MING Goes Full Titanium

The Ghost started with the idea of ethereal light playing off a forest of architecturally finished (i.e. not polished) metallic surfaces – claddings, buttresses, pillars, struts, baffles.

Modern watchmaking primarily uses grade 5 titanium; which is an alloy with aluminum and vanadium. It was originally developed for aerospace applications and for easy machining, milling and cold working. In fact, it is only marginally harder to machine than the common aluminum alloys which allowed for much wider adoption of the material and advancements in various industries. It also happens to be ‘whiter’ and ‘brighter’ in appearance – pure titanium has a warmth that’s missing from the grade 5 alloy.

Pure titanium – known as grade 2 (confusing, we know) – is difficult to machine as it’s highly ductile and has a low elastic modulus, meaning the material can deflect instead of cutting, but at the same time, it tends to also work harden through heat cycling and impact making it change character during machining and become increasingly harder to cut. As a bonus, grade 2 titanium shavings and dust are also highly flammable – even though the bulk material is incredibly inert. Prior to commercial availability of grade 5, titanium watches were all grade 2, rare, and expensive due to all the aforementioned challenges.

MING, however, likes to make their lives harder than necessary and so decided to make as much of the watch out of grade 2 titanium as possible. This means that the entirety of the case, and even the dial and buckle are made of grade 2 titanium. As a material that cannot be polished, it allowed Ming Thein to translate the architectural inspiration and get creative with the brushing directions and pitch. The result is a surprisingly shiny and bright dial thanks to contrasting circular and radial brushing. The dial
retains our signature inversion despite having no sapphire elements thanks to its concavity and the concentration of internal reflections.

The result of this extensive use of titanium? A watch that is lighter and looks thinner and more ethereal on the wrist than its dimensions suggest. At 38mm with an extremely slim bezel, it has great wrist presence but remains wearable for a large range of wrist sizes. It is powered by an all-anthracite Sellita SW300 for MING with custom skeletonized bridges and plates.

The Ghost upholds MING's reputation for brightness with ample deposits of blue Super-LumiNova X1 on the hands and crystal for contrast. Finally, the Ghost is finished off with a matching grey colored goat leather strap fitted with a grade 2 titanium tuck buckle.

Key Details

Case: 38mm diameter, 11mm thickness, 20mm lug width, 44.5mm lug-to-lug, Grade 2 titanium, with an all-brushed finish, 35g total weight (watch head only), Domed sapphire crystal front and rear, with double-sided antireflective
coating and liquid Super-LumiNova fill
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: Sellita for MING SW300.M1, Anthracite skeletonised bridges, and customised rotor, Self winding with ~45h power reserve at full wind
Dial: Two part dial in grade 2 titanium dial, with radial and circular brushed
finishes, Super-LumiNova X1 coated hands
Functions: Hours and minutes, automatic winding
Limitation: 250 pieces
Strap: 20mm grey goat leather strap. Note: This watch is currently NOT compatible with any existing MING bracelets

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