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Norqain unveil 5 new Independence watches in honour of 5 years of independence Norqain unveil 5 new Independence watches in honour of 5 years of independence

Norqain unveil 5 new Independence watches in honour of 5 years of independence

Zach Blass
  • Norqain is celebrating their 5th anniversary, and 5 years of their brand-debuting Independence collection
  • Three have solid coloured dials (green, brown, and MOP), two are skeletons
  • All COSC-certified, and each feature their new bracelet with on-the-fly micro-adjustment

At this very moment Norqain, the press, and their partners are rocking out in Zermatt, Switzerland for the Zermatt Unplugged music festival – of which Norqain is a partner. And while the musical lineup across the three-day festival includes Passenger, Of Monsters and Men, and Calum Scott, the horological headliner for the festivities are five new debuting Independence watches that celebrate the five-year anniversary of Norqain, their Independence collection, and their continued independent family-owned status.

Norqain explains: “Norqain was founded five years ago, and from a dedicated team of seven passionate individuals, the family-owned company has grown to over 50 employees. With a reputation as a “challenger brand”, we’ve held a firm grip on our independence as we entered 25 countries with 200 points of sale. On our journey, have built close ties with industry legend Jean-Claude Biver, launched world-premier innovations, and partnered with leading organisations in sports, adventure, and music – always stopping to do good on our way to whatever summit we’ve set our sights on.”

The five debuting Independence watches are split into two segments: a trio of Independence 40mm watches and a duo of Independence Skeleton 42mm watches. All of the watches, regardless of their size, are cased in stainless steel. But, within the new Independence 40mm segment one of the watches features a diamond-set mint mother-of-pearl dial and diamond-set bezel. And, within the duo of new Independence Skeleton 42mm watches one of the configurations uses a black DLC-coating on its stainless-steel case and bracelet.

While 40mm and 42mm watches are of a sportier and modern size, both are slender and compact in profile. The 40mm watches are 12.05mm thick, and a wrist-friendly 46.3mm lug-to-lug across the wrist. For the 42mm pieces, they are a touch thinner at 11.8mm thick and only a touch longer with a lug-to-lug at 48.75mm. Therefore, all of the five new options are highly wearable and they are each highly robust with 100 metre depth-ratings further secured by a screw-down crowns. A design signature of the Norqain brand, the five Independence watches continue to feature the customisable engraved case-flank placard which allows you to make the watch that much more your own and special.

As you have likely already surmised from the above, the new Independence 40mm trio offer more colourful expressions – with cross-hatched green and brown gradient dials complimenting the aforementioned diamond-set mint mother-of-pearl. The Skeleton 42mm watches, however, offer a more technical aesthetic that affords clear views of the escapement, barrel and mainspring and other movement components. All of the dials have three central hands, and applied hour indices. filled with SuperLuminova® for optimal visibility in darkness. But, only the 40mm watches feature a date complication at the traditional 3′ position – executed in dial-blending hues.

For these five new Independence watches, you have the option to purchase the pieces on either rubber straps or on case-matching bracelets. But, it is worth noting that you may want to stretch your dollar for the bracelet as, for the first-time in the collection, the bracelet features on-the-fly micro adjustment to help ensure you are able to find a perfect fit at any given moment. Each of the watches also utilise Sellita-based COSC-certified automatic Norqain calibres that offer 41 hours of power reserve and robust tried and true performance regulated within +6/-4 seconds per day.

Norqain Independence 40mm and Independence Skeleton 42mm collection pricing and availability:

Brand Norqain
Models Independence 40mm
Independence Skeleton 42mm
Case Dimensions 40mm (D) x 12.05mm (T) x 46.3mm (L2L)
42mm (D) x 11.8mm (T) x 48.75mm (L2L)
Case Material Stainless steel or DLC-coated stainless steel
Water Resistance 100m (screw-down crown)
Dials Independence 40mm: Gradient green or brown, mint mother-of-pearl
Independence Skeleton 42mm: Openworked
Crystal(s) Sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback
Bracelet/Strap Rubber strap or stainless steel/DLC-coated stainless steel bracelet with on-the-fly-micro adjustment
Movement Independence 40mm: Automatic calibre NN08 (SW200-1)
Independence Skeleton 42mm: Automatic calibre NN08S (SW200-1 S)
Power Reserve 41 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date (Independence 40mm only)
Availability Now
Price Independence 40mm Gradient: US$2,720 (rubber), US$2,990 (bracelet)
Independence 40mm Mint MOP: US$5,980 (rubber), US$6,250 (bracelet)
Independence Skeleton 42mm: US$3,990 (rubber), US$4,290 (bracelet)
Independence Skeleton 42mm DLC: US$4,290 (rubber), US$4,790 (bracelet)