Living Life Like It’s Golden: Close-Up of the Ming 37.04 Rose Gold Monopusher
The beginning of Ming, the watch brand, was modest and not even too long ago. It was in 2017 that Ming, the photographer, became Ming, the watchmaker. While the inaugural Reference 17.01 was modest in price, it already showed great promise, and with each new model added to the collection, this promise became, bit by bit, a reality. It made Ming, in a matter of years, a respected brand with a clearly defined DNA. How far the brand had come became instantly clear when it launched the Ming 37.04 Monopusher in titanium in 2022, to celebrate its fifth anniversary, of which this is the rose-gold version.
Movement Matters
Selecting the right movement for a monopusher chronograph is elementary for its position in the watch world but a challenge when you, like Ming, don’t have your own manufacture. The easiest and least expensive way to cope with this is settling for a Sellita base movement with an added module for the monopusher chronograph function. This will keep the price competitive, but that advantage becomes a disadvantage when casing it in rose gold. One of the things that gives very exclusive watches their appeal is the organic bond between the movement and the rest of the watch, in which both need to be of the same rank of nobility.
To ensure this, Ming opted for the La Joux-Perret LJP5000.M1. This is an updated version of a caliber that was originally designed by Techniques Horlogères Appliqués (THA). This company was founded by three legendary watchmakers, Vianney Halter, François-Paul Journe and Denis Flageollet, the horological mastermind behind De Bethune. While their movements were used by a variety of different brands, this specific monopusher caliber is best known from Cartier’s Tortue Monopoussoir, which was part of the brand’s exclusive Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP). While the configuration of the bridges and gears indeed shows the family resemblance, the finishing of the Ming 37.04 is much more refined. In part, this is due to the fact that the Ming was launched 35 years after the Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir hit the market, but also because of the design approach Ming opted for. The bridges of the movement are more extensively skeletonized, as is the mainspring barrel. Contrast is added by giving the bridges a rose-gold coating with a matte effect thanks to sandblasting, highlighted by the chamfered edges, which are hand polished. Visually, this really brings the movement to life and creates a natural connection with the case.
The movement is relatively small, which works perfectly on the dial side but is a bit more noticeable at the back. By framing it like a painting, surrounded by the screwed rose-gold caseback with its restrained engravings, it is highlighted as the horological gem it is.
Dial Details
The dial is also a gem, and that is not surprising considering that it is made at Comblémine, the dial-making company of Kari Voutilainen. Its guilloché pattern was quite a challenge to achieve, as it cuts too deep into the solid rose-gold dial for traditional rose engines. Instead, sophisticated CNC machines had to be utilized to get the desired result. Its asymmetrical design draws the eye in a natural way to the sandblasted minute counter of the chronograph. This creates a clean yet mesmerizing look, also because the operating button for the chronograph functions is integrated into the crown.
What makes the 37.04 profoundly different and profoundly modern is that on top of the gold dial with guilloché pattern, a second dial made from sapphire crystal is placed. Engraved in this are the five-minute dashes and tachymeter scale. Unique is that they are filled, just like the hour and minute hands, with various types of Super-LumiNova X1, creating a spectacular effect in the dark.
A Different Animal
This rose-gold version is a distinctly different watch from the titanium 37.04. While the main difference is the material of the case, it results in another experience. The rose gold gives the watch a pleasant heft that is kept in check by its 38-mm diameter. While the titanium 37.04 could still play the part of a dynamic sports watch, due to its lightweight and monochrome color scheme, the pink-gold version cannot. The warm glow of both the case and the dial gives it an undeniably regal look, and even if you know nothing about watches, you know that this is something special.
Regal is also the fact that the 37.04 doesn’t necessarily dress to impress. While an exotic leather strap might be typical for watches that are this precious, the Ming doesn’t come with one. Instead, they relied on the skilled craftspeople of Manufacture Rousseau, an esteemed name in the world of leather straps and goods, to craft a strap that excels in modesty. With its subtle texture, the goatskin strap highlights the unique character of the 37.04, amplifying the warm tone of the gold but not distracting from it. Even details like the curved push pins add to the sophistication of this timepiece.
The 37.04 also comes with a second strap, but that one will be made to the client’s desired specifications. For the clasp, Ming forwent complex and often bulky folding clasps but opted for one of the most elegant buckles currently available. This also adds to the fact that the 37.04 Rose Gold is a watch that is comfortable to wear despite being of such a precious nature. While casual might not be the right word, combining it with a good pair of jeans and a comfortable knitted sweater will not result in a faux pas.
While Ming made 100 pieces of the 37.04 monopusher in titanium, it will only craft 20 pieces in rose gold. This underscores its exclusive nature, just as does its price of CHF 48,000 before taxes. This substantial investment will pay itself back in handsome dividends, as it is hard not to smile when looking at the Ming 37.04 Rose Gold on the wrist. Sharing details of amazing watches was how Ming Thein started his career in watchmaking, and frankly, that is what he still does — yet now not with photos of other people’s watches, but with timepieces of his own.
To learn more, visit Ming, here.
This article was originally published in the January / February 2025 Issue. To subscribe to the print edition of WatchTime Magazine, click here.
