Norqain packs a world of fun into the new Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition
Tom Austin- Norqain reveals its third chapter in its ‘Enjoy Life’ collection – the first not to be ice cream or dessert related.
- The new Enoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition instead focuses on a travel theme with a GMT watch.
- It features a colourful world map motif dial and hidden, beach-themed date wheel surprises on every 7th day.
Norqain’s Enjoy Life collection has quickly become one of the brand’s most recognisable side projects. It started with the playful Ice Cream chronograph before continuing earlier this year with the colourful Sprinkles edition, proving that the young independent isn’t afraid to inject a little humour into Swiss watchmaking. While plenty of brands reserve bright colours for summer releases, Norqain has steadily built a collection around the simple idea that watches should occasionally make you smile.
For its latest chapter, the concept leaves the ice cream parlour and heads for the departure lounge. The new Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition swaps desserts for destinations, wrapping a capable travel watch in a dial that celebrates everything from morning coffees and happy hour cocktails to famous landmarks scattered across a colourful world map. It is also the first watch in the Enjoy Life family to feature a GMT complication, which feels like a natural progression for a collection built around making the most of your time. Limited to 500 pieces worldwide, the release also arrives with a twist. Hidden somewhere among those 500 watches is a single “Golden Ticket” that will reward one owner with an incredible holiday for two at the Ayada Resort in the Maldives.
Underneath the colourful exterior sits Norqain’s familiar Freedom GMT platform. The 316L stainless steel case measures 40mm across, 14.5mm thick, and spans 49.3mm from lug to lug, making it wearable on a wide range of wrists while retaining enough presence to suit its sporty character. Water resistance stands at 100 metres thanks to a screw-down crown, while a box-style sapphire crystal adds a welcome touch of vintage-inspired profile without compromising durability.
As with other Freedom models, the mix of brushed and polished surfaces gives the case plenty of visual interest without becoming overly busy. Norqain’s signature engraved side plate remains in place on the left flank for those who wish to personalise it, while the sapphire caseback reveals the movement beneath. Rather than leaving the rear entirely conventional, Norqain has printed a colourful Enjoy Life logo across the crystal alongside the “One of 500” designation. It partially obscures the calibre, but it reinforces that this release is designed to prioritise personality every bit as much as mechanics.
The dial is where the Freedom GMT Holiday separates itself from the growing crowd of travel watches. A matte white base provides the backdrop for a stylised world map finished in soft shades of orange, pink and turquoise, colours that continue around the 24-hour GMT ring in a gentle gradient inspired by sunrise and sunset. Rather than simply printing a standard GMT scale, Norqain has sprinkled in playful icons throughout the display. Midnight is marked by a crescent moon, morning begins with a coffee cup, while “Happy Hour” earns its own cocktail symbol between 4pm and 6pm.
The travel theme continues across the dial with 24 illustrated holiday icons representing landmarks and destinations from around the world. Even the date display joins in, replacing the numeral every seven days with beach-inspired graphics including flip-flops, sunglasses, swimming shorts and a beach umbrella. Despite the amount happening on the dial, the core time display remains easy to read thanks to applied rhodium-plated indices, generous Super-LumiNova, and a turquoise-tipped GMT hand that stands apart from the conventional hour and minute hands.
Powering the watch is the Norqain Manufacture Calibre NN20/2, developed in collaboration with Kenissi. COSC-certified and offering a healthy 70-hour power reserve, it brings genuine substance behind the colourful presentation. More importantly for frequent travellers, this is a flyer-style GMT with an independently adjustable local hour hand that jumps forwards or backwards in one-hour increments while automatically correcting the date when crossing midnight. That makes it considerably more practical than the office-bound GMT layout used by many competitors at this price point.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the movement features Norqain’s personalised oscillating weight and engraved bridge carrying the brand’s core values of Adventure, Freedom and Independence. Mechanically, it remains one of the strongest arguments for the Freedom GMT platform, giving this limited edition far more than just a colourful new dial to stand on.
Buyers can choose between a white rubber strap or Norqain’s three-link stainless steel bracelet, though the bracelet arguably suits the watch best. Its broad, brushed centre links and polished shoulders mirror the case’s finish while giving the colourful dial room to remain the focal point. The integrated look between the first links and the lugs also gives the Freedom GMT a reassuringly solid presence on the wrist without tipping into excessive bulk. The white rubber option certainly leans into the holiday theme, but the bracelet broadens the watch’s versatility, allowing it to work just as comfortably for everyday wear as it does while travelling.
The best thing about the Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition is that it refuses to take watch collecting too seriously, and does it with a complication that genuinely suits the theme. Beneath the playful graphics sits a capable traveller’s watch with an excellent manufacture movement, practical flyer GMT functionality and enough personality to stand apart from the understandably crowded field of colourful summer releases. For those looking for something that delivers both everyday usability and a reminder that watches can simply be fun, this one is certainly worth considering for your summer rotation.
Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition pricing and availability
The Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition is limited to 500 pieces and is available from the Time+Tide Studios in New York, London and Melbourne, including the Time+Tide Shop. Price: £4,885/US$6,490/€5,350/A$9,250 (bracelet) – £4,750/US$6,290/€5,210/A$9,000 (rubber strap)
| Brand | Norqain |
| Model | Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” Limited Edition |
| Reference | N2100.22S02.W01.S01 – Bracelet N2100.22S02.W01.R01 – Rubber strap |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 14.5mm (T) x 49.3mm (LTL |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | White dial with a matt finish, colourful world map |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet, optional white rubber strap |
| Movement | Norqain Manufacture Calibre NN20/2 by Kenissi, automatic, COSC-certified |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT function |
| Availability | Limited to 500 pieces |
| Price | £4,885/US$6,490/€5,350/A$9,250 (bracelet) £4,750/US$6,290/€5,210/A$9,000 (rubber strap) |