Norqain’s latest Wild One honours Stan Wawrinka and the terrific sport of tennis
Zach Blass- Norqain’s latest Wild One Skeleton is a tribute to tennis Grand Slam champ Stanislas “Stan the Man” Wawrinka.
- The case plate is specially infused with the hairs of a tennis ball, and the strap is crafted with a net motif.
- It is limited to just 85 pieces in honour of Stan’s birth year, 1985.
Young watch brands tend to lean on heritage, horological hall of fame designs penned by more established brands to inspire their watches and kickstart interest. But some brands are daring enough to look forward, and create something unlike anything the watch industry has ever seen before – or, at the very least, seen before at the price point. Norqain had piqued the interest of watch enthusiasts even in its early stages, but it was the launch of the Wild One in 2022, alongside the announcement that watch industry legend Jean-Claude Biver had joined the company as an advisor to the board, that propelled Norqain firmly into the spotlight.
The headlining element of the Wild One is its proprietary NORTEQ carbon fibre case cage, which, paired with a rubber shock absorber and a titanium container, results in an ultra-light, yet ultra robust watch truly up to the task for daily wear and activity. The 25-part case construction is 6.25 times lighter than steel, 3.5 times lighter than titanium, and has a shock-resistance rating of 5,000g. This makes the watch more than suitable for common outdoor adventures such as cycling, hiking, swimming, or other sports… Like tennis.
I mention tennis because Norqain notably has multiple footholds within the sport. Not only does our pal Matt Ebden, an ATP tennis pro who is a former world No. 1 in Men’s Doubles that has won two Grand Slam titles and a gold medal at 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, wear a Norqain watch during match play, but also Swiss tennis legend and three-time Men’s Singles Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka (who notably has a minority stake in Norqain).
With such a wide range of colours, sizes, and openworked versions of the Wild One, there are plenty of variants to choose from. But today Norqain reveals its Wild One Skeleton Stan The Man Limited Edition, which honours Wawrinka’s achievements in tennis, and I suspect will become a go-to daily wearer for the legend himself.
“I never imagined someone would make such a cool, high-tech watch in my name. It’s an immense honour,” Wawrinka explains. “What makes this timepiece so special to me is the fact that it contains actual tennis ball fibres, a detail that’s not only deeply personal but also incredibly innovative. And thanks to the impressive shock resistance of the Wild One models, it’s a watch that professional tennis players can actually wear on the court – not only stylish, but also lightweight and practical.”
If its design scheme catches your eye, the good news is that this limited edition is not just a one-off for Stan. In honour of Wawrinka’s birth year of 1985, 85 pieces will be made of this limited edition model and will be available to the public for purchase.
The Norqain Wild One Skeleton Stan The Man Limited Edition is consistent with the regular production model’s key traits, but with a few tennis twists. The screw-down-crown-secured 200 metres water-resistant 42mm case, which is 12.3mm thick and 49.4mm lug-to-lug, features a yellow-green rubber shock absorber inspired by the colour of a tennis ball.
Further driving the tennis-inspired imagery of its design is its black and yellow-green rubber strap with a tennis net-inspired pattern and, for a tangible tennis element, the usually engraveable case-side nameplate has been infused with the fibres of an actual tennis ball. I can certainly understand why this small detail has such a strong meaning for Stan.
Looking at the dial, most of the colour splash is wisely left to the case and strap. However, there are still subtle yellow-green elements to continue the throughline, seen on the outer minutes scale along with the yellow-green Super-LumiNova fillings found within the applied hour indices and central hours and minutes hands.
The watch, as a tribute to Stan, becomes abundantly clear when looking at the exhibition caseback. The view of the 41-hour, Sellita-based, and COSC-certified NB08S automatic movement is largely obscured by a printed image of Wawrinka and, alongside this printed image, the dates of his three Grand Slam victories – the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open, and the 2016 US Open – and “ONE OF 85” are printed on the sapphire glass as well. The final tennis twist of this debut is its packaging, a bespoke ball-shaped polished chrome box that houses not only the watch, but also a tennis ball signed by Stan himself.
While other Wild One Skeleton watches within the collection are not aligned with any one particular sport or activity, this Stan The Man Limited Edition is an unapologetic ode to Wawrinka that directly speaks to not only fans of the man, but tennis in general. As a tennis fan myself, the watch certainly has caught my eye and immediately transports me back to attending what was once the best-kept secret of the US Open.
The week ahead of the main draw is when the qualifying rounds are held, but, unbeknownst to most at the time, the top players in the world would take to the courts ahead of the main draw to practice. As kindred countrymen, for a grand total of US$0 (excluding the inevitable overpriced sodas, chicken fingers, and other concessions) I would be able to sit front row with my family in Armstrong stadium and watch Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka play practice sets – trying to soak in all of their mechanics and skills, wide-eyed and grinned watching the best in the world up close.
In the same day, I would see anywhere between 8-10 other practice sets or coaching sessions. I’ll never forget the day I scooted over from Armstrong to the then-adjacent Grandstand, possibly right after watching Stan and Roger, to find British tennis titan Tim Henman hit with some then-young up-and-comer Scotsman in a practice set – taking him under his wing and seemingly passing the UK tennis torch on to him. (If “Scotsman” did not give it away, it was none other than Andy Murray, of course.)
Understandably, the US Open has since branded the week “Fan Week” and has aggressively marketed this span of time in which people can come and attend free events and watch top-ranked players practice. Whereas I once, as a kid, had to beg court security guards to tip me off as to who would be taking the court next, now you can actually look up the practice schedule online and see at what specific time and court players will be practising. Far more convenient, though it removes the element of surprise, shock, and awe.
You know what… I am rambling here. Don’t blame me, blame this new watch and all the tennis memories it stirs up. Some of you reading this may not be all that fussed or fascinated by tennis, but there are definitely well over 85 people in the world who will find this limited edition a winner.
Norqain Wild One Skeleton Stan The Man Limited Edition pricing and availability
The 85-piece Norqain Wild One Skeleton Stan The Man Limited Edition is available now for purchase. Price: US$6,990 (pin buckle), US$7,390 (folding clasp)
| Brand | Norqain |
| Model | Wild One Skeleton Stan The Man Limited Edition |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12.3mm (T) x 49.4mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | NORTEQ® carbon composite, rubber shock absorber, titanium container |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | AR-coated sapphire front, sapphire back |
| Dial | Skeletonised with turquoise or red gold-plated accents |
| Strap | Black and yellow-green rubber, case-matching pin buckle or folding clasp |
| Movement | Norqain NN08S, Sellita SW-200-base, automatic, COSC-certified |
| Power Reserve | 41 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now, limited to 85 pieces |
| Price | US$6,990 (pin buckle) US$7,390 (folding clasp) |