The project began with a shared desire to create something together and a simple question: what happens when two independent makers bring their respective crafts to a single dial?
Two Workshops, One Dial
The answer starts in Los Angeles, in Josh Shapiro’s workshop. Each Lightning dial is made of Grade 2 titanium and hand engine-turned on a traditional rose-engine lathe with a pattern called “Lightning guilloché.” These are the first watches from J.N. Shapiro to ever use this pattern. The guilloché creates a hypnotic texture that gives the surface a sense of dynamism.
From California, the dials travel to Kuala Lumpur, where Ming Thein personally heat-colors them with a hand-held butane torch. This process transforms the dial into a polychromatic field of deep blues, rich purples, and saturated orange-yellows. The unique coloration is not achieved with paint, lacquer, or coating – only with heat, timing, restraint, and creative freedom.
A Relentless Process with a High Failure Rate
When heating the dials, there is no room for error. Just a few seconds more or less with the torch can create an uneven color distribution and irreversibly destroy the dial. Even with perfect torch control, the guilloché process can reveal variations in the titanium's crystalline structure that compromise the result. The failure rate is high: only approximately one in three dials makes it into a finished watch. This is why the case back bears the engraving “DIAL HAND MADE BY J.N. SHAPIRO & MING THEIN.”
Lightning Never Strikes Twice in the Same Place.
AHA: Friendship Before Project
Both founders – Ming Thein and Josh Shapiro – are friends with a long-standing collaboration. They are founding members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA) and previously co-created the universal tantalum bracelet for AHA and cases for MING Project 21. The 37.06 Lightning is their first watch presented together.
Case and Dial
The dial is housed in a 37 series case made of 316L stainless steel. 38mm diameter, 10.9mm thickness, 44.5mm lug-to-lug. The narrow bezel maximizes the visual presence of the dial while maintaining real wearability. Domed sapphire crystal on the front and back with double-sided anti-reflective coating. The hour markers are laser-cut into the crystal and filled with HyCeram luminescent material. The hands are Super-LumiNova X1; non-luminescent parts are anodized in blue. No second hand.
Movement Sellita for MING SW210.M1
The Sellita for MING SW210.M1 hand-wound movement features skeletonized rhodium-plated bridges and a main plate with an anthracite finish. Frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), power reserve of approximately 42 hours, 18 jewels. The movement is visible through the sapphire case back.
Strap
Blue Barenia leather strap with Alcantara lining from Jean Rousseau Paris, curved quick-release spring bars, flying-blade tuck clasp with micro-adjustment.
Production: approx. 10 pcs/month. Currently sold out.
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