When independent horology collective MING and William Massena’s design studio Massena LAB first joined forces in 2021, their dual-release 17.09 caused quite a stir among collectors.
Combining mid-century honeycomb dial flourishes with MING’s radical modernist geometry, it sold out in minutes and cemented a natural creative synergy between the two houses.
Now, five years later and united under the Alternative Horological Alliance banner, the duo returns for an ambitious sequel: the MING × Massena LAB 57.09 Secret Honey.
Priced at CHF 7,250 (excluding taxes) and limited to 125 pieces worldwide, this kinetic release evolves the static honeycomb dial into an animated mechanical optical illusion.
Dynamic Guilloché & Triple Sapphire Discs
While the original 17.09 paid direct homage to vintage honeycomb dials, the 57.09 takes a significantly more complex, animated approach. Rather than relying on a static stamped dial plate, the “Secret Honey” sets its geometry in perpetual mechanical motion.
Anchoring the display is a deep brown, lacquered, circular-brushed base plate. Hovering directly above are three independent, anti-reflective sapphire discs rotating once every 24 hours, 12 hours, and 60 minutes.
Each disc features bespoke cutaways and apertures. As these transparent layers overlap, they generate an intricate, continuously shifting moiré interference effect that MING and Massena term “dynamic guilloché.”
The “Secret” in the moniker reveals itself subtly: the warm honey hue only surfaces in specific alignments as the aperture windows sweep across one another. The 12-hour and 60-minute discs display the time indications, treated with orange-emitting Super-LumiNova.
Above them, indices and dual brand signatures are laser-engraved into the underside of the box sapphire crystal and filled with MING Polar White lume—yielding a mesmerising two-tier glow after dark.
Fifth-Generation Titanium & Tri-Tone Lugs
Enclosing this kinetic dial is MING’s fifth-generation case geometry in featherlight Grade 5 titanium. Measuring 40mm across, 10.17mm thick, and 47.8mm lug-to-lug, the case balances wrist presence with supreme ergonomics, backed by a 100-metre water resistance rating.
The real manufacturing feat lies in the triple-stepped lugs. Known for pushing case architecture to technical extremes, MING constructs each lug from nine individual components, allowing adjacent surfaces to receive distinct brushed and mirror-polished treatments that conventional monobloc machining cannot achieve.
Even more audacious is the tri-tone palette applied across each step: the outermost tier remains raw titanium; the middle step is coated with Titanium Nitride (TiN) to emulate yellow gold; and the innermost tier is coated in Titanium Silicon Nitride (TiSiN) for a warm rose gold tint.
The intermediate bezel ring mirrors this TiN gold hue, visually harmonising the case with the honey accents swirling across the dial.
Calibre 330.M2 Architecture & Dual Straps
Through the sapphire caseback sits the self-winding Sellita for MING 330.M2 calibre. Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) with a 50-hour power reserve, this modified movement features skeletonised bridges and an anthracite-coated baseplate finished with clean, directional brushing.
| Feature Specification | Horological & Architectural Detail |
| Retail Pricing | CHF 7,250 (Limited Edition of 125 Pieces) |
| Case Dimensions | 40.0mm Diameter × 10.17mm Thickness × 47.8mm Lug-to-Lug |
| Case Construction | Grade 5 Titanium w/ 9-Piece Tri-Tone Stepped Lugs (Ti, TiN, TiSiN) |
| Dial Mechanics | 3 Rotating Sapphire Discs (24h, 12h, 60m) over Lacquered Base |
| Luminescence | Orange-Emitting Super-LumiNova & MING Polar White Crystal Lume |
| Movement Calibre | Automatic Sellita for MING 330.M2 (4Hz, 50-Hour Reserve) |
| Strap Package | Jean Rousseau Goat Leather & Black MING FKM Rubber w/ Tuck Buckle |
The watch ships with both a vachetta-toned goat leather strap crafted by Jean Rousseau Paris for MING and a black MING FKM rubber strap—each fitted with a stainless steel flying-blade tuck buckle.
The MING × Massena LAB 57.09 Secret Honey (CHF 7,250) represents independent watchmaking at its most creative, delivering genuine mechanical theatre to the wrist.
