MING 37.06 Royal Selangor: Malaysian Craft, Rendered in Pewter and Titanium

An 88-piece limited edition that brings hammered pewter into MING’s 37-series pure titanium case, marking the first MING watch to ask an unreasonable amount from pewter.

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor is not the first MING watch to ask an unreasonable amount from a dial, but it is the first to ask it from pewter. Created together with Royal Selangor, the world’s foremost name in quality pewter and a 4th-generation family-owned independent producer, this 88-piece limited edition brings a hammered pewter dial into MING’s 37-series pure titanium case. The result is an authentic Malaysian collaboration that combines MING’s contemporary design language with Royal Selangor’s 140+ years of pewter craft.

A Friendship Born From Lunch

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor traces its origins to a friend and MING patron, his camera, and a personal request that brought Ming The into Royal Selangor’s table. The customer had asked Royal Selangor to reskin his camera, then asked if MT would help collect it in Kuala Lumpur. A long lunch followed between MT and Yong Yoon Li, the CEO of Royal Selangor, and a friendship, along with a new watch, was born directly from that conversation.

At the center of the watch is its hammered pewter dial, made by Royal Selangor in Kuala Lumpur. Pewter is rarely used in watchmaking, but at dial scale, its qualities become especially compelling. The surface has depth without excess, texture without ornament, and a warmth that sits in deliberate contrast to the all-brushed grade-2 titanium case. In MING’s typical fashion, the hammered effect catches light differently from every angle, giving each watch its own subtle variation.

The Material: Pewter At Its Finest

Pewter is a tin-based alloy strengthened with small amounts of copper and antimony. Royal Selangor’s cast pewter consists of nearly 97-percent tin, meeting the highest international standard. Unlike many metals, pewter does not tarnish or corrode easily. Over time, it develops a soft, distinctive patina, making it durable, low-maintenance, and well-suited to objects destined to be handled, worn, and lived with.

The making of pewter remains a deeply manual process. Tin, copper, and antimony are melted together, then poured into steel casting moulds and left to cool. The work then moves through filing, polishing, finishing, and decoration. While modern manufacturing and machining help, much of this process is still carried out by hand.

Royal Selangor’s story dates to 1885, when Yong Koon, a young pewter smith from Shantou, China, arrived in Kuala Lumpur, in the tin-rich state of Selangor. He began by making incense burners, joss stick holders, and candle stands for Chinese temples and wealthy tin miners. The business later expanded into European-style pewterware for British and expatriate customers. The company was granted a royal warrant by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the Sultan of Selangor, in 1979, and adopted the Royal Selangor name in 1992.

Today, Royal Selangor remains headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and continues to produce its pewterware at its factory in Setapak, supported by more than 200 craftpeople and a design team of around 40. Its work spans traditional pewterware, contemporary objects, jewelry, gifts, trophies, and design-led collaborations with cultural institutions and international designers. Despite its global presence, Royal Selangor remains closely connected to Malaysian craft, local production, and the preservation of pewter-making skills.

The Case: Pure Titanium, All Brushed

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor is housed in MING’s 37-series grade-2 titanium case, finished with an all-brushed surface and weighing only 35.9 grams. It measures 38mm in diameter, 11.05mm thick, and 44.73mm lug-to-lug, with 100 meters of water resistance and a 20mm lug width. The caseback is engraved with the MING and Royal Selangor wordmarks.

Domed sapphire crystals on the front and rear receive double-sided anti-reflective coating, while the front crystal is engraved and filled with Super-LumiNova X1, paired with Super-LumiNova X1-coated hands. This creates a distinctive visual signature that is immediately recognizable as MING.

The Movement: Swiss-Made Precision

Inside is the Swiss-made Sellita for MING SW300.M1, an automatic movement offering approximately 50 hours of power reserve. The movement features skeletonized, rhodium-plated bridges with a brushed finish and an anthracite-coated baseplate. It is visible through the rear crystal, though MING accepts that most people will probably keep turning the watch back over to look at the dial.

Local Assembly: A First For MING

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor also marks another first for MING: the entire 88-piece run will be assembled locally in Kuala Lumpur through infrastructure MING has invested in and developed specifically for this collaboration. For a watch already rooted in Malaysian material and craft, bringing final assembly home felt like the only appropriate conclusion.

Pricing And Availability

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor will be produced in a limited edition of 88 pieces, priced at CHF 5,000 excluding taxes. Each watch is delivered with a blue-grey goat leather strap by Jean Rousseau with curved quick-release spring bars, a flying-blade tuck buckle, and a special hammered pewter presentation box designed by MING and made by Royal Selangor in Kuala Lumpur.

The watch is covered by a two-year limited mechanical warranty and will be available directly from Royal Selangor boutiques beginning 30 July 2026. A small number of watches will also be available from 6 August 2026.

Technical Specifications

Conclusion

The MING 37.06 Royal Selangor is one of the more meaningful collaborations in recent independent watchmaking. By combining MING’s contemporary design language with Royal Selangor’s 140+ years of pewter craft, and by bringing final assembly to Kuala Lumpur for the first time, MING creates a timepiece that honors both Malaysian heritage and modern horological innovation.

The hammered pewter dial, the grade-2 titanium case, and the local assembly are not mere specifications — they are deliberate choices that root the watch in Malaysian craft while celebrating the partnership between two brands that share a commitment to quality, innovation, and authenticity. The limited availability of 88 pieces also reflects a restrained approach to distribution, positioning this as a true collector’s item rather than a mass-produced collaboration.

For more information, please visit the official MING website.

Explore the releases of 2026.