Hands-on with the MING 37.11 Odyssey GMT Watch

Hands-on with the MING 37.11 Odyssey GMT Watch

A New Frontier for the GMT Watch

With the new 37.11 Odyssey, MING continues its ongoing exploration of contemporary watchmaking, reinterpreting classic categories through a distinctly modern lens. Following the success of the 37.09 Bluefin—winner of the 2024 GPHG Sports Watch Prize—the Odyssey expands the family into the realm of travel watches. Retaining the Bluefin’s pressure-balanced case architecture, MING introduces a GMT complication, an even more advanced lume treatment, and a case made entirely of brushed Grade 2 titanium. The result is a lightweight, travel-ready tool that feels both futuristic and deeply functional.

Case Design and Wearability

The Odyssey’s case measures 38mm in diameter, 12.6mm thick, and 44.5mm lug-to-lug—identical dimensions to the Bluefin. These proportions keep it comfortably wearable across a wide range of wrist sizes. The brushed titanium finish enhances the watch’s sporty, utilitarian character while maintaining the soft, architectural curves MING is known for. At just 41.9 grams for the head, the Odyssey feels impossibly light yet substantial on the wrist.

Watch shown on 6.5in / 16.5cm wrist.

The watch’s twin crowns serve distinct purposes: one at 2 o’clock for winding and time setting, and another at 4 o’clock that adjusts the internal rotating dial. The latter has been engineered for a tactile, satisfying feel—and is usable underwater. Both crowns are luminous and color-coded for visual and functional clarity.

Movement: The Customized SW330.M2

Inside the Odyssey is the Sellita SW330.M2, a heavily customized caliber exclusive to MING. This movement represents a significant evolution of the standard SW330 architecture: its mainplate, bridges, and rotor are all skeletonized and treated in anthracite, giving the mechanism a striking, futuristic look when viewed through the exhibition caseback. The SW330.M2 offers an independently adjustable 24-hour hand for tracking a second timezone and a 50-hour power reserve at full wind.

The Rotating Dial: A Signature MING Twist

MING’s most inventive update lies on the dial side. The Odyssey retains the Bluefin’s signature rotating dial system—an internal disc that provides the presence of a large external bezel without increasing case size—but reconfigures it for travel. The smoked sapphire dial features a bidirectional 24-hour scale with 24 clicks, each representing one timezone. Operated via the 4 o’clock crown, the dial allows tracking of a third timezone—an elegant engineering solution for modern travelers.

Each numeral and marker on the dial glows in Super-LumiNova X1, color-coded for day (blue) and night (orange). The partially transparent sapphire also reveals hints of the movement below, further reinforcing MING’s fascination with light, layering, and depth.

Hands, Lume, and Crystal: Light as Design Language

If there’s one area where the Odyssey shines—literally—it’s in its luminous execution. The handset introduces a first for MING: a gradient lume treatment that transitions in intensity from base to tip. This detail not only enhances legibility but gives the impression of motion, as if the hands were in flight. The upper sapphire crystal carries luminous hour indices in “MING Polar White,” while the crowns and even the underside of the crystal are also lumed. The result is a spectacular, almost ethereal glow in low light—arguably one of the most visually striking lume displays in any contemporary watch.

Strap and Bracelet Options

Buyers can configure the Odyssey in three ways: on a Slate FKM rubber strap, a new Grade 2 titanium Universal bracelet, or the brand’s groundbreaking Polymesh bracelet in Grade 5 titanium. The Polymesh, unveiled earlier this year, is a laser-sintered titanium mesh that combines the comfort of a textile strap with the robustness of metal. As MING CEO Praneeth Rajsingh has explained, the goal behind innovations like the Polymesh is to ask, “What does 21st-century watchmaking look like?” The Odyssey is a direct answer to that question.

A Modern GMT for Modern Travel

The MING 37.11 Odyssey challenges the conventional aesthetic of the GMT watch. Where most travel watches rely on mid-century design tropes—rotating bezels, contrasting color rings, vintage proportions—the Odyssey feels unapologetically forward-looking. Its interplay of materials, light, and motion embodies the spirit of modern exploration, reimagining the GMT not as a nostalgic tool but as a contemporary companion.

As MING succinctly puts it, this is “a diver for those who like to explore.” It’s also a statement of intent—a demonstration of how far independent watchmaking can go when freed from legacy constraints.

Specifications

  • Grade 2 titanium case, brushed finish
  • 38mm diameter, 12.6mm thickness, 44.5mm lug-to-lug
  • 20mm lug width
  • 300m water resistance
  • 41.9g head weight
  • Domed sapphire crystals front and rear, both with AR coating
  • Sellita SW330.M2 automatic movement
  • 50-hour power reserve, hacking seconds
  • Bidirectional 24-hour rotating dial (third timezone)
  • Independent 24-hour hand (second timezone)
  • Gradient-lumed hands, MING Polar White luminous indices
  • Options: Slate FKM rubber, Grade 2 titanium Universal bracelet, or Grade 5 titanium Polymesh
  • 2-year warranty

The MING 37.11 Odyssey will be available beginning November 11, 2025, at 1PM GMT / 5AM PST at collectivehorology.com. Thanks as always for reading and supporting independent watchmaking.

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