TimeTexas

For its 5th year anniversary, Ming announced the new 37.07. https://www.ming.watch/ Dear friends, It’s been almost five years since we started this journey: 17.01 launched in August 2017. It feels like both an era and the blink of an eye. In that time we’ve learned a lot, the team has grown, and we’ve had the pleasure of meeting more collectors and hopefully sharing some of the same joy we’ve had creating the watches. Today is a very special day because we reveal our fifth anniversary watch: the MING 37.07 - Mosaic for all. When we unveiled the first sapphire Mosaic in 2020, there was a lot of demand for something similar but at a more accessible price. Given the nature of the sapphire-based process, this simply wasn’t possible as a single dial cost more to produce than an entire 17-series watch. But we never gave up and have been working to find a visually similar – but ultimately very different – process to bring the same impact to a larger audience. Enter 37.07: a further refined and matured take on the same daily wearing, horologically solid concept that gave birth to our very first watch, the 17.01. Please find full details and pictures of the watch via the button above. As this is our fifth anniversary special and to make the 37.07 as accessible as possible, we are once again implementing a time-limited order process. Watches will be available to purchase in two windows: 1) 29 July 2022, 2-2.15AM GMT, which is: 7-7.15PM (28 July) in San Francisco 10-10.15PM (28 July) in New York 3-3.15AM in London 4-4.15AM in Geneva 6-6.15AM in Dubai 10-10.15AM in Kuala Lumpur 11-11.15AM in Tokyo 12-12.15PM in Melbourne 2) 29 July 2022, 1-1.15PM GMT, which is: 6-6.15AM in San Francisco 9-9.15AM in New York 2-2.15PM in London 3-3.15PM in Geneva 5-5.15PM in Dubai 9-9.15PM in Kuala Lumpur 10-10.15PM in Tokyo 11-11.15PM in Melbourne The 37.07 retails for CHF 3,250 with a 50% non-refundable deposit (CHF 1,625) required to confirm orders. For time limited releases: All orders received during the order windows will be guaranteed a watch Delivery will begin in May 2023 and conclusion depends on how many watches we have to make. Please note that deliveries may extend until the end of 2023 as it is dependent on how many watches are ordered. Once the order windows close, we will not take any further orders. This variants of the 37.07 will be discontinued and not produced again A few, final and cordial reminders: Watches are only available at www.ming.watch on a first come, first serve basis. There is a limit of one watch per customer. Our ordering system has a cart hold. Once a watch is added to the cart, it is reserved for 5 minutes or until one payment attempt is completed. If you are unable to add a watch to cart immediately, we recommend trying back in a few minutes when holds may have been released. We will email everybody on the respective lists but we have limited control over servers and syncing and cannot guarantee emails will arrive exactly on time. At this time, we accept payments via VISA and MasterCard only. Payment approvals and automated fraud checks are conducted by the issuing bank and not under our control. We recommend the use of credit cards over debit cards Please check with your bank that your card is 3D Secure enabled We also recommend informing your bank about the transaction in advance. Payments are captured in Malaysia, the currency for the payment is Swiss Francs (CHF) and the entity is 'Horologer MING'. We do not recommend the use of the 'AutoFill' feature on your browser for the credit card information. We recommend inputting the actual card number, expiry date and security code manually. As always and if you have any additional questions, we remain at your disposal at hello@ming.watch. - Team MING

I'll keep a running list of strapmakers in this post for easy reference. Artifex Leather - Bobby https://artifexleather.com/ IG @artifexleather (Bobby) Black Isle Leatherworks - John IG - @black_isle_leatherworks https://blackisleleatherwork.co.uk FinWatchStraps IG - @finwatchstraps https://finwatchstraps.com/en-us Montreux Straps - Ted IG - @montreuxstraps https://montreuxstraps.com/ RSM Watch Straps - Yiyan IG @rsmwatchstrap https://www.rsmwatchstrap.com/ Straps by JB IG @straps_by_jb The Veblenist IG @veblenist https://veblenist.com Wiloides IG @wiloides

The entire video is great and has a lot of news on independent brands. But the first few minutes discuss the current state of the independent industry.

Not all that creative, but I just love the light on this dial and the slightly raised indices. Matched with the enamel texture, there's just a ton of depth to this dial. Also put it on a fantastic vintage bracelet that's absolute fire (although its a hair puller).

Fantastic Article by Sam Kessler Oracle of Time - 3D Printed Watches with Holthinrichs

A really great interview with Michiel and Marko Koncina with Swiss Watch Gang. A lot of insight into the start of the company and Michiel's inspiration and development of the 3D process.

Last week, Michiel Holthinrichs and Damiaen Hogervorst visited Phillipe Narbel Watchmaking at the Ecole Technique de Valle de Joux. They were there to attend the Masterclass to learn advanced finishing. Although the finishing on Holthinrichs watches is already excellent, I'm excited to see what the future holds.

And another

It seems that even despite the overall watch market slow down, independent brands remain strong and are actually seeing growth and increased interest. I've heard several people complain recently about not having access to watches they were interested in purchasing, despite being big collectors and a buying history. I think this is a function of two primary driving factors. The first is that one of the biggest shifts in the industry over the last couple years is a distinct shift by collectors and investors from the hype brand watches to smaller independents. For better or worse, frustration over the hype insanity and sales strategy by these brands, has pushed many of these collectors and investors away from those brands in search of something new. The prices finally reached a point where the physical value in the watch was dwarfed by the value of the hype. And that's simply unsustainable, especially at the dollar amounts these watches were being sold. The actual value in a timepiece is the cost of the physical materials and the time investment by the watchmaker to assemble and provide the finishing. There is a tipping point where collectors bow out of hyped value because you reach a cost level where you can obtain so much physical value in other brands. Physical value is sustainable and healthy for growth in the industry. So many collectors and investors have recently shifted from the hype brands to watches with physical value to match the cost. Which gets to point number two. The lack of available supply. These are not mass-produced, machine-made products. They are valuable because of the skill and time required by the watchmakers to make each and every watch. The watchmakers are making efforts to increase capacity, and there are also relatively new up and comers in the independent industry. But with the influx of interest, these brands are simply unable to keep up with the increasing demand. Each timepiece require a significant investment in manhours (many into the hundreds of hours), to achieve the level of finishing and overall quality expected at higher price points. And labor is the limiting resource and, as a result, wait times for timepieces has increased. In some cases, people are simply unable to purchase timepieces they wish to own because the demand has already outpaced the available supply. While the industry is working to train and increase the labor force, this takes time. Qualified skilled labor is in short demand and cannot be ramped up in short order. And even as new watchmakers become more skilled, it is likely not going to keep up with the increasing demand, furthering the problem. So this isn't an issue I see being solved in the near future, if ever. As I've personally discovered, once you are interested in independent watchmaking, its hard to go back to mass-produced watches. So relative newcomers to independent brands are more likely than not to continue to purchase more watches from the independents as time goes on. Thoughts?

Mission To create a community solely dedicated to the appreciation and support of small, independent watchmaking; facilitate positive interaction between independent watchmakers, brands, and enthusiasts; and provide a forum for watch enthusiasts to gather, learn, and discuss a shared passion. Core Values Respect the watchmakers and brands Learn, Love, Appreciate and Interact Help others learn Relationships based on shared passion are the heart of independent watchmaking HOW you express your opinion matters as much AS your opinion Differences of opinion should be celebrated, not denigrated Be courteous in all interactions Enjoy the creativity, craftsmanship, and skill, even if the watch isn't for you Value everyone else's opinions as much as you value your own Your personal valuation of a timepiece as compared to the price is irrelevant Purpose BeSpoken is an independent watchmakers social community specifically created by small independent watchmakers to provide an interactive social platform for watch enthusiasts that is more consistent with the bespoke/independent watchmaking process. Independent watchmaking, more than any other product, is a shared passion and relationship between the creator and the consumer. In that way, it is unique and different from other consumer luxury goods. The intimate relationship between the watchmaker and the enthusiast is the beating heart of independent watchmaking and the value of that relationship cannot be measured in dollars. It is the emotions and feelings, the sense of shared passion, and the creation of mechanical and artistic beauty. In today’s ever increasing marketing driven world, current social platforms are designed to facilitate quick, meaningless interactions and to get as many Likes, Views, and Sales as possible. Instead of promoting an appreciation of beauty and creativity, these platforms encourage meaningless platitudes and hollow relationships as a means to an end. Loud, bold, and abrasive is celebrated, while quiet beauty tends to be ignored. This is in direct conflict with the bespoke/independent watchmaking process which celebrates the creative process, the time to appreciate the beauty of true craftsmanship, and the mutual enjoyment of developing new, enduring relationships based on a shared passion. BeSpoken is a community created and designed specifically to facilitate more meaningful interaction. A place where watchmakers and enthusiasts can both appreciate the craft of watchmaking and interact to the benefit of the watchmakers and overall watchmaking community. Failure to adhere to the core values above will result in a temporary or permanent ban. If you have any questions regarding the Mission, Core Values, or Purpose, please contact administrator@bespokenlounge.watch.

Yeah, I've just gotten infatuated with the Sarpaneva. I didn't know about the new moonphase coming up. I'll definitely check that out. I'm probably at least a year out from being able to get anything else major...too many purchases this year. I ordered a Czapek Antarctique Glacier Blue a while back and just got an email today asking for my selections. They now have a brushed bracelet instead of the satin with polished C-Links. Apparently they are about to start production again - they shut down for a while after the huge surge of popularity with the Antarctique Passage de Drake. According to my AD, they basically restructured over the last 6 months in order to change manufacturers and other partners that have the capability of increasing their demand. They are trying to ramp up to close to 1,000 watches per year up from just a few hundred. Not sure when its coming - no date yet, but it sounds like they are getting close to starting production again and I ordered mine before they even announced it, so I imagine it will be pretty soon. Armin Strom is doing great stuff these days. I think they have the third part of their collaboration with Jeremy Oster (Oster Jewelers) coming out soon. Definitely something I'm interested in, but it will be a while and I really need to go see one in person. Holthinrichs is doing some exciting stuff. I love the brand and I think they are headed for big things. Great guys too. I love the innovation with the 3D printing and also their experimentation with materials to achieve colors. I really like SUF but haven't found one I just couldn't resist. I'm sure it will happen at some point.

Just FYI, I think we're going to put on another virtual tour. It will be done in conjunction with RedBar, but we can make it available to others. Shoot me a private message if you're interested.

Sarpaneva Super1 is probably at the top of my list right now. But there's a lot of amazing stuff available. What's on the top of your list?

As someone with an engineering background and also a love for art, its definitely strange that I didn't get into watches until around the time I turned 40. My father never wore a watch, and I just never really paid attention to them. Being in Texas, "nice" watches are Rolex and that's about all you see. And while I knew quite a few people who had Rolexes, I just didn't really connect enough seeing their watches to be compelled to buy one. But one year I decided to buy my wife a watch for her birthday and our anniversary (within a week of each other). And, not really knowing anything, I went to the Rolex dealer and ended up buying her a Rolex. And I tried a few on and lo and behold, I determined that I really liked watches. But I still didn't really connect with Rolex. So later in the year, I decided I needed a nice watch and fell in love with the IWC Spitfire (picture below). I still have this watch and still love it. So I've always strayed away from the most popular option, even though IWC is clearly a huge brand. It isn't Rolex. From there I picked up anything and everything from microbrands, to vintage, to finally an Omega, Oris, and then a Glashutte Original 60s and 70s (grails at that time). And I realized at that time I was really not interested in mainstream, major luxury brands. The trend was clearly to lower production, relatively unknown brands with a unique style. Something nobody else would recognize and if they did, I'd be in for a great conversation. And so I made the leap to Moser and from their I've just simply become infatuated with independent watchmaking. I'm entrepreneurial so I appreciate the courage involved in small brands and solo watchmakers taking a chance on starting up a watch brand (similar to why I'm also interested in microbrands). I also love and appreciate art and mechanics, and handcraftsmanship (grew up in a house full of old handmade furniture and antiques). So I guess the progression to independent watchmaking was pretty much a given once I became infatuated with watches. Especially once I experienced the difference in buying a watch off the shelf compared with the relationship you develop with independent brands. There's something very different and special about that relationship that adds to the emotional value and enjoyment of the timepiece. You can't get that from luxury watch brands. Now its hard to imagine going back and buying anything else. I can certainly appreciate many of the watches released by larger brands, but they are missing that personal connection that makes a watch from an independent that much more special. What's your story?

AnOrdain Model 1

Not sure a price had been officially announced. But I heard 6 figures. Out of my league, but I'll enjoy the photos.