Just a year ago, Ming burst onto the horological scene with the 17.01. With a great debut and well-deserved word-of-mouth, Ming quickly became a micro-brand worth keeping an eye on, and we were very impressed with the brand?s inaugural effort. Our instinct proved to be correct when Ming came out with its second watch, the 19.01 with an 100-hour movement from Schwarz-Etienne. It was a powerhouse of a watch, albeit a considerably more expensive one (the 17.01 came in at $900, while the 19.01, with it?s more complicated design, construction, and higher-end movement, sells for 6,900 CHF). Ming?s third watch was the 17.03 GMT, a world-traveling take on the brand?s initial concept. You can read our full review of that watch here.
Now, in honor of Ming?s one-year anniversary, the brand is unveiling two limited versions of the 17.03?introducing the 17.03 Blue And Ultra Blue limited editions.
Let?s start with the more adventurous of the duo. The Ultra Blue features a cool-looking titanium case that has been heat-blued in-house. Due to the nature of the process, each case is unique in coloration, showing hints of purple, cyan, and dark blue. Paired with the case is a metallic sunburst blue dial with an updated sapphire ring design and bead-blasted hands filled with Super-LumiNova (I greatly prefer the new hands over the previous set).

The Ultra Blue comes mounted to a Jean Rousseau alcantara strap with a matching heat-blued buckle. Included in the set are two additiona...