Ming 37.07 Fifth Anniversary Edition Mosaic Watch Review And How To Change Straps
Founded in 2017, Ming watch brand has found a lot of love in the watch community. Evidence of this is how quickly its limited releases sell out. Ming watches have a distinctive look that many collectors (myself included) find attractive. While some of its models are quite expensive, the brand has affordable models that offer watch nerd credibility that is hard to obtain for a few thousand dollars.
After trying on a friend's Ming 17.09 WCS edition, I wanted a Ming for myself. I originally considered the standard blue or burgundy 17 series models as a lower-cost entry to the brand. While searching, I stumbled across the 37.07 Fifth Anniversary Edition. I decided that its special dial and movement were worth the moderate price increase. Plus it was much more affordable than the brand's first Mosaic dial watch, the 20.11. The 37.07 sold out immediately after its release in 2022, but luckily that same friend was able to help me source one preowned.
First Impressions of the Ming 37.07 Mosaic
I knew roughly what to expect from the case of the Ming, but the product photos that I found made it difficult to understand how the dial would look in person. Its three-dimensionality only comes through in person. It's one of those dials where you look at it and forget to check what time it is.
Ming 37.07 Mosaic Details
Ming describes the 37.07's Mosaic's dial as "composite...with circular brushed, printed and luminous metal base and double surface printed and gradient fade sapphire dial." In simpler terms, three layers of the printed mosaic pattern and lume are present.
The first layer sits on a traditional brass dial, while two more layers float above it, printed on both sides of a thin sapphire disc.
The sapphire darkens towards the edges, creating a fumé appearance. It adds a three dimensionality to the dial, looking like a globe.
A brushed metal chapter ring surrounds the dial, with long, luminous hour markers appearing to float over it.
Brushed metal hands also feature thin strips of lume. Like other Ming watches, they lack counterbalances.
The stainless steel case has Ming's signature flared, compact lugs. The finishing is not extremely complex, but the lines between brushed sides and polished top surfaces are sharp.
Wearing the Ming 37.07 Mosaic
The 37.07 is only 10.9mm thick, likely due to its manual wind movement and lack of a second hand.
A large crown is easy to grip for winding and setting too.
A compact lug-to-lug distance of 44.5mm also makes it wearable on even small wrists.
Legibility is quite good despite the complex dial. The hour and minute hand sizes are close, but a split in the center of the minute hand helps to differentiate it.
It also has great visibility at extreme angles, likely due to how close the hands are to the crystal.
In the dark, the mosaic lume pattern comes to life!
The application isn't very thick, so the dial lume dims after a short period, but on a full charge, it looks mesmerizing!
Original and replacement straps for the Ming 37.07 Mosaic
The 37.07 Mosaic was offered with a white rubber, or dark red-colored Barenia leather strap. As you can see, mine is equipped with the latter. It's soft, comfortable, and handmade by Jean Rousseau Paris.
Because the lugs are so compact, Ming fits its straps with curved spring bars. This creates a gapless fit to the case.
It also features the Ming tuck buckle with micro adjustment. The adjustment is nice if you are in between holes, and it avoids the tail hanging out (like our Deployant Rubber but with a simpler clasp design).
Maybe because of that, I've found that strap to be my favorite StrapHabit model to wear on it.
Please note that you'll need to remove the built-in spring bars and use curved spring bars to properly fit the Ming case. Curved Spring Bars to fit Ming Watches and other brands can be purchased here.
Here is a list of some straps that would fit and we think look great with this watch:
-Deployant Rubber
-Ridge Rubber
-Smooth Rubber
-Vented Rubber
-Slim Ridge Rubber
The 2024 Brodinkee x StrapHabit straps look good on it too, and support a great cause:
You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
Ming 37.07 Mosaic Movement
The movement is another area where Ming provides unique value while keeping costs reasonable. The 37.07 is powered by the "Sellita for MING SW210.M1."
While it uses the affordable architecture of the manual wind Sellita SW210, it is upgraded with anthracite skeletonized bridges and contrast rhodium circular brushing. It operates at 28,800 vph (4Hz), and rotates on 18 jewels.
The movement is time-only and omits a running second hand. Viewed through a sapphire caseback (with AR coating, a nice touch), it looks much more distinctive than a typically industrial-looking Sellita.
The finishing is nothing remarkable, but the skeletonization and black treatment look quite cool.
Conclusion
I was looking for something uncommon and interesting, and the Ming 37.07 Mosaic provided it. It's a watch with a distinctive appearance from a brand that I hadn't owned before. I look forward to spending more time with it and determining if I'd like to try other models from the brand.
Ming 37.07 Mosaic Specifications:
Name: Ming 37 Series Fifth Anniversary Edition
Reference Number: 37.07
Price: Sold out (MSRP was 3,250 CHF)
Width: 38mm
Height: 44.5mm
Thickness: 10.9mm
Lug Width: 20mm (requires curved springbars)
Movement: Sellita for MING SW210.M1 - Manual Wind
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Water Resistance: 100m
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal front and rear with double-sided AR on both
Crown: Push-pull
Bezel: Fixed, stainless steel
Strap: Barenia leather