A beautifully designed contemporary wristwatch from a young company which has quickly established itself as an award-winning rising star amongst a new generation of independent brands, the simply named 19.02 by MING is a modern traveller’s watch with cool retro aesthetics, whose clean and minimalist styling underpins an elegant world timer display and a sophisticated high end movement by Schwarz Etienne.

It is often true that less equals more in the end, and that is an opinion which could be applied to the MING 19.02 world timer; a superbly conceived and executed piece, which is the product of a sequence of evolutionary steps, which the independent brand has taken by incorporating and integrating aspects of design and manufacturing from each of its predecessors into its models.

It is an organic formula which has brought MING remarkable success and critical acclaim in its short history, having completely sold out each reference, and which has saw the company taking top honours in the 2019 Horological Revelation category at the 2019 GPHG watch industry awards with its 17.06 Copper, following on from its debut the previous year, when its made it through to the final selection in the Petit Aiguille category in the 2018 ceremony.

With its understated presence and unimposing 39mm size, the 19.02 is a lovely piece which does not rely on drama for effect, as the devil is to be found in its detail, and a moment’s examination reveals a piece which is intelligently conceived and meticulously constructed.

The 19.02 is presented in a rounded case of hard wearing Grade 5 titanium, so it’s remarkably light on the wrist, and durable too. The bezel and lugs are highly polished and have a shiny, steel-like veneer, while the waist of the case is finished with a very fine brush graining.

Beneath the sapphire crystal, the time is displayed in hours and minutes by skeletonised hands which have luminous end sections. The dial is a disc of sapphire glass which graduates from clear transparency around its periphery to opaque black at its centre, with a masked band where twenty-four cities, representing the time zones around the world are laser etched underneath the glass, correlating with a rotating 24-hour disc which displays the time in each zone simultaneously, and with at a glance clarity.

The matte blasted 5N rose gold finish on the main plate is visible around the edge of the dial, but it is on the underside that the movement can be fully appreciated. Featuring a skeletonised barrel cover, so in effect the barrel is its own power reserve indicator, as well as a countersunk micro rotor, it is a little piece of technical excellence. Manufactured in house by the highly regarded Schwarz Etienne manufactory, it boasts a minimum of 70 hours of reserve, and the calibre ASE220.1 is manufactured and finished with polished anglage specifically to Ming specifications.

A superb piece from a young brand which has caught the attention of collectors around the world, the Ming 19.02 is a tantalising proposition for the traveller, or internationally connected entrepreneur. It’s also cool too if you’re none of those, and simply appreciate a beautifully manufactured watch with a cool complication.

The Limited Edition is proud to be the first official retail partner of this exciting young brand.