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2020 has proved a bountiful year for Swiss NORQAIN watches, a still-young brand founded by timepiece industry veterans in Switzerland’s celebrated watchmaking country. NORQAIN is positioned to claim market share from a number of traditional brands with its excellent curation of colors, materials, and product finishes — not to mention robust movement options. One of the biggest announcements from NORQAIN in 2020 was the debut of its first watches that use exclusive Chronometer Certified Manufacture Calibres produced by Kenissi. Kenissi is the movement manufacturer founded by Tudor (which is a sister brand of Rolex), and it supplies NORQAIN with the exclusive movements for at least some of the below products which feature impressive specs like a 70-hour power reserve, two-point balance bridge fixation, and a five year warranty.
The NORQAIN brand currently focuses on traditional to modern-looking mechanical watches with a sports appeal to them. Not surprisingly, that same timepiece product category happens to be the most popular with timepiece enthusiast customers. NORQAIN has done its homework in many areas. In addition to offering in-trend design inspirations and a healthy selection of high-performing Swiss Made mechanical movements, NORQAIN also heavily emphasizes consumer choice and an emphasis on good value. On aBlogtoWatch and elsewhere, NORQAIN watches are routinely met with critical acclaim.
NORQAIN was recently featured at the Virtual MicroLux event where for three days, the aBlogtoWatch-produced internet show featured live conversations with a number of new and important watch brands. NORQAIN’s head of the United States market was interviewed by aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams during Virtual MicroLux 2020. Check out the video here.
One of the latest in the NORQAIN watch product family for 2020 is the Independence 20, which debuts as a limited edition with a particularly interesting individually hand “scratched” (for organic texture) forest-green dial and also debuts the NORQAIN manufacture caliber NN20/1 which is produced for them by Switzerland’s Kenissi. . The Independence 20 has a 42mm-wide steel case and is available on a matching steel bracelet or integrated black leather strap. The movement operates at 4Hz with 70 hours of power reserve. NORQAIN opts for a clean, symmetrical dial look so the presence of a date window has been avoided.
With 100 meters of water resistance and durable case construction, the NORQAIN Independence 20 is a sporty watch intended for an active urban high-end lifestyle. The crisp green attention-grabbing dial is often what people notice first about it, and the side flanks on the case is currently a popular look. Price for the NORQAIN Independence 20 reference NN3000 limited edition of 200 pieces watch is $2,840 on a strap and $2,990 USD on the steel bracelet. This Independence 20 was sold out online within 10 days, but there are some models left at select US retailers.
Fresh in the NORQAIN Adventure Sport Chronograph collection is a new, smaller model coming in at 41mm wide (and 15mm thick) versus the 44mm case width of the larger Adventure Sport Chrono. The NORQAIN Adventure Sport Chrono Day/Date 41 watch currently comes in two aesthetic flavors including both a blue and black dial option. The steel watches offer a uniform look by complimenting the cases with steel-on-steel unidirectional rotating bezels. The watches feature Swiss Made Sellita SW500 automatic chronograph movements, which also offer a day/date complication.
NORQAIN designed the Adventure Sport Chrono Day/Date 41 for maximum wearability on the wrist. Accordingly, a fabric strap, comfortable rubber strap, or steel metal bracelet is available with the mid-size case. Much of the Adventure Sport Chrono case and dial design is utilitarian in character, but luxury accents are found throughout such as in the watch’s face texture, as well as the attention to detail and polishing on the case. Price for the NORQAIN Adventure Sport Chrono Day/Date 41 watch is $2,990 USD.
NORQAIN’s entry-level timepiece which includes the caliber NN20/1 movement from Kenissi is the new 39mm wide size version of the Freedom 60 known as the NORQAIN Freedom 60 39. The sub-collection debuts with a cream-colored version paired with a bronze case, and a gray-dialed version paired with a steel case. NORQAIN charges a roughly $200 premium for the bronze case model
Designed with collector sensibilities in mind (highly proportionate dial, symmetrical face design, Chronometer-rated movement) the Freedom 60 39 is a sensibly-sized retro-inspired daily wear timepiece with adventure and good taste in mind. While evoking a clear image of historic adventure stories, the design of the Freedom 60 39 is distinctive to the NORQAIN brand. All versions come with several “Norlando” leather straps which offer an extremely supple wearing experience. The steel version of the Freedom 60 39 includes a steel bracelet option. The bronze-cased model only has one current variant available, which uses a fresh color palette that is highly uncommon in the luxury watch space today. Price for the NORQAIN Freedom 60 39 watches is $2,720 or $2,990 USD depending on the version.
Also novel in the NORQAIN Freedom 60 collection is an assortment of brand-new, highly anticipated GMT watches with the NORQAIN Freedom 60 GMT in steel and the Freedom 60 GMT Limited Edition in bronze. The Freedom 60 GMT introduces the brand’s first GMT-style watches, with the exclusive caliber NN20/2 automatic GMT movement with jumping hour feature (also 70 hours of power reserve) that is crafted for NORQAIN by Kenissi. Like the NN20/1 movement, the NN20/2 is COSC Chronometer-certified.
From a design perspective, the Freedom 60 GMT has a retro travel watch personality with an inner 24-hour ring for the GMT hand and otherwise classic proportions. The GMT ring itself is half-white for AM hours and half-black or anthracite for PM hours. The Freedom 60 GMT watch case is 40mm wide and 14.5mm thick with 100 meters of water resistance. A “box-style” sapphire crystal over the dial further offers a traditional feeling and is coated in anti-reflective coating. A series of suede leather Norlando strap options are available – offering comfort and style including NORQAIN’s signature “N letter parts” stitching. Price for the NORQAIN Freedom 60 GMT watch is $3,590 USD and the bronze-cased Freedom 60 GMT limited edition (of 300 pieces) watch is $3,890 USD.
Finally, there is the special limited edition NORQAIN Adventure Sport Chrono NHLPA Limited Edition. Conceived with the help of NORQAIN board member and Stanley Cup winner Mark Streit and NORQAIN shareholder and Norris trophy winner Roman Josi, this watch comes in a white, red, and blue color scheme with matching blue rubber strap. The “scratched ice” dial is designed to invoke a well-used hockey rink and is the result of considerable attention to detail. Sized in the smaller 41mm-wide case, the Adventure Sport Chrono NHLPA has 100M of water resistance.
On the case back, you can see the NHLPA logo embossed over the sapphire crystal. Beneath is a view into the NN18 automatic chronograph movement, which operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 48-hour power reserve. The NORQAIN Adventure Sport Chrono NHLPA Limited Edition will have a run of 500 pieces, priced at $3,290 USD.
Learn more or order at the NORQAIN website here.
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