MING founder Ming Thein, who graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in physics at 16, developed an interest in watch design and technology. He began photographing extraordinary timepieces at watch meet-ups and became an active member of online watch forums. After working for several watch brands, Thein joined the advisory boards of Hasselblad and DJI. In 2014, Thein and his five co-founders decided to start their own watch brand, MING, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The central mission for MING is to bring back the excitement and sense of discovery that they first felt when they started collecting watches. MING works with a select group of Swiss suppliers for component production, assembly, regulation, and testing, and ships the watches to Malaysia for final quality control. This approach has proven successful for the brand over the last five years.
MING gained a loyal following among hardcore watch enthusiasts due to its outstanding design and selection of great movements. The brand's design signature is recognizable, particularly the case shape with its characteristic curved lugs. With more than 40 releases in five years, MING has found its unique signature in the crowded world of horology.
MING's collection can be divided into regular production models and the Special Projects Cave, which offers more novel and complicated timepieces. The MING 17.01, a 38-mm watch with a titanium case, showcases the brand's distinct style and hand-wound Sellita SW210-1 movement, providing more interaction with the watch.