Malaysian watch brand Ming snags a win at 2019 Grand Prix D’Horlogerie De Genève

Malaysian watchmaking brand Ming is now the first local brand to be honoured by the Jury of the prestigious Grand Prix D’Horlogerie De Geneve. The brand recently won the “Horological Revelation” prize that recognises an outstanding newcomer in the industry.

A 2018 GPHG finalist in the “Petite Auguille” category for watches priced between RM16,600 to RM42,000, the brand founded by a group of Malaysian watch enthusiasts is no stranger to the international watch scene. This year, Ming takes the spotlight from big brands such as Bulgari, Vacheron Constantin and Hermes as a small homegrown brand to have won such an honourable title.

Style

Watch out: These Malaysian watchmaking brands are on the rise

Ming has consistently dropped small-batch collections including the Abyss Concept with its distinctive lime signature and the 19.02 Worldtimer. But its latest 17.06 Copper is the winning piece at the GPHG stage.

The 17.06 presents a classical colour scheme in clean and restrained modern forms; from hour markings to case geometry. It is a considerable study in textures and light — a warm etched copper dial contrasts against the polished-brushed case, multiple dial layers, and reflections of the sapphire ring from which luminous hour markers appear in suspension. Both dial and hands are loaded with Super-LumiNova C1 for a hypnotising nocturnal signature touch.

The watch is powered by a self-winding ETA 2824-2 modified to have two crowns positions and regulated in five positions. In one glance, the face and bezel are extremely minimalistic, paired with a handmade strap by Jean Rosseau Paris.

“We are a very new brand and have been continually learning since our public debut in August 2017. We apply as much of this knowledge as possible to every new project — whether flagship or entry-level. Thanks to the partnerships and experience gained since our debut, we now have access to higher grade suppliers and components across the board — allowing us to offer a watch whose every element has been comprehensively improved from previous iterations,” said Ming in a press statement.

Other big winners include Bulgari with two awards for Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic for the Chronograph Watch Prize and Serpenti Romani Misteriosi for the Jewellery Watch category.

Audemars Piguet went home as the biggest winner at the 19th GPHG, coveting three of the four categories it was shortlisted in including the main prize, “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix for its Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin.

Full list of the winning watches can be found here. 

(All images: Ming Watches)