Would you drop $35k on a mystery watch? That’s how the Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase was funded
Buffy Acacia- The Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase is the ‘chef’s choice’ of the watch world with Ming Thein in complete creative control.
- R&D for the project was funded by 10 backers, originally at a 2023 dinner party for Ming collectors. After delivering their watches, 15 have been made for the public.
- This tantalum-cased watch is powered by a vintage F. Piguet 21 movement, first released in 1925 and the world’s thinnest calibre at the time, standing just 1.75mm tall.
Many of humanity’s greatest artworks exist because the artists were properly supported. Feudal lords once had artists in residence who could spend months on a single work while their food and lodgings were guaranteed. Kings and queens approached watchmakers in the same way as jewellers. The great guilds of Renaissance Europe flourished from aristocrat commissions, paying the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci enough for his artwork that he could revolutionise science in his spare time. Generally speaking, it takes a lot of money and trust to make those dreams come true. That is essentially how the Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase came to be, with financial backing from 10 dinner guests who trusted founder Ming Thein’s personal ideals.
As a brand, Ming already receives endless praise for its creativity and daring. So what is it capable of when all restraints are gone, and it isn’t trying to please anyone but its own founder? Posited to Ming Thein as a thought experiment at that fateful dinner party, the Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase is exactly what he wanted to design for himself. Omakase, if you aren’t familiar, is a Japanese phrase that literally means “I leave it up to you”, and refers to a type of dining experience where the guest leaves it up to the chef to select and serve the entire menu; an artistic experience where you place your trust in the chef’s skills. A horological omakase, then, is a very apt name for this Ming.
Its foundation begins with the movement — a vintage Frederic Piguet calibre 21. You may associate the Piguet name with a different brand, but this Piguet is actually a separate family of watchmakers who would end up supplying ebauches to the likes of Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and even Breguet. The Piguet 21 was the thinnest movement ever made when it was released in 1925, and it kept that title for a quarter of a century. At 1.75mm thick, the hand-wound calibre has had its bridges completely reworked with the aid of Mathis Horlogerie and TitAl SA for additional decoration and skeletonisation.
There isn’t much benefit to an ultra-slim movement without going for a slender case, and avoiding the ‘dinner plate’ effect meant also opting for a small diameter. The final dimensions are an extremely tasteful 35mm with a total thickness of just 6.9mm. That said, Ming did not want to sacrifice any wrist presence in any aspect. The use of tantalum, a very rare case material in watchmaking, is inspired for many reasons. Firstly, its density sits slightly above 18k gold, giving it the heft we expect from luxury watches despite its stature. Secondly, the dark bluish hue of the metal distinctly sets it apart from steel, white gold or platinum, and even titanium. Three forms of finishing include a thin strip of polished bezel, the brushing on the case’s compound curvature, and sandblasting along the flanks. Tantalum is also known for its low reactivity and high hardness, so it’s hypoallergenic, resistant to scratches, and unlikely to tarnish.
It’s a high-end Ming, so there’s no chance of a simple dial. What seems at first to be a cascading drape of batons and shadows is actually multiple layers. The base layer is a brass plate as most dials are, coated for its circularly-brushed layer of colour and striped milling despite its thickness only being 400 microns. Above that is borosilicate glass that’s infused with more of those strakes as hollow voids to achieve its intense depth in such a small amount of space. As if that wasn’t enough, the hour markers and Ming logo are engraved into the underside of the flat sapphire crystal, clearly marking each of the hours. The hands are easily distinguished despite having relatively similar lengths, as the hour hand is solid and the minutes hand is completely skeletonised. Another noteworthy point is that the Project 21 Horological Omakase is one of the few watches in Ming’s catalogue to not feature any luminescence at all.
Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase price and availability
10 pieces of the Ming Project 21 Horological Omakase were immediately given to its backers from the 2023 dinner party, while a further 15 pieces have been made publicly available. The private edition has a blue dial, while the public dial is coated in 5N rose gold with matching movement bridges. Price: CHF 32,500 (~US$36,515)
| Brand | Ming |
| Model | Project 21 Horological Omakase |
| Case Dimensions | 35mm (D) x 6.9mm (T) |
| Case Material | Tantalum |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Void-infused borosilicate glass above a traditional brushed and engraved brass dial, with 5N rose gold plating |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet | One calf leather strap by Jean Rousseau Paris and an additional strap of your choice with curved spring bars Optional tantalum Alternative Horological Alliance bracelet by J.N Shapiro available. |
| Movement | Vintage Piguet 21, manual-winding, bridges customised and skeletonised by Mathis Horlogerie and TitAl SA |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Availability | Limited edition of 15 pieces available to the public |
| Price | CHF 32,500 (~US$36,515) |