IntroducingMing Celebrates A Dazzling Eighth Birthday With The New 57.04 Iris Monopusher Chronograph

It's been eight full years since Ming Thien started a microbrand that has evolved into something entirely larger. In this time, the Malaysian-based marque has managed to churn out over 15,000 watches across more than 75 different models. While the brand certainly has an extremely recognizable aesthetic across the board, it's also gone through a few subtle evolutions in its design language. Ming refers to these larger changes of design language in generations, with the second generation's flying blade lugs one of its most known.

And now, for Ming's eighth birthday (the brand, not the guy), it has introduced a fifth generation of its design language in the 57.04 Iris. In reality, it's really the brand's fourth, but it pulled a very Asian move and skipped that bad-luck number entirely. This new design framework goes in a more Art Deco direction while still keeping many of Ming's signature aesthetics. More directly, this manifests in a new triple-stepped lug design on the new Iris. The steel case of this new monopusher chronograph uses nine separate pieces to nest these lug sections together, and the construction allows for contrasting finishing between the polished tops and brushed sides.

Dimensionally, the Iris is a very contemporary 40mm in diameter, with a thickness of 11.85mm and a lug-to-lug of 47.8mm. But right away, you might spot that this is Ming's first-ever destro model, with a giant oversized monopusher crown on the left side of the case. The brand attributes the proportions to tactility, with the larger crown allowing for an equally larger pusher in the center of it. Even with the monopusher crown, water resistance is marked as 100m.

Accompanying the new, more flamboyant case design, the 57.04 Iris comes with an equally attention-grabbing new dial finish. What might be familiar are the laser-cut indices on the underside of the top sapphire crystal, filled with Ming's proprietary Polar White lume compound, as well as the shape of the blue hour, minute, and central chronograph seconds hands (coated, not heat-blued). However, new to this is the iridescent dial treatment over the brass dial base, which gives it a chameleon-like quality, constantly shifting between the cold color spectrum of purples, blues, and even sometimes a hint of green. Physically, the dial is quite deeply dished and engraved with radial spokes that act as minute markers at the dial's edge. But the color is certainly the star of the show.

The chronograph minute counter subdial at 6 o'clock, however, sucks out all the color and is instead given a black, circularly brushed treatment. Though not easy to tell at first, the minute counter is actually a disc constructed sandwich-style, with the minute pointer subtly cut in the center disc and a sheet of Super-LumiNova X1 lume sitting underneath.

Flip the watch over, and you can see that this counter is connected to a version of Sellita's manual winding SW562 monopusher movement, this time in a unique configuration for Ming as the Ming Cal. SW562.M1. This allows for the destro configuration, central seconds, and the 30-minute counter on the dial. The three-quarter plate is coated in 4N gold, while the rest of the caliber is finished in an anthracite shade.

The Ming 57.04 is limited to 100 watches and priced at CHF 6,250, delivered on the Ming Universal Bracelet, along with an anthracite goat-leather strap.

If you're going to celebrate eight years in the watch world, you might as well do it with a bang. And I think that's what Ming has done with the new 57.04 Iris here. It's certainly the most colorful Ming I've ever seen by a country mile, and might be the brand's most vivid watch to date. I'll be curious to see if a new approach towards color by the brand (in the same way that it has approached patterns, textures, and depth) will also be a part of this new generation design language. What's also great is that Ming finally offers a (relatively) lower-priced chronograph offering, for the first time under a five-figure retail price and on a bracelet, while still keeping it interesting as a destro monopusher.

Unsurprisingly, as the new stepped lugs are a completely new endeavour for the watchmaker, I'm still trying to get accustomed to something this ornamental from a brand I typically associate with more space-age design. It's not a random design choice — the callback to the simpler flying-blade lug design is clear here. I respect the brand's continuing desire to show off new methods of construction, as seen in the dial of this summer's 20.01 Series 5, and I'm also sure that the bright, rainbow dial is bold enough to balance out the lug design in person. But I'm curious to see how the new language might grow and evolve, as trying to solve the tension between ultra-modern Space Age design and the decorative traits of Art Deco might prove to be a meaningful trial to overcome. What I do know, however, is that Ming Thien loves nothing more than a good challenge.

Brand: Ming
Model: 57.04 Iris
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 11.85mm
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Yes
Indexes: Engraved
Lume: Ming Polar White (sapphire crystal) & Super-LumiNova X1 (chronograph minute counter disc)
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap/Bracelet: Ming's steel Universal Bracelet & anthracite goat-leather strap with stainless buckle

Caliber: Sellita for Ming SW562.M1
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph seconds, chronograph minutes
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 28,800 VpH (4 Hz)
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Anthracite mainplate with contrasting 4N three-quarter plate

Price: CHF 6,250
Availability: Directly through Ming or at authorized retailers
Limited Edition: Yes, 100 pieces.

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