Ming Thein is the creative force behind MING and is responsible for design, engineering and photography. 

With a gift for mechanics and a discerning eye for detail, watchmaking was - in hindsight - a natural focal point for MT. He fell down the rabbit hole of mechanical watches while looking for a ‘decent’ watch to commemorate his graduation from Balliol College, Oxford at age 16. Soon he was sketching ideas for his own watches and movements which were discussed on the forums that preceded the modern watch Internet. He picked up watch photography as a way to enjoy watches that were unaffordable on an intern’s paycheck.

To fund his newfound afflictions in watches and photography, MT worked in a variety of roles and companies that included KPMG and The Boston Consulting Group followed by several years at investment funds and a senior operational director role at McDonald’s. In 2012, he embarked on a successful career as a photographer, building an online community of over 150,000 photographers worldwide and serving as brand ambassador for Leica and Hasselblad. By 2017 he was appointed Chief of Strategy for Hasslblad and Advisor to the Board of DJI.

His experiences in both corporate and creative fields eventually sowed the seeds of MING, where his creative vision and talent for design is paired with an appreciation of materials and engineering. His ethos lies at the core of MING as a company: to make watches that make people happy.