Norqain, the Swiss watch company formed in 2018 by a bunch of industry veterans, has unveiled its first timepiece with an in-house movement. A sports watch, the Independence 20 has a striking forest-inspired green dial and is a limited edition of 200 pieces.
The self-winding Caliber NN20/1, is a chronometer-grade movement and has an impressive 70-hour power reserve. It is the first watch produced as a result of the fledgling brand’s tie-up with Kenissi, a new Swiss manufacturer of automatic movements that’s owned by Tudor.
The movement is fitted with a rotor that carries the “double N” Norqain logo and the movement bridge has an inscription of the core values of the brand: “Adventure – Freedom – Independence”. The movement’s escapement oscillates at 4 Hz (28,800 vph).
The case is made from 316L stainless steel and measures a very modern 42 mm in width and 11.80 mm in thickness. It has a mix of brushed, polished and sandblasted finishes. The satin-finished bezel is flat and has a polished edge. Buyers have the option of personalizing the polished plate on the caseband, a characteristic of all Norqain watches. Water-resistant to 100 meters, it is fitted with a double anti-reflective, box type sapphire glass and a screwed-in crown.
The stepped dial, 60-minute indication and hand-applied indexes sit on a black inner ring. The forest green dial sits a level lower and has a scratched decorative pattern that ensures no two are exactly alike. The semi-skeletonized faceted hour and minute hands are coated in Super-LumiNova, while the seconds hand has a red-colored tip to match the “Chronometer” indication on the dial.
There are two options with the bracelet – either a three-link 316L stainless steel number with a folding clasp and additional security clasp. The polished central links contrast well with the brushed outer links. The other option is a black integrated leather strap with a pin buckle. As mentioned earlier, the watch is limited to just 200 pieces and is priced at AED11,950.
