Hands-On With The New Ming 20.01 Series 5
Until now, I’ve had to enjoy Ming’s 20.01 chronographs from afar. Finally, the good folks from the independent brand were able to send one of the flagship pieces to me for a hands-on review. I spent a week with the new 20.01 Series 5 and fell in love with this highly detailed, stunning watch. I’m excited to share my impressions in depth.
Ming does a fantastic job of offering lovely watches across a large price range. While the good old days of €1,500 pieces are long gone, even the least expensive models contain a heavy dose of the brand’s design DNA. What about the upper end of the spectrum, though? Models like today’s new 20.01 Series 5 are the stuff of dreams due to their inherent exclusivity and pricing. So when CEO Praneeth Rajsingh offered to ship one to the UK for a lengthy one-week test drive, I jumped at the chance.
The Ming 20.01 Series 5
The latest 20.01 doesn’t stray far from previous models in terms of case design or movement. No, as we’ll see, this watch, like so many other Ming pieces, is all about the dial. In terms of dimensions, the watch has a 41.5mm diameter and a 14.2mm thickness. While this represents a larger take on the Ming aesthetic, the 46mm lug-to-lug measurement makes it more than manageable. The watch looks at home on a dark blue Alcantara strap with the stainless steel “flying blade” tuck buckle. However, a 22mm-wide black FKM rubber strap is also included should an owner wish to enjoy the 50m depth rating.
Ming isn’t only known for dial work. The watches are almost always impressive from any angle. The 20.01 Series 5 case has 34 pieces! This includes the stainless steel lugs, bezel, and case back. The DLC-coated mid-case is titanium. Oval-shaped blue titanium pushers sit at 10 and 2 o’clock, just like a pair of safe hands on a steering wheel. Ming’s familiar modern take on an onion crown is at the 4 o’clock position. If we return to the thickness, a decent portion of this comes from domed sapphire crystals on both case sides. To help provide a clear view, an antireflective coating has been applied to both sides of each crystal.
What we’ve all been waiting for — the dial
The inspiration behind the 20.01 Series 5 dial is completely fictitious but in a fun, nerdy way that watch fans should appreciate. Founder and designer Ming Thein conceived it as the type of object at the center of an epic work of science fiction. In line with this futuristic theme, its production is also quite innovative. The dial is crafted out of a block of titanium and requires laser milling to achieve the complex strakes.
When Ming sent the watch, the brand also provided a large-scale resin model of the dial. With this, it’s possible to see the interlocking strakes and the blend of vertical and horizontal surfaces. However, we must return to the dial to see the final finishing work. After the initial milling is complete, the dial is subjected to a blue vapor deposition process. Then, more laser removal occurs to expose the bright titanium surface on the edges of each strake. Ming calls it sci-fi, but I say it looks like a menacing turbine.
Whatever it is, the 20.01 Series 5 looks wicked in the best possible way. The individual strakes catch the light and shine brightly. Then, the details become thinner and shallower towards the center of the dial. This creates a sense of depth and, again, gives the illusion of looking into a jet engine. Reading the time is relatively simple due to the large hour and minute hands. The hour hand has a Super-LumiNova X1 center and polished outline, while the minute hand is the direct opposite with a luminous outline and mirrored center.
Legibility and the luminous application
The minute hand is longer and reaches to a minute/hour track made of overlapping arc segments. Admittedly, the two hands could show a bit more difference to make at-a-glance reading simpler. The same goes for the two centrally mounted chronograph hands. These two hands are legible, but the tachymeter scale is difficult to read. It and the hour track are laser-etched on the underside of the crystal and filled with the brand’s Polar White material. Ironically, the time and the tachymeter scale are easier to see in the dark due to the clear glow.
The AgenGraphe Cal. 6361.M1 in the 20.01 Series 5
Once again, Ming has chosen to equip the 20.01 Series 5 with an Agenhor caliber. The manually winding twin-barrel AgenGraphe Cal. 6361.M1 is incredible in person and reminds me of classic vintage calibers. The 5N-gold-plated movement is a beauty to behold due to its level of detail and finishing. Anglage and perlage are on display, as are various skeletonized barrels and wheels. It also contains a fan-favorite column wheel and is adjusted to six positions. Performance-wise, the AgenGraphe has 55 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 21,600vph.
Wearing this beauty
It’s always a funny feeling to wear an under-embargo watch out on the town. I always feel like I’m skulking around, as if the entire public is aware of an “if you know, you know” brand like Ming. Needless to say, I never found myself on the front page (or any page for that matter) of any tabloids with the 20.01 Series 5 strapped to my arm. Still, I loved wearing it. The watch is light, and, as mentioned, the case works well with a smaller wrist. Plus, there’s just something special about the dial. It’s like nothing I’ve ever worn, and that’s a compliment. It was a tough watch to pack up and send on to the next reviewer.
A pricey piece of rare air
The 20.01 Series 5 is expensive at CHF 37,500, but it’s so different and special. It qualifies as an exotic item that will find its way into 25 collections. It won’t necessarily be because it beats out another pricey chronograph in some sort of specification showdown. The watch will succeed because it’s beautifully realized, and the dial is unlike anything else I’ve seen. Ming also equipped the watch with a gorgeous movement. I’m rarely jealous, but I’ll feel a twinge of envy towards the lucky 25 who manage to acquire one of these.
