I bought the Ming 17.06 Copper on a whim. Well, I had heard a little about Ming, and knew that this was due to be released, but I logged on to the site about 24 hrs before I thought it was coming out and was surprised to see it had just been made available. The price seemed reasonable and the dial and case looked great in the pics. So without further ado (apart from a glance around to check that wifey wasn’t lurking behind me somewhere) I whipped out the CC and ordered it. Lucky, as the 300 pcs sold out in a few hours.

That was in late September 2019. It arrived mid Feb 2020. In Europe I used to enjoy ordering cases of Bordeaux wine, ‘en primeur’ or by subscription, where you order and pay and then it’s delivered to you a couple of years later… apart from being MUCH cheaper, it’s kind of fun tricking yourself into thinking that this great wine has just appeared out of the blue and landed on your doorstep as a surprise, long after you forgot about paying for it! Kind of similar to this watch…

Love the size, REALLY love the lug shape, love the dial which under a loupe has fantastic depth and multiple colour hues under different lights. Like the fact that it is Hours:Minutes only, but really don’t like the fact that there is no purpose-built minute hand, or a cap for that ugly hole through which the centre pinion peeks out, spinning uselessly (powered by the ETA 2824-2). You can’t see it without a loupe or good eyes of course, but as a watchmaker (who worked for AP) this really bugs me. IMO it detracts from (dare I say, ruins) the overall look.

The strap feels cheaper than it should too, coming from Jean Rousseau Paris. It has a dry, cardboardy feel, and you just know the Alcantara interior will age badly. Solid and nicely finished MING branded pin buckle though. The soft leather pouch? Excellent. The box and packaging? Utilitarian but stylish. Overall the Ming 17.06 Copper is a GREAT looking piece, but just OK when it comes to quality.