Horologer MING are an independent watch brand dedicated to reviving a sense of excitement and discovery among timepiece enthusiasts. This Swiss brand aim to deliver refined aesthetics paired with innovative materials, mechanics, and engineering.
MING’s 37.09 Bluefin is their latest interpretation of the dive watch genre — the first watch with an internally rotating dial.
Initially, the company wanted to build its H41 dive watch by introducing far more technical capabilities, but found it difficult to pack all those components into a 19mm case. Instead, the brand pivoted by fitting all the parts in a much slimmer diver frame, prioritising a slim and sleek look over bloated functionality. And thus, the 37.09 Bluefin was born.
Though all the components are housed in a relatively thin, 12.8mm case, the Bluefin is capable of surviving crush depths of 900 metres after 24-hour saturation — three times more than the brand’s initial target. The 37.09 Bluefin is conservatively rated at 600 metres of water resistance. This astounding feat is only achievable thanks to the small adjustments made to the curvature of the front and rear crystals.
It retains a comfortable 38mm diameter and a 12.8mm thickness, with 2.8mm of externally-domed sapphire crystal. With the alternating polished and brushed finishes, this dive watch wears much thinner on the wrist but has a strong visual presence due to the lack of a bezel.
The 37.09 Bluefin has its own unique internal construction for two reasons: pressure resistance and to support the timer scale required of a diver. Instead of using the traditional rotating bezel, MING has moved it inside and onto a Super-LumiNova X1-filled sapphire dial. A sealed crown at 4 o’clock rotates the entire sapphire dial using a 60-click, unidirectional mechanism with sprung bearings. The crown does not pull out or screw down, has a luminous fill for easy visibility, and may be operated underwater.
To continue MING’s design tradition of minimising dial text with new timing scales that are easy to index and read for both main time and elapsed time, they use colour and decreasing boldness to make it clear where the scale begins. The Hyceram lume hour indices on the underside of the top crystal rotate with the sapphire dial.
The dial also incorporates a new sapphire process, resulting in a deep blue metallization that complements the scales and handset. It still features MING’s signature inversion, which ensures maximum legibility in all lighting conditions — ideal for a technical dive watch — as well as a dynamic presence and visual character.
Rounding out the 37.09 Bluefin is a moulded FKM rubber strap with curved bars and universal compatibility with all of their other 20mm lug watches. It was designed to fit the natural shape of the wrist, with the strap’s relaxed curvature forming a 70x50mm oval.
In addition to the sculptural surfacing and logo on top, the buckle side is pocketed to accommodate the longer end in the same way that our tuck buckle straps are. It is keeperless and tapered in thickness to fit comfortably on the wrist, with a compound that is both soft for comfort and supportive for heavier watch heads.
Only 500 units of the 37.09 Bluefin will be produced in 2024, but you can get your own at MING’s official website for CHF 4,950 (~RM25,499).
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