Members of the aBlogtoWatch team and a lucky aBlogtoWatch audience member recently got to explore the Grand Teton Mountains around Jackson Hole, Wyoming as part of an exciting giveaway experience. Back in December 2021, our annual experience giveaway was this exciting trip opportunity with Swiss Made NORQAIN watches. The resulting trip happened in August 2022 with aBlogtoWatch audience member Kyle enjoying Wyoming hospitality and scenery with aBlogtoWatch and NORQAIN.
Staying in the beautiful and historic town of Jackson, Wyoming, one gets to see some of the most impressive natural wonders in America. The city is just due south of the famed Yellowstone National Park and adjacent to the Grand Teton mountain range. This high-elevation area actually looks very much like parts of Switzerland. In Jackson, you might feel like you are right next to Swiss watchmaking country. Jackson is also home to the high-end watch retailer ODEN, which proudly carries NORQAIN timepieces as an authorized dealer.
Wearing NORQAIN Neverest, Adventure, and Independence timepieces during the experience, aBlogtoWatch and NORQAIN team members got to enjoy some of the world’s most celebrated natural spaces and outdoor activities. Activities the group participated in included hiking at over 10,000 feet, whitewater rafting down the Snake river, traditional horseback riding, and flyfishing at dusk while wading in a gurgling river. Jackson Hole is known as both a prime summer and winter destination, with robust activity options during both major travel seasons. We highly recommend a visit if you haven’t been.
NORQAIN watches sell well in the popular tourist destination, and ODEN even offered a limited-edition version with an image of the Grand Tetons on the caseback. It certainly helps that specializing in sports-themed watches, NORQAIN has plenty of suitable options for all manner of outdoor trekking and adventuring.
aBlogtoWatch audience member Kyle B., the giveaway winner, shared his own thoughts about the experience: When I saw that aBlogtowatch partnered with NORQAIN for an adventure weekend, I knew I had to enter. On the first day of the adventure weekend, we got right down to business. Over breakfast, I got to know everybody and got my first in-person look at NORQAIN’s Adventure Sport 42mm with the black dial and bezel on a black rubber strap. I had seen pictures of this watch, but when I experienced it in person, I realized that the pictures don’t do it justice. Everything about the watch just popped, especially how the indices caught the light at different angles. The NORQAIN pattern on the dial was well-defined and had a lot of depth that I hadn’t noticed in the pictures. This is a well-made watch, and I also found that I would be wearing it for our whitewater rafting trip and the remainder of the day.
The rafting trip was an eight-mile ride on the Snake River through multiple rapids. Having never done whitewater rafting made the anticipation more intense. This was what the watch was made for, what NORQAIN is all about. There were some intense moments, holding on for dear life as we plowed through the rapids, just in time to hear the guide tell everyone to take a break from rowing when laughter would erupt — who got the most drenched? After the rafting trip, there was a short reprieve, and then it was off to get a look at the entire NORQAIN collection. The collection definitely has something for everybody — from the syringe-style hands seen in the Freedom Collection to the different colorways in the GMTs. I also learned some things that I hadn’t noticed before, too. For example, The NORQAIN Plate on the NEVEREST models is thinner than the ones on the Adventure models. I really enjoyed getting to see the collection. It was a nice finish to the day.
After wearing the Black Adventure sport for the first day, the NEVEREST Glacier 40mm on the flex fabric was to be my companion for the second day: hiking in the Tetons, horseback riding, and fly fishing. The next morning had us up bright and early, riding the tram to the top of the mountain to enjoy some waffles and hiking. The waffles were really good, and the hiking was challenging but well worth the scenery. The NEVEREST Glacier seemed right at home in the rugged mountain scenery. The flex strap was surprisingly comfortable given the change in elevation and how much hiking we did. When I first saw the type of strap I wasn’t too sure about it — would it be like wearing a rubber band? To my surprise, the way it just kind of floated on the wrist was very nice. It felt like I was not wearing anything at all. It was a bit tricky to get off, but it was very comfortable.
After hiking, it was onto horseback riding and fly fishing. Horseback riding was another first for me, and I was excited to try it. I’m a pretty big dude, so they put me on a draft horse named Bud Heavy. There was an immediate connection, and he got me safely to where we were going, even if it was at his own pace. The NEVEREST Glacier looked right at home on a horse, in the river with a fly rod, and in the mountains. The quality and visual appeal make each watch wearable on a raft in the middle of rapids, and they also fit in nicely at a nice dinner with friends at the end of the day. NORQAIN’s watches can be worn for all occasions, both outdoor and indoor.
The weekend went by too fast. Even though I had only just met everyone two days before, it felt like we had all known each other for a long time. I have always liked what NORQAIN is doing, but after this weekend, I understood the brand much better. The team’s passion for what they do was apparent from the moment I met them. After spending the weekend getting to know the people behind the brand and having some real-life experience with the watches, I can say that when it comes time to step into this level of watches, I will most definitely be getting a NORQAIN.”
The aBlogtoWatch team would once again like to thank the large audience base for participating in this and other giveaway opportunities, as well as the generous team at NORQAIN for creating a wonderful and memorable wristwatch adventure experience. You can learn more about NORQAIN watches via the brand’s website.
The photos in this article are sponsored by NORQIAIN.
