THE TOP WATCH REVIEWS OF 2021 – The Norqain Neverest Night Sight (#30)
Ricardo SimeEditor’s note: There were a lot of watches released in 2021 and the Time+Tide team endeavoured to review as many of them as we possibly could. Here we count down the Top 30 reviews of the year by traffic in our best radio DJ voice. At number 30, it’s the Norqain Neverest Night Sight…
In my less than a decade of collecting, I’ve come to categorise watch brands into two distinct groups. The first consists of brands that simply make watches. There is no specific target audience. A little bit of everything is thrown on the plate for as many people as possible to enjoy. The second group of brands conduct everything from R&D to manufacturing with a certain buyer in mind. Each watch, each creation, is purposefully built for this specific target audience. After meeting Norqain, they seem to be living life as the latter. Thus, it’s no surprise to me that they would release the watch we are introducing today; the Neverest Night Sight.
The Neverest Night Sight is Norqain’s latest release in their Adventure series of watches. As such, it begins life within their familiar Neverest 40mm case. That case is 13.25mm thick and has a very wearable lug-to-lug of 48.3mm. A screw-down crown aids the watch in achieving 200 metres of water resistance. From that foundation, Norqain points the watch into a more rugged direction by applying black DLC coating to its surfaces. That coating bears a satin-brushed finish, which brings home the sportiness of the watch.
The overall adventurer styling is then further accentuated by a first for the brand; a bi-directional compass bezel. Use of this feature differs depending whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere. For those in the southern hemisphere, during the day, lay the watch down on a flat surface, with 12 o’clock pointed towards the sun. Rotate the compass bezel until the N (North) is halfway between the shortest distance separating the 12 and the hour hand. That is now your north reference point. (You’ll also note Norqain’s playful use of their logo to represent North on the bezel.) If you are instead in the northern hemisphere, you must start with your hour hand pointed at the sun. From there, rotate the compass bezel until the S (South) is halfway between the shortest distance between 12 and the hour hand. That is now your south reference point.
Moving on to the dial, we’re met with more firsts for the brand. Here, Norqain uses the classic 3,6,9, 12, which has not been used on any of their models prior. This layout and the accompanying indexes are black on a sand-coloured dial that offers excellent legibility. Yet should you question that legibility, the brand takes things a step further with what is easily the highlight of the whole watch. That sand coloured dial is actually made of X1 Super-LumiNova (also used on the hands). In darker settings it glows a bright green colour that can’t be missed. This simple feature solidifies the watch as a perfect companion for any adventurer.
Powering this lumed up beast, and viewed through an exhibition caseback, is Norqain’s NN20/1 movement. It’s a no date movement that was used on their Independence 20 Limited Edition. This movement was made in partnership with movement manufacturer Kenissi and is exclusive to Norqain. It features a robust fully bridged balance wheel and offers 70 hours of power reserve while beating at 28,800 bph. Furthermore, it’s a COSC-certified chronometer movement so expect some great daily rates.
To round out the package, Norqain offers the watch with three possible options for those 20mm lugs. There is the pictured flex fabric strap, which is sand coloured like the dial and has black accents. You can also get the watch on a DLC-coated stainless steel bracelet. And finally, a rubber strap to go with all that water resistance.
Overall, the Norqain Neverest Night Sight is a great addition to the Adventure collection. It provides a robust, pared down watch for any collector looking for that simple statement. The specification also place it right up there with some of the alternatives out there. At the end of the day, I look at this watch and can’t help but considering it to be the brand’s answer to a Rolex Explorer, yet with a bit more attitude. And I like that. I’m willing to bet many of you out there will like that too.
Norqain Neverest Night Sight Collection Price and Availability:
The Norqain Neverest Night Sight is currently available from the Norqain website. Pricing is $3490 USD on the Flex Fabric, $3510 USD on the rubber strap and $3890 USD on the bracelet.
10% of every Neverest watch that Norqain sells goes to the Butterfly Help Project. This organization helps families of Sherpas who have lost their lives in the Himalayan mountains and give their children access to education.