Being an independent watch brand is no easy feat. Taking on the Swiss juggernauts in a market saturated with countless timepieces is a challenge most would rather avoid. The reality is simple: for every independent success story, there are dozens of brands that fail to gain traction, are absorbed by larger groups, or simply disappear altogether.
That being said, if there is one modern independent that has consistently carved out its own identity, it would have to be MING. Since its founding in 2017, the brand has cultivated a loyal following through distinctive design, thoughtful engineering and a willingness to explore ideas that sit well outside the mainstream.
The Project 21 Souscription may well be its most fascinating creation.
Limited to just 10 pieces, the Project 21 Souscription traces its origins to a collectors' dinner held in Singapore in 2023, where founder Ming Thein was asked a simple question: if he could create a watch entirely for himself, free from the usual commercial constraints, what would it look like? By the end of the evening, ten collectors had agreed to support the project before seeing a final design, knowing only the maximum price, estimated delivery date and that it would utilise a movement never before seen in a MING. In many ways, the Project 21 Souscription was a horological omakase, with collectors placing their trust in the chef before ever seeing the menu.
At its heart sits the legendary Frederic Piguet Cal. 21. Introduced in 1925 and measuring just 1.75 mm thick, it remains one of the thinnest serially produced movements ever made. Over the course of its long production run, the calibre found its way into watches from Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and numerous others. For Project 21, MING partnered with Mathis Horlogerie and TitAl SA to comprehensively rework these vintage movements, incorporating newly manufactured components, upgraded finishing and a skeletonised titanium train bridge while preserving the calibre's astonishingly slim profile.
The movement is housed within a 35 mm monobloc tantalum case measuring just 6.9 mm thick. While the dimensions are undeniably compact, it carries a surprising amount of heft on the wrist thanks to tantalum's exceptional density. Produced by Joshua Shapiro of J.N. Shapiro Watches in California, the case combines brushed, polished and sandblasted surfaces, while the absence of a separate bezel further emphasises its clean, uninterrupted profile.
While the calibre understandably receives much of the attention, I found myself equally fascinated by the case. A 35 mm dress watch is not something most collectors associate with heft, yet the tantalum construction creates exactly that impression. There is a peculiar disconnect between its visual delicacy and physical presence, one that never quite goes away no matter how many times you pick it up. It is unlike almost any other 35 mm watch I have handled, and certainly not what I expected the first time I wore it.
Exclusive to the Souscription version is its vivid blue dial and matching movement treatment. Rather than relying on a conventional dial, MING employs a layered architecture consisting of a borosilicate crystal upper dial produced using FEMTOprint technology, a manufacturing process that uses ultra precise femtosecond lasers to machine intricate three dimensional structures within glass. Suspended above an incredibly thin 400-micron CVD-coated brass base, the layered design creates an extraordinary sense of depth, while the subtle radial pattern introduces texture without overwhelming the composition. The indices are etched directly into the external crystal, further enhancing their signature floating effect, while the absence of luminous material feels entirely appropriate for a piece conceived with elegance rather than utility in mind.
What I find most compelling about the Project 21 Souscription is that none of its defining qualities are immediately obvious. At first glance, it presents itself as an elegant, compact dress watch. Spend more time with it, however, and its character gradually reveals itself. The unexpected heft of the tantalum case, the depth created by the layered dial and the significance of the historic calibre all become part of the experience. In many ways, it is a study in contrasts: compact yet substantial, technically ambitious yet visually restrained, rooted in a century-old movement yet unmistakably contemporary. Few watches have challenged my expectations quite like the Project 21 Souscription, and fewer still have lingered in my thoughts long after I put them down.
