PASSIONS
56
FORTUNE.COM// FEB.1 .19ming thein
MING
SWITZERLAND & MALAYSIAMULTIHYPHENATE RENAIS-
sance man Thein—photog-
rapher, chief of strategy for
Hasselblad, brand designer,
and theoretical physicist—
began designing watches
because he found his tastes
outpaced his wallet. About
four years ago, on the way
back from a Hong Kong
watch fair, he joked with
six of his friends, “Let’s
make our own.” Tapping his
contacts in the watch worldand meeting with suppli-
ers, Thein says the process
involved years of designing
and redesigning. In 2017 he
unveiled the Ming 17.01, a
limited-edition minimalist
piece in which the depth and
variety of color of the dial
change based on ambient
lighting. All 300 pieces
sold out immediately. In
2018 the Ming 19.01 was
selected as a finalist in the
Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de
Genève—the horological
Oscars. Thein says he’s aim-
ing for somewhere between
the entry-level buyer and the
moneyed vet (prices range
from $1,290 to $7,850). “We
want to make watches that
are fundamentally interest-
ing to us as collectors,” he
says. “It’s a challenge to
keep things continually
fresh but not deviate from
our design DNA.”aldis hodge
BASIL TIME
LOS ANGELESFOR MANY, HODGE IS A FAMIL-
iar face as an actor, starring
inHidden Figures,Straight
Outta Compton, and the
upcoming Showtime series
City on a Hill. Off-camera,
he’s a devotee of horol-
ogy and a watch collector.
Inspired by the designs of
Gerald Genta and Greubel
Forsey, Hodge has been
quietly developing a watch
for several years and is in
the process of manufactur-
ing a prototype. Ten years
ago he approached Ham-
ilton about a collaboration,
but he says they found his
concept too complex, so he
decided to go it alone. A se-
rious student of engineer-
ing, design, and horology,
he keeps a notebook fullof his renderings with him
and can hold forth about
the history and technical
minutiae like others dis-
cuss wine or art. “[I studied]
biochemical engineering
and automotive engineer-ing,” he says. “What I like is
design. I like figuring things
out and then figuring out
how we make them play in
different ways. And I want
to give the world my vision.”
Currently working withpartners to make his vision
a reality, Hodge is keen to
launch his line in the next
two years. He’s aiming for
legacy: “I want to be able
to contribute something
great.”The Ming
19.01 with
its gradient
sapphire dial
was a finalist
in the 2018
Grand Prix
d’Horlogerie
de Genève.Actor and
watch designer
Aldis Hodge
with his
ever-present
sketchbook.THEIN:^ COURTESY^ OF^ MING(2 );^ HODGE:^ BRIANA^ HODGE