Ming’s 51.01 Halo Gives Crystallised Titanium a Rose Gold Glow

Titanium has moved from curiosity to common language in modern watchmaking, which means the interesting work now sits in how brands treat it.

The Ming 51.01 Halo takes that idea in a particularly visual direction, using crystallised Grade 5 titanium under a 5N rose gold PVD coating for a case that’s both textured and warm.

It’s a small, slim, manual-wind watch with a dial arrangement built around light, contrast and the illusion of a floating golden ring.

At a glance

• Ming has introduced the 51.01 Halo, a limited edition of 150 pieces in crystallised titanium with 5N rose gold PVD.
• The watch uses a 37mm by 8mm case, a black lacquer dial and lacquer hour markers engraved into a box sapphire crystal.
• It’s powered by the La Joux-Perret for MING Calibre 7380.M and is priced at CHF 10,900, approximately £9,935.

Crystallised titanium with a warmer edge

Crystallised titanium sounds as though it might be a separate material, but it’s better understood as a treatment applied to a titanium alloy.

In this case, Ming uses Grade 5 titanium, which is heated to 1,200°C inside a vacuum chamber and then cooled at a controlled rate to create a crystalline structure at the surface.

The case is then acid-etched, making the grain more visible and giving the metal a pattern that feels less industrial than conventional brushed or blasted titanium.

Crystallised titanium has appeared elsewhere in watchmaking, including pieces from Zelos, Sarpaneva and Citizen, but Ming’s use of a 5N rose gold PVD coating gives the technique a distinct character here.

The result is a 37mm case that doesn’t rely purely on the familiar grey lightness of titanium, but on a more decorative play between metallic grain and warm colour.

The floating ring that gives Halo its name

The Halo name comes from the ring of rose gold-tone lacquer hour markers, which are engraved into the box sapphire crystal rather than applied directly to the dial.

That construction makes the markers appear to hover above the dial, a visual trick that sits neatly within Ming’s broader design language.

Beneath it is an intense black lacquer dial with only central hour and minute hands interrupting the surface.

The dial is more nuanced than it first appears, with a polished sunray-brushed centre and a circular-brushed outer section.

That contrast helps the centre pick up light while the outer ring under the hour markers remains darker, supporting readability without adding extra markings.

A manual-wind La Joux-Perret calibre for MING

Inside the 51.01 Halo is the La Joux-Perret for MING Calibre 7380.M, described as one of Ming’s exclusive movements from LJP.

It’s manually wound, runs at 3 Hz and offers a 90-hour power reserve.

The movement is visible through the exhibition caseback, where the watch’s black and gold palette continues.

Custom skeletonised bridges open up the view of the mechanics without turning the watch into a full skeleton design.

Details & Specifications

Where the 51.01 Halo sits in Ming’s range

At CHF 10,900, the 51.01 Halo sits above Ming’s approximate average price of around £7,000.

It isn’t the brand’s most expensive watch, with individual models such as the Peepshow reaching around £20,000, but the Halo is clearly positioned as one of the more elevated pieces in the catalogue.

That makes sense given the combination of a treated titanium case, rose gold PVD, lacquer dial work, sapphire-mounted markers and an exclusive manual-wind movement.

For collectors drawn to Ming’s restrained design language but looking for more surface drama, the 51.01 Halo offers a measured answer rather than a loud one.