When the Alternative Horological Alliance was formed in 2024, I think many of us who care about this sort of thing immediately began speculating about possible collaborations between the brands involved. The teams at Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (as well as Fears and Massena LAB, two brands added after the founding of the alliance) have clear affinity for one another. And while there might not be obvious ties between the watches they make, clearly there is a perspective on the watch landscape itself that’s shared among the group, and sometimes that’s what makes for the best partnerships.
Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro have announced the launch of the 37.06 Lightning, which amounts to the first watch released collaboratively by members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (although Ming and J.N. Shapiro did work together on the AHA tantalum bracelet and the tantalum cases for the Ming Project 21). The star of the show is a dial that combines elements of what both brands excel at, and is notable as each individual dial has a bit of handcraft applied by the founders of both brands.
You would expect, I think, a J.N. Shapiro branded watch to feature hand guilloche of some type as that is really the brand’s calling card at this point, and the 37.06 Lightning is no exception. It distinguishes itself, though, in the guilloche pattern used, which is referred to by the brands as “lightning guilloche” and is being used for the first time by Shapiro on this watch. Shapiro’s brand is mostly closely associated with the “infinity weave” pattern, which is his own very complex take on traditional guilloche forms. The lightning guilloche pattern is a major stylistic departure and feels a lot more contemporary with its jagged shapes that give the illusion of shape and depth across the dial surface. The pattern is engraved into a grade-2 titanium dial and according to the brands the work has a high failure rate due to the complexity of the pattern and the materials used.
At this point you might be asking “why titanium?” for the Lightning’s dial. The answer comes in the next step of the manufacturing process. Afer the dials are engine turned in Josh Shapiro’s Los Angeles workshop, they are shipped to Kuala Lumpur, where Ming Thein himself takes a butane torch to each to create a dynamic color effect on the dial’s surface. The image of Ming torching these dials personally is frankly pretty amusing, and might be enough on its own to convince fans of the brand to fork over the asking price of CHF 6,250. After the heating process, the end result is a dial that has elements of blue, purple, orange, and yellow. Each one is unique, and this process too has a high failure rate – Ming says that even a few seconds too long under the torch can result in an undesirable and uneven color distribution.
The 37.06 Lightning uses Ming’s 37-series case in steel, which measures 38mm in diameter and 10.9mm thick. It’s a great case, incredibly comfortable to wear, and serves its purpose here of maximizing dial presence while remaining compact. Ming says that the case was designed to wear visually larger than the measurements would indicate while remaining comfortable and sleek. I’m an owner of two 37-series cases and can personally attest to this being the case. Part of the reason for this, I think, is Ming’s preference for having indices located directly on the crystal, which provides a sort of visual punch and makes the whole package feel cohesive. Here, HyCeram lume has been used to fill cavities etched directly into the crystal.
The movement used here is the Sellita for Ming calibre SW210.M1, which is made exclusively for Ming and features skeletonized, rhodium plated bridges as well as other visual flourishes. It has 42 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
The first batch of 37.06 Lightnings goes on sale today for immediate delivery. Going forward, Ming and J.N. Shapiro expect to complete approximately 10 of these watches per month. It is not a limited edition, but of course is limited in production due to the craft involved in the making of the dial. The 37.06 Lightning will be sold through Ming’s website and Ming authorized retailers. Ming x J.N. Shapiro
