busy.
