MING 18 Series ABYSS CONCEPT

This boldly unique looking diver is the Abyss Concept just one of a limited run of 10 experimental diver’s watches produced by the Malaysian Swiss brand, MING, who have for the first time offered the public a chance to own one their prototypes.

Despite the break from convention, the Abyss concept was designed to be a functional dive watch; that rather than draw upon any pre-conceived notion of what a dive watch should look like, should instead offer something as yet unseen to the segment.



MING initially designed three dial variants with their team favoring the one that they felt was an evolution of the brand’s existing design language of symmetry, geometry and arcs.

MING say that they do not know the maximum water-resistance of the Abyss Concept case as when tested it exceeded the 1,250m (4,100ft, 125 ATM) limit of their pressure testing equipment.



The Abyss Concept’s case measures 40mm in diameter and a tad under 14mm thick with short lugs holes designed for both curved and straight straps so as to maximize its versatility.

Diver’s features include a crown-locking indicator, there to warn the wearer if the crown has not been securely screwed down.



The Abyss Concept is also equipped a special polished rotating diver’s bezel with ceramic inlay filled with Super-LumiNova X1.

The bezel is typical 60-click unidirectional rotational type with a 15min dive-time-scale but of course with a not so typical design.



The dial offers a unique blend of MING’s 19-series and 17-series, with a composite Sapphire construction and large amounts of Super-LumiNova X1 for low-light visibility.

With a solid case-back, aesthetic considerations for the movement were secondary and so MING opted for an ETA 2824-2 known for its robustness and long-term serviceability.



The movement has been modified to remove the second crown position and has been regulated in five positions through MING’s 250h test program by La Division du Temps (a sister company of Manufacture Schwarz Etienne).

MSRP is 6’500 CHF. All 10 pieces are already SOLD OUT.



Thoughts? It’s always positive for something fresh to enter the diver’s watch segment even though it might have come from the left field.

As clean and robust looking as it is I am unsure of how much appeal it would have outside those ten folks who bought one.

As for a 6.5k price-tag for a 2824; as optimistic as the watch’s design is, I guess!