I Guarantee You’ve Never Seen a Chronograph Watch Like This Before

No one has.

Close-up of a ming wristwatch with a metallic case and a purple-pink gradient dial featuring radiating black lines. The watch has blue hour and minute hands and a small subdial near the 6 o'clock position. The watch is worn on a wrist with a metal bracelet.

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By Johnny Brayson

Published August 25, 2025

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Whether you’re a fan of their watches or not, no one can accuse MING of going with the flow.

One of the most inventive watch brands today, and perhaps ever, the eponymous brainchild of designer and photographer Ming Thein is constantly pushing the boundaries of watchmaking with its unique designs and innovative approach.

This month marks the eighth anniversary of MING, and to celebrate, the brand has debuted its latest chronograph, the 57.04 Iris. But this watch is unlike any chronograph MING has produced before. In fact, it is quite unlike any chronograph any brand has produced before.

I spent a couple of days with the Iris ahead of its release, and I have a few thoughts on what may be MING’s wildest watch yet.

A lot going on

When I first saw the Iris, I wasn’t sure where to look. This watch is a lot to take in. MING built its reputation on minimalism — the first watch in the brand’s new permanent collection that debuted earlier last year is literally called “The Minimalist” — but the Iris strikes me as a very maximalist watch.

Sure, it’s still unmistakably a MING with a dial free of any text or traditional markings with those signature floating indices laser-etched and lume-filled on the underside of the sapphire crystal. But outside of that and the strap options — the existing (and excellent) MING Universal Bracelet and a familiar Jean Rousseau-made goat leather strap with Alcantara lining and MING’s tuck buckle — this feels very, very different from any other MING I’ve encountered.

A ming wristwatch with a metallic silver band and case, featuring a vibrant purple dial with radiating lines. The watch has blue hour and minute hands, a thin silver second hand, and a small black subdial near the 6 o'clock position. The watch is worn on a person's wrist. — The multiphasic coating on the dial constantly changes color.

I’ll start with the most obvious attention-grabbing feature: The dial. This still feels pretty on-brand to me, as MING has created plenty of striking and experimental dials before (for proof, see my review of the amazing 20.01 Series 3). But this feels even more attention-grabbing than any previous MING dial.

The dial itself is concave, with a bowl-like ridge that comes up to meet the crystal on the edges. Its brass base is treated with a multiphasic coating that constantly, and I mean constantly, changes color depending on the lighting and viewing angle. It’s impossible to say what color the dial actually is. On the wrist, it’s always shifting from purple to blue to pink to green — it’s really something, and stands out in a big way. This is a watch that gets noticed.

The dial is also patterned with radial lines emanating from the center. The lines add even more visual dynamism to the dial, but they’re not just for looks. There are actually 60 of these lines, and they’re evenly spaced apart to create an incognito minute track. Once I figured this out, the Iris became surprisingly easy to read — a trait for which MING watches are not generally renowned.

The dial’s radial pattern doubles as a minute track, making the Iris surprisingly easy to read.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

Breaking up the dial’s color party is a big black disc at 6:00. This is a 30-minute counter for the chronograph. It actually consists of two discs — a static outer disc with minute markings, and a rotating inner disc that acts as the chrono minute hand. The markings and hands are all cutouts, and there’s Super-LumiNova X1 lume beneath the discs for a sandwich effect.

I like the idea of this in theory. In reality, however, it’s my least favorite part of the watch. The cutouts on the disc are tiny, especially the one acting as the minute hand. As a result, the chronograph is very difficult to read, and it also makes it so the lume underneath barely shows through. My sample was a prototype, however, so it’s possible — and probably even likely — that the production models are easier to read.

A ming wristwatch with a shiny silver case and a black leather strap, featuring a vibrant purple dial with radiating lines. The watch has blue hour and minute hands and a small black subdial near the 6 o'clock position. The watch is worn on a person's wrist. — The chronograph subdial, at least on my prototype sample, was not very legible.

Moving on to the case, there is, again, a lot going on. Most obvious is the crown. It’s mounted on the left side of the case, making this MING’s first-ever destro watch. What’s more, the crown includes a pusher for the monopusher chronograph. The crown itself is huge and very grippy, with deep ridges that make it easy to wind the manual-wind movement. Given its size, which is further amplified by the inclusion of the chronograph pusher, I was very glad it was on the left side of the case, as I fear it would be a hand-destroyer if it were on the right side.

The next big change is found in the lugs. MING is debuting what it refers to as its fifth-generation design language with the Iris, and the lugs are the most visible representation of this new direction. They feature an Art Deco-inspired nesting design, where each lug consists of three cascading layers that each flare out to mimic MING’s signature flying blade lugs.

Close-up of a ming wristwatch showing the polished metal case and lugs, part of the textured black leather strap, and a portion of the watch face with fine markings and a hint of purple and pink hues. — The dramatic new lugs consist of nine pieces each and are very complex to manufacture.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about the lugs. They are extremely impressive to behold, with incredible finishing — each piece is polished on the top and brushed on the sides — and a dramatic look that draws the eye. I mean, how often are we even paying attention to a watch’s lugs? And that’s why I’m torn. To me, the lugs feel like they’re doing a bit too much. I think the watch has enough going on with the crazy dial and the destro monopusher crown, the wild lugs feel like overkill to me.

Then again, my wife suggested that if the Iris were made by someone other than MING, I’d love the lugs. And I think she’s right. MING is one of my favorite brands, and I love the brand’s more subdued but still interesting flying lugs that have appeared on virtually all of its previous models. The new Art Deco lugs are impressive, but I hope their arrival doesn’t mean we’ve seen the end of the simpler flying lug, as they feel like too much of a departure for me.

Close-up of a ming wristwatch with a polished silver metal bracelet and a round case, worn on a person's wrist. The watch crown is visible on the left side of the case. The watch face is slightly blurred and not fully visible. — The larger 40mm case sits flat on the wrist, especially when paired with the included bracelet.

The stainless steel case itself is 40mm, making it one of the only MING watches to ever break the 39mm barrier. The bigger size suits the watch, and I still found it very comfortable to wear. It sits flat on the wrist, especially when paired with the included MING Universal Bracelet. While not new to the watch, this was my first experience with MING’s bracelet, and I loved it. It’s silky, beautiful and extremely comfortable, and the hidden clasp is a unique and welcome way to incorporate a butterfly clasp.

On the bracelet, the Iris is very flashy and quite dressy. The watch itself is mostly polished and very eye-catching, and the mirror-polished bracelet only makes it more so. For a more subdued look, MING also includes a Jean Rousseau goat leather strap with Alcantara lining. It’s very comfortable and luxurious, though the watch does feel more top-heavy on the strap. The strap also allows the dial to stand out more, as that is the real star of the Iris.

Close-up of the back of a ming wristwatch held in a hand, showcasing the intricate mechanical movement inside. The watch has a transparent case back revealing gears, screws, and a rotor with a gold-toned finish. The outer case is polished metal with the number "57.04" engraved near the bottom. The watch strap is black with visible stitching. — The custom Sellita movement looks great through the sapphire caseback, thanks to the gold coated 3/4 plate.

Inside the watch is a new movement for MING, and it marks another milestone for the brand. Previous chronographs from the brand have utilized high-end movements and cost tens of thousands of dollars. MING wanted to create a more accessible monopusher, so the brand worked with Sellita to create the exclusive-for-MING destro Cal. SW562.M movement. It boasts a custom finish, including a 4N gold-plated 3/4 plate, and helps keep the cost of the Iris well below $10,000.

On last thing I’d like to discuss, since this is a MING after all, is the Iris’s lume. The hands, including the entire center-mounted chronograph hand, are filled with Super-LumiNova X1. So too are the sandwich markings of the chronograph register. The hour indices, by contrast, are etched into the underside of the crystal and filled with MING’s proprietary Polar White lume.

A close-up of a ming wristwatch with a glowing blue-green hour and minute hands, and a small seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position. The watch face has a dark purple background with a radial pattern and luminous markers around the edge. The watch case is metallic with a crown on the left side. — MING’s Polar White lume doesn’t glow quite as brightly as Super-LumiNova, but it is very, very cool.

I was anxious to see MING’s Polar White lume in person since it debuted on the Minimalist, and it doesn’t disappoint. While it doesn’t glow as strongly as the Super-LumiNova on the hands, it’s still plenty visible in the dark, and its white glow gives off an eerie, ghostly effect that’s unlike any lume I’ve encountered before. Plus, it’s exclusive to MING (and is even mixed by Ming himself), which is a nice feather in the small independent brand’s cap.

Pricing and availability

The Iris is much more accessible than MING’s previous chronographs, but I wouldn’t classify it as an affordable watch. This is very much a high-end watch; it’s priced at CHF 6,250 before any taxes (tariff watchers, take note), which as of this writing converts to around $7,775. That’s more than an Omega Speedmaster on a bracelet.

But it’s one hell of an impressive watch, even if I’m not sure how I feel about some of the design choices. If you love it, the 57.04 Iris will be available from MING beginning tomorrow and is limited to 100 pieces.

A luxury ming wristwatch with a polished silver metal bracelet and case. The watch face features a vibrant, iridescent dial with shades of purple, blue, and green, accented by fine gold radial lines emanating from the center. The hour and minute hands are silver with a blue tint, and there is a small black subdial at the 6 o'clock position. The watch crown is prominent on the left side of the case. The background is dark and blurred, highlighting the watch.

MING 57.04 Iris

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Sellita for MING Cal. SW562.M manual-wind monopusher chronograph
Water Resistance	100m

$7,775 at MING

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.