Introducing The Ming 37.09 Bluefin

The first diver’s watch that Ming ever produced was the 18.01 Abyss Concept Diver, released in 2019. The Abyss concept watches were a limited series of 10 pieces, and they were followed, in 2020, by the 18.01 H41, which was in some respects a significant departure from conventional dive watch design. The 18.01 H41 had a smooth bezel, instead of the virtually ubiquitous knurled bezels found in standard dive watches (Ming says that testing showed that the smooth textured bezel they designed was actually easier to turn with wet fingers) and despite its relatively small size (40mm x 12.9mm) the watch had a water resistance of 1000 meters – a domain usually reserved for much larger watches, and a depth inaccessible even to military submarines.

Despite the fact that the 18.01 H41 was released three years after the first Ming watches debuted, the company had it in mind to create a dive watch almost from the beginning, and while the 18.01 H41 was a dramatic debut it also raised the question of what to do next. The depth rating for the 18.01 H41 was a major achievement and at first, Ming considered creating a watch which would have an even more extreme depth rating and they were able to do so but, says the company, ” … at the cost of severe aesthetic and ergonomic compromises,” thanks to the fact that beating the H41’s depth rating would require a significantly thicker case. The decision was therefore made to create a dive watch that was still technically advanced, but which also took advantage of the dive watch design tradition to create a new visual, tactile, and aesthetic experience, and the result was a watch which is part of the 37xx series – the Ming 37.09 Bluefin.

The Bluefin is named after the bluefin tuna, which is a large open ocean predator found at depths of up to 550 meters, which is coincidentally quite close to the depth rating of the watch – 600 meters. (Bluefins also have extremely large, light sensitive eyes, and Ming watches in general and this one in particular, are exercises in visual pyrotechnics). The case is 38mm x 12.8mm and of the overall thickness, 2.8mm is the domed crystal; despite the extreme depth rating, the watch has a display back. For the movement, Ming uses a customized Sellita SW300-1 – a choice which helps keep the price affordable and provides excellent reliability and parts availability – and the case material this time around is stainless steel.

The case was, says Ming, destructively tested to 900 meters, giving the conservative official 600 meter rating.

The 37.09 Bluefin is distinguished from its predecessors in several ways. The most noticeable is in the choice of an inner rotating dial, and it’s worth noting that the it’s not an inner rotating bezel – the entire dial rotates, via a crown located at 4:00. The dial is overlaid by luminous material applied directly to the underside of the crystal. The dial itself is sapphire with a blue metallized coating and all luminous material – hands, dial, and the underside of the crystal – are in Super-LumiNova X1. The crown for rotating the dial is also marked with Super-LumiNova X1, and it doesn’t screw down or pull out; it’s safe to use underwater up to the full depth rating of the watch. As per the requirements of the international standard for dive watches, there’s also a center seconds hand (also coated with lume).

The almost total absence of a bezel gives a broad canvas for both the display of luminous material, and for the characteristic Ming inversion effects, where reflective surfaces can alternately appear opaque or completely transparent depending on the angle of the light. This combined with the layered use of luminous material gives the watch the constantly shifting visual effects typical of Ming watches.

Price at launch is CHF 4950. The watch will be produced in a series of 500 pieces and is only available by direct order from Ming. The watch is expected to ship in October of this year.

It’s become so much business as usual for Ming to present an extraordinary value proposition combined with considerable over-delivery in design and technical features that it’s easy to take it for granted, but I think it’s worth noting just how genuinely innovative Ming has been in the past, and continues to be in its latest watch. It’s always a major challenge to innovate in watch design without seeming to strive for novelty for its own sake, and it’s even harder in dive watch design, where there are considerable technical constraints, stemming both from the engineering necessary to make a water resistant case, and from the requirements of the international standard for dive watches, ISO 6425.

The 37.09 Bluefin is yet another indication of just how much watchmaking and watch design at Ming distinguishes itself from watch design in general, and especially in the independent watchmaking world. I’ve always thought that one of the essential characteristics of a really satisfying watch is that the longer you own it and the more you find out about it, the more pleasure you derive from experiencing it and the 37.09 Bluefin is a beautiful example from Ming – again – of the considerable payoff to be had from thought, care, commitment to a genuinely unique design language, and, of course, absolutely obsessive attention to detail.

The Ming 37.09 Bluefin: case, 316L stainless steel, brushed and polished finishes, 38mm x 12.8mm, 44.5mm lug to lug, 20mm lug width; domed sapphire crystals front and back with double AR coating. Super-LumiNova X1 indexes on the the underside of the front crystal and on the blue metallized sapphire dial. Water resistance, 600M. Internal 60 click timer scale on unidirectional rotating dial via crown at 4:00. Movement, Sellita for Ming SW300.M1, anthracite skeletonized bridges and rotor with contrasting circular brushing; stop seconds; self-winding with 50 hour power reserve. Strap, FKM molded rubber, curved bars with quick release; “flying blade” tuck buckle with micro-adjustment. Price, CHF 4,950; 50% deposit required for order confirmation with deliveries beginning in October 2024. For more info and to order, visit Ming.watch.