Hands on Norqain’s New Novelties for Watches And Wonders 2024

Norqain was established in 2018 by CEO Ben Küffer, who along with his team, stands out as one of the youngest players to leave an impact on the Swiss watch industry. The brand received guidance and mentorship from the iconic industry figure, Jean-Claude Biver, whose valuable contribution led to the creation of the Wild One collection. Crafted from Norqain's exclusive Norteq carbon fiber material, the Wild One represents the pinnacle of the brand's sports watch collection.

During my visit to this year's Watches And Wonders, I had the opportunity to explore Norqain’s booth and experience their latest releases firsthand, the Wild One Skeleton Coral and Gecko. These two watches are featured in the marketing campaign alongside Swiss tennis champion and the new Norqain ambassador, Stan Wawrinka. The tennis player will appear in the courts sporting the Wild One Skeleton Coral, which is inspired by the red clay of Roland Garros’ courts (the only Grand Slam tournament that uses clay courts). Then he will head to the Wimbledon tournament with the Wild One Skeleton Gecko, a green variation paying homage to the grass courts.

As for the specifications, both models feature a 42mm Norteq case with a black marbled effect, measuring 12.30mm in thickness. With a sophisticated 25-part case featuring a rubber shock absorber, and a carbon composite Norteq cage. Norteq is an exceptionally lightweight and durable carbon fiber composite with a polymer matrix comprising 60% bio-based material derived from castor oil, making the watch six times lighter than steel. 

The Coral red variant, with its bold aesthetic, appears to complement daily routines well as it can easily coordinate with casual outfits. However, the Gecko green variant embraces a bright hue and summer vibes, making it a superior choice for summer wear as it aligns perfectly with the season's ambiance.

The beautiful openworked dial, adorned with gray skeletonized bridges, elegantly displays the watch movement, but we'll get into that later. The indices, affixed to the peripheral chapter ring hover above the dial and are coated with gecko green or coral red Super-LumiNova. The hour and minute hands also share the aesthetics, featuring a Super-LumiNova inserts, while the central seconds hand is accented with a white luminescent insert.

Both watches are powered by the brand’s skeletonized automatic N08S caliber, which is based on the Sellita SW 200-1S. The movement showcases the brand's distinctive brushing touches, which interacts with light with every movement of the wrist. This COSC chronometer-certified movement operates at 28,800vph (4Hz), providing a power reserve of 41 hours. The watches come with an integrated coral red or Gecko green rubber strap with a Milanese pattern and black edges that sits comfortably on the wrist, and is secured with a black Norteq pin buckle. Both variants share the price of AED 22,100. 

For more information please visit Norqain’s official website.