MING 17.09: New Release Luxury Watch

patrick_y · 2021-04-12T11:48:51Z

Explore the MING 17.09, a modern luxury watch with a unique design and independent hour hand adjustment. Discover collector insights on its value and availability.

patrick_y

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

31 replies5783 views6 photos

Patrick_y, a prominent voice in the WatchProSite community, introduces the MING 17.09, highlighting its unique design language and value proposition. His initial impressions, following his deep appreciation for the MING 27 series, offer a valuable perspective on how the brand continues to evolve its distinct aesthetic and engineering. This article delves into the community's immediate reactions and technical insights surrounding this highly anticipated release.

31 collectors discussing this on the WatchProSite forumJoin the Conversation →

As many of you already know, I'm a huge fan of the MING 27 series, their "thin" watch that has a "TRON" (the movie) look that is great for modern environments. In Silicon Valley, the luxury vibe is all about modernity and elegance mixed together. Think elegant leather sneakers (from Lanvin or Common Projects), mixed with denim jeans, the nicest "hoodie" jackets (French crepe or in wool/cashmere often by Cucinelli), and watches with a small amount of modernity to them (a MING would be perfect). I ended up ordering both the 27.01 and 27.02 models and I'm panting like a mad dog waiting for them to arrive at my doorstep. MING charges your credit card in full (to discourage flipping as many flippers want to churn their money) and keeps you waiting several months. Below is my review of the 27.01 if you'd like to read it again. Currently, I've got multiple time only watches begging for wrist time during the pandemic, but oddly, I keep on thinking about the MING 27 series...

WatchProSite Review of MING 27.01 model: www.watchprosite.com /

But this post is about the new MING 17.09! I'm also happy to report that MING has made a new model of their 17-series, their "original" model. But this iteration, the 17.09 takes a lot of those refined design elements of the 27-series and incorporates them into the 17-series.

The 17-series is also significantly thicker than the 27-series (the 27-series is MING's thin variant, read my review and you'll notice it's quite thin), so if you found the 27 series too thin, this is a great piece.

The 17.09 has this awesome design language that really resembles a very cool and modern vibe. It's unique in the Swiss watch industry. And this design has an instantly recognizable design DNA that's completely MING.

Notice the shadow of the indices on the dial. The indices are printed on the backside of the crystal and not on the dial! Giving it that cool floating look! These guys at MING really incorporate cool design details!

The lume is amazing! Again, it's got an awesome design language that reminds me of that iconic TRON movie. The sapphire crystal is laser etched and filled with lume. This lume serves as the indices, thus the indices are on the crystal and not on the dial.

At 1950 CHF, the 17.09 is half the price of the thinner 27 series! Making it a great value! Orders are always limited with MING and you have to go to their website on a specific date and time to get one. This time, they promise to fulfill all orders placed in a specific ten minute period!

Blue not your color? Spice things up with red, notice the edge of the strap is painted in red too!

It makes a nice his and hers combo!

Availability:

The MING 17.09 is priced at CHF 1,950 in both variants and includes shipping worldwide. Orders open on 15 April 2021, 1:00 PM GMT for a limited batch and again on 16 April 2021 at 1:00 PM GMT to 1:10 PM GMT for an unlimited batch and watches are available exclusively from www.ming.watch

Tech Sheet:

• Case, dial & hands:

o 38mm diameter, 10mm thickness, 43.9mm lug to lug
o Stainless steel 316L with solid caseback, mixed brushed and polished finish o Top sapphire crystal with double sided antireflective coating, laser etched indices with Super-LumiNova X1 fill

o Rigid case without spacer rings
o 100m water resistance with triple crown gaskets
o Composite, two-part dial in metallic burgundy or blue o Hands coated with Super-LumiNova X1

• Straps
o Handmade by Jean Rousseau Paris
o Burgundy dial: textured calf in taupe with brown alcantara lining o Blue dial: black alcantara with blue rubber lining
o 20x18mm, quick release with curved fitting
o Will fit 160-210mm (6.1”-8.3”) wrist circumference
o Signed flying blade pin buckle

• Movement:
o Cal. 330.M1 – based on the Sellita SW330-2, with independent hours

o Modified by Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne, exclusive to MING
o 42-hour power reserve
o 28,800 bph (4Hz)
o 25 jewels
o Hacking function and quick hour adjust
o Movement regulated with a 250-hour test program

Leather travel pouch handmade by Studio Koji Sato
2-year warranty against defects
Made in Switzerland
Retail price CHF1,950 inclusive of worldwide shipping

Key Points from the Discussion

The MING 17.09 features an exclusive independent hour hand adjustment mechanism, developed with Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne, based on a modified Sellita SW330-2 movement. This allows for independent hour hand advancement in the intermediate crown position, useful for time zone changes and daylight saving.
The MING 17.09, priced at 1950 CHF, is considered a strong value proposition, especially given its unique design elements and the brand's limited production model.
Despite the 10-minute ordering window designed to fulfill all orders, some collectors expressed reluctance to wait extended periods (up to a year) for delivery, preferring to allocate their budget to future MING releases with shorter lead times.
The ordering process for MING watches, including the 17.09, often involves specific online windows, requiring quick action for popular variants like the burgundy dial, or a willingness to wait for later batches.
The involvement of Manufacture Schwarz-Etienne in modifying the Sellita movement for the 17.09 was a point of interest, confirming the brand's commitment to unique horological solutions even at a more accessible price point.
The community expresses hope for MING's long-term sustainability and continued success in the competitive luxury watch market, alongside established brands.

The Discussion

NT931

Apr 13, 2021

so it will be a dilemma for me, if I'm lucky enough to score one! Have to be quick...

jiggerly-cool

Apr 13, 2021

...of each variant. so you can buy both! and if you're not in a hurry/willing to wait ~1 year, you don't even need fast fingers like in past ming sales. simply place the order during the 10-minute window (i'm shooting for both, earlier).

mahesh

Apr 13, 2021

Blue is my fav...great value at this price point. Best, mahesh.,

jiggerly-cool

Apr 14, 2021

the downside is one will have to wait two months longer than if one was successful today as aggretsuko says, "tomorrow is a new day!"

danielsyoga

Apr 15, 2021

hopefully , the MING team will stay in business as long as the BIG names

jiggerly-cool

Apr 15, 2021

tried grabbing a 17.09 burgundy just now. sad to say, i wasn't quick enough. while there's a 10-min ordering window tomorrow, i won't buy there because i can't bear to wait a year. also, i figure at this point one's better off putting the budget toward whatever ming launches next, which i hope won't have an eleven-plus-month wait!

Continue the conversation

This thread is active on the Horological Meandering forum with 31 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.

Join the Discussion →

Key Points from the Discussion

Continue the conversation

More from this Forum