Ming Debuts their Fifth Generation Design Language with the 57.04 Iris
It comes up, somehow, in almost every article you read about Ming: they have an incredibly distinct design language all their own. How many times have you read something like, “you can spot a Ming from across the room!” I admit, we’re as guilty as anyone. But it’s undeniable that the look of these watches defines them, and that they’ve landed on something with that flying blade lug design that is both easily identifiable and well suited to building a supremely comfortable case. It’s something that’s always been there, but has slowly evolved over the course of Ming’s still relatively short history. Today, the brand announces the new 57.04 Iris, the first watch in what the brand terms as their fifth generation design. It’s at once both a radical departure from previous Ming designs, and very much related to all that’s come before.
The new 57.04 is influenced rather unapologetically by Art Deco design cues, particularly the dramatic stepped lugs, still with the same flared design. Ming says that the lugs make use of nine separate pieces in what has to be one of the most complex case designs the brand has attempted to date. The top of each step is polished and sides (which have very small surface areas by design) are brushed. It’s a bold design for sure, and makes an immediate impression, and strikes me as being quite a bit more ornate than the inherently minimalistic case designs Ming has produced in the past. Still, the shape is unmistakably Ming.
The case is constructed from stainless steel and measures 40mm in diameter. Ming tells us that the slightly larger case size has been a frequent request from collectors, and the brand has relented for the 57.04, while ensuring it still wears well on as many wrists as possible with a relatively compact 47.8mm lug to lug span. One reason and defense for the increased case size is the 57.04’s complication, a monopusher chronograph, which simply requires a larger case construction. For the 57.04, Ming has once again partnered with Sellita on the movement, dubbed the MING Cal. SW562.M1. It’s a manually wound caliber with central seconds and a 30 minute counter located at the 6:00 position. Movement finishing, as always, has been customized for Ming, with the most prominent feature being a 4N gold coated three-quarter plate. The movement has also been set up with a destro (left handed) configuration, a first for Ming.
The Iris gets its name from the dynamic, colorful, bowl shaped dial. The dial is meant to shift in color between turquoise, purple, blue, and shades in between. The unique effect is a result of the application of a “multiphasic coating” over the dial’s brass base. As you’d expect with Ming, there’s plenty of lume as well. For the 57.04, they have filled their white glowing “Polar White” lume into the indices that have been laser cut into the crystal.
Ming continues to be one of the most exciting independent brands, and it’s particularly exciting to see them embark on a new chapter in their company history with a bold new design. It’s hard not to wonder and speculate about what might be coming in the future for a brand that has become more ambitious, and more experimental, as the years pass. For now, the 57.04 serves as a compelling first step in a new era for Ming.
The retail price of the 57.04 Iris is CHF 6,250. Ming
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