With the 37.05 Lunatic, Ming closes its trilogy of moonphase executions in the 37-series — and does so with a bold reinterpretation of what a lunar display can be. For collectors who follow boutique micro-brands and horological experimentation, this watch is not just another moonphase—it’s a design statement.
Context: Ming’s path and positioning
Ming has built its reputation on pushing boundaries in small-scale, design-driven watchmaking. The Malaysian-born brand occupies a curious niche: more adventurous than a typical microbrand, yet less burdened by heritage than many independent ateliers. Their 37-series—the “core” line that leans minimal in many respects—has been fertile ground for experimenting with complications, finishes, and dial treatments. The earlier 37.05 editions showed two very different interpretations of a moonphase complication under a restrained design language: the first with an industrial gradient, the second with a star-strewn dial and more classical display. The Lunatic is intended as the culminating expression, the “third act” in that small trilogy, and it signals how Ming continues to stretch its DNA without betraying it.
Technical heart: case, movement, and what sets it apart
Mechanically, the 37.05 Lunatic retains the steel case of its siblings: 38 mm in diameter, 11.9 mm thick, water resistant to 100 m, and a relatively unembellished silhouette compared to Ming’s more complex lug architectures. Behind a sapphire display back sits a Sellita-based SW288.M1 tailored for Ming, manually wound, 40 hours of power reserve, running at 28,800 vph, with 18 jewels. The bridges are skeletonized, framed in contrasting finishes of black and silver, giving visual depth that belies a “standard” movement base.
On the dial side, the Lunatic makes its boldest departure: rather than a traditional moon-phase disc seen through an aperture, Ming uses a progress-bar style lumed indicator to show the lunar phase, printed on a partially transparent, metalized sapphire dial. The dial also plays with Ming’s signature inversion effects, shifting from dark sapphire to reflective surfaces depending on viewing angle. Indices are laser-etched and infilled with Ming’s Polar White luminous compound; the hands are skeleton outlines treated with blue Super-LumiNova X1. The date window also carries a lumed treatment, integrating harmoniously with the semi-transparent construction.
Thus, the Lunatic is not just iteration but innovation—not by piling on complexity, but by rethinking how complexity is expressed.
Aesthetic reading & intended audience
The 37.05 Lunatic is aimed at the collector who appreciates subtle ingenuity more than overt complication. It is a watch for someone comfortable with restraint, but who still wants a visual “quirk” — the kind of piece you wear in a quiet room and enjoy discovering small optical shifts, luminous transitions, and design surprises under changing light. It isn’t for someone chasing maximalist complications or overt technical display; rather, it lives between minimalism and experimentation.
Stylistically, it suits a modern, design-conscious wearer comfortable with mixing casual elegance and technical flair. The white FKM rubber strap underscores the watch’s contemporary, sport-casual leanings. It’s equally at home under a rolled-up shirt sleeve in a creative studio or at dinner in a more relaxed dress context. Because of its transparency and relative lightness, it draws you to inspect it rather than overpower your wrist.
One can feel hints of influences: the slice-of-space aesthetics recall avant-garde watchmakers who use sapphire and transparency as narrative tools. But the Lunatic feels distinctly Ming — it extends the visual vocabulary they have cultivated over prior models.
Conclusion: personal take, pricing, availability
In my view, the 37.05 Lunatic is a triumphant closing chapter. It refines lessons from the first two moonphase variants and pushes them into a form that feels fresh rather than forced. While it may divide purists who prefer a classical lunar disk, it rewards those who are willing to see the moonphase as a design element, not just a complication.
The watch is priced at CHF 5,250 (roughly equivalent in USD depending on forex) and will be produced in a strictly limited run of 100 pieces. It will be available via Ming’s online channel and through authorized retail partners. I look forward to seeing how collectors respond — and, yes, I’ll be watching how fast those 100 pieces go…just like I did with the 37.02 Monolith !
