MING 37.11 Odyssey

The MING 37.11 Odyssey has arrived as a new chapter in the brand's exploration of purposeful, design-forward timepieces. It emerges as a direct conceptual descendant of a previous, celebrated model, taking the core architecture of its predecessor and adapting it for a new mission. Where its antecedent tackled the depths, the Odyssey is built for the journey, re-imagining a robust platform as a dedicated companion for global travel. It's a watch born from a tangent, a "what if" scenario that evolved into a fully-fledged, lightweight, and highly functional travel tool.

This new model stands on the shoulders of the 37.09 Bluefin, a watch that made significant waves in 2024. The Bluefin was MING's intensive re-evaluation of the dive watch, a project that questioned established norms of the genre and resulted in a GPHG win for Sports Watch. That success validated the brand's approach and the engineering of its 37-series pressure-balanced case. The Odyssey takes that proven, award-winning DNA and channels it away from pure underwater performance and towards the needs of an explorer, proving the versatility of the core design.



MING itself operates as an independent brand driven by a desire to bring a sense of discovery back to watch ownership. The company is led by Ming Thein, a figure whose professional background as a designer and photographer heavily influences the final products. This foundation results in watches that are not just objects, but studies in how light, form, and color interact. The brand’s guiding principles create a distinct and recognizable design language that runs through its entire collection, from its entry-level pieces to its most complicated creations.

Thein’s background in visual arts is key to understanding the MING aesthetic. The watches are crafted to be dynamic, shifting their appearance based on the ambient light and the angle of observation. This philosophy encourages owners to look closer, rewarding careful study with the discovery of new facets and details over time. It’s a departure from static design, aiming instead for a piece that feels alive on the wrist and engages the wearer far beyond its primary function of telling time.

This design focus is backed by serious technical experimentation, much of which originates in the brand's "Special Projects Cave." This arm of the company is dedicated to pushing boundaries with new materials and mechanics. It has been responsible for several industry firsts, including the sapphire Mosaic, a 3D structure created inside a sapphire crystal with a femtosecond laser. Other innovations include Hyceram, a ceramic-fused luminous material, and the LW.01, which holds the title of the world's lightest production mechanical watch at a mere 8.8 grams.

This combination of unique aesthetics and mechanical innovation has earned the brand significant industry recognition. MING has been awarded top prizes at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) on two separate occasions: the Horological Revelation Prize in 2019 and the Sports Watch Prize in 2024. The company maintains a global footprint with facilities in both La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and Kuala Lumpur, and actively fosters collaboration, co-founding the Alternative Horological Alliance with JN Shapiro and Fleming in 2024.



The 37.11 Odyssey is the direct product of this innovative and exploratory culture. It represents the realization of an idea that began during the Bluefin's development, focused on creating the ultimate travel companion. The design brief was clear: it had to be lightweight, robust, and maintain the brand's specific visual refinement. The result is a watch that pivots from the specialized requirements of diving to the broad, demanding needs of travel.

The case of the Odyssey is a primary component of its travel-ready identity. It is milled from pure Grade 2 titanium, a material chosen for its high strength-to-weight ratio. This choice brings the total weight of the watch head down to just over 42 grams, making it exceptionally comfortable for long-duration wear. The entire case is given a brushed finish, lending it a sporty, purposeful look that eschews high-polish shine in favor of a soft, metallic luster that helps hide the minor marks that come with active use.

In terms of dimensions, the Odyssey adheres to MING's well-established preference for moderate and highly wearable sizes. The case measures 38mm in diameter, with a 44.5mm lug-to-lug distance that ensures it sits compactly on a wide range of wrists. The 12.6mm thickness is a notable achievement, considering it houses a GMT movement, a rotating inner dial, and is water-resistant to 300 meters. The watch also features domed sapphire crystals on both the front and rear, treated with a double-sided antireflective coating.

Visually, the dial is a complex and layered affair. The surface itself is a smoked sapphire crystal, which provides a dark, translucent canvas for the time-telling elements. This is not a simple opaque black; it's a shadowy pane that offers subtle, ghostly hints of the mechanical movement ticking away just beneath it. This layered effect creates a significant sense of depth, with the hands appearing to float above the partially visible gearing.



The application of luminous material is intricate and central to the watch's character. The primary hour indices are not printed on the dial itself. Instead, they are rendered in MING Polar White lume and are located on the top sapphire crystal, making them appear to hover above the dial and hands. This creates a fascinating parallax effect as the watch is viewed from different angles.

The 24-hour markings, located on the internal rotating dial, are also fully luminous. They are color-coded to provide an immediate day-night indication in the dark: orange numerals represent the "after dark" hours, while blue numerals mark the daytime. The hands are also coated in high-performance Super-LumiNova X1 and introduce a gradient luminous treatment, a first for the brand. The result is a watch that is exceptionally legible at night, with multiple colors and layers of light.

Functionally, the Odyssey is a powerful tool for a world traveler. It is capable of tracking three time zones simultaneously. The main hour and minute hands display the local time. A separate, independently adjustable 24-hour hand tracks a second time zone. Finally, the internal rotating dial, which is marked for 24 hours and features 24 distinct clicks, can be aligned with the 24-hour hand to track a third time zone.

This functionality is managed through a dual-crown system. The crown at 2 o'clock handles winding and time-setting. It screws down to ensure water resistance and features a visual warning indicator to show when it is unlocked. The crown at 4 o'clock is dedicated to operating the bidirectional internal rotating dial. MING notes that this mechanism has been specifically tuned for an improved tactile feel, catering to those who enjoy the "fidget" factor of a mechanical object. It also remains fully usable underwater. Both crowns are color-coded and feature luminous indicators.



Inside the titanium case is the Sellita for MING SW330.M2 movement. This is not a standard, off-the-shelf caliber; it has been significantly modified for MING. The automatic movement features an anthracite skeletonized mainplate, as well as skeletonized bridges and a matching rotor. The rear sapphire crystal reveals a dark, technical, and thoroughly modern movement architecture that complements the watch's exterior.

This customized movement provides a solid power reserve of approximately 50 hours when fully wound. As an automatic, it winds itself with the motion of the wearer's wrist, making it a reliable companion for extended trips. It also features a hacking seconds function, which stops the second hand when the crown is pulled out, allowing for precise synchronization to a reference time.

The watch is rated for 300 meters of water resistance. The brand is transparent that this is a reduction from the 600 meters of the Bluefin, explaining it as a conscious trade-off. To maintain the slim 38mm case dimensions, space had to be found internally to accommodate the slightly thicker GMT movement and its additional hand stack. The brand humorously suggests that if the extra 300 meters of depth is a critical need, a submarine might be a more appropriate choice.

The 37.11 Odyssey is offered in three different configurations, starting with a Slate FKM Rubber strap. This custom-molded strap is designed to integrate seamlessly with the case lugs and is paired with a matching titanium buckle. It provides a durable, waterproof, and comfortable option that reinforces the watch's sporty, all-terrain capabilities.



For those preferring a full-metal experience, two bracelet options are available. The first is a new Grade 2 Titanium Universal Bracelet, which matches the case material and brushed finish perfectly. The second, top-tier option is a revolutionary new Grade 5 Titanium Polymesh. This is not a traditional Milanese or mesh bracelet, but a complex, lightweight, and highly articulated structure that offers a unique, high-tech aesthetic and feel.

The MING 37.11 Odyssey will be available starting November 11th at 1 PM GMT. The pricing is set according to the strap configuration. The watch on the Slate FKM Rubber strap is priced at CHF 4,950. The version with the new Grade 2 Titanium Universal Bracelet is set at CHF 5,500. Finally, the model paired with the Grade 5 Titanium Polymesh will be CHF 5,950. The watch is made in Switzerland and comes with a 2-year warranty.

Case: 38mm diameter, 12.6mm thickness, 44.5mm lug-to-lug. Grade 2 titanium with brushed finish. Domed sapphire crystals front and rear with double-sided antireflective coating. 300m water resistance. 20mm lug width. 42.5g head weight.

Movement: Sellita for MING SW330.M2. Automatic winding with ~50hr power reserve. Hacking seconds. Anthracite skeletonized mainplate, bridges and rotor. Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, independently adjustable 24-hour hand, internal bidirectional 24-hour rotating dial.

Dial: Smoked sapphire dial. MING Polar White luminous hour indices located in the top sapphire crystal. Super-LumiNova X1 indices on sapphire dial with blue (day) and orange (night) emission. Gradient Super-LumiNova X1 coated hands.

Strap: Choice of MING FKM Rubber Strap in Slate with titanium buckle, MING Universal Bracelet in grade 2 titanium, or MING Polymesh in grade 5 titanium.

Price: CHF 4,950 (FKM rubber), CHF 5,500 (Universal bracelet), CHF 5,950 (Polymesh).

Reference Number: 37.11 Odyssey

Notes: Shares the GPHG-winning 37.09 Bluefin’s pressure balanced case architecture. Dual-crown system with luminous, color-coded crowns; 4 o'clock crown controls internal bezel and is usable underwater. First MING watch with a gradient luminous treatment on the hands.