A luxury watch brand we have yet to explore in much detail is Norqain. With a history spanning no more than four years, they have already cemented a reputation for engineering durable sports watches all designed to embody the brand’s love of the outdoors. While their other collections certainly deserve some of our attention soon, their latest release has really caught our attention. With a robust steel case, openwork dial and a chronometer movement, here’s the Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton Special Edition watch…
Before we jump straight into the details of the new Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton watch, let’s first give you a brief introduction of the Swiss watch brand behind it. Established in 2018, Norqain’s focus is on 100% mechanical watches and in-house design that personifies a love of adventure. The family behind the brand already have a long history in luxury watch manufacture. It began with CEO Ben Küffer who brought on Ted Schneider, a member of the family known for owning Breitling for nearly 40 years, and Mark Streit, the Swiss ice hockey legend. Marc Küffer, Chairman of the Board, also has over 45 years of experience as an owner and CEO of a Swiss watch brand. More recently, Norqain also collaborated legend Jean-Claude Biver who you’ll likely know for his 50-year long career working at Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Omega, Hublot, TAG Heuer and LVMH. Together, this all-star team created three key Norqain collections: the Freedom, Adventure and Independence. The latter is their range of exclusive limited editions characterised by innovative technologies and rare movements. It is where you’ll find the new Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton watch.
As you’d expect from a brand that prides themselves on durable outdoor-suited watches, the case of the Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton Special Edition is strong but not overly imposing with a diameter of 42mm and a height of 11.8mm. It is engineered from 316L stainless steel and features a combination of brushed, polished and sand-blasted surfaces. On the left hand side of the case, you’ll find a polished Norqain plate while the right side leaves room for the screwed down crown engraved with the double N logo. The crown is paired with protruding crown guards to help assist in a water resistant rating of 100 metres.
Housed beneath box-shaped anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass is the novelty of the Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton watch, its dial. The intricate workings of the NORQAIN calibre NN08S are exposed centre stage beneath a set of hardware for indicating the hours, minutes and seconds. The hour and minute hands are also skeletonised and treated to tips of Superluminova while the seconds hand stands out with a red outlined Superluminova tip. Around the edge, a monochromatic chapter ring slopes downwards with a 5 minute scale towards applied faceted Superluminova indexes.
The NORQAIN calibre NN08S automatic winding movement can be seen through both the front and sapphire crystal glass back of the Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton watch, the latter allowing you a view of the custom Norqain decorated rotor. The movement takes its base from the Sellita SW 200-1S but includes some additional improvements to allow for its chronometer certification. We’re also warranted a power reserve of 38 hours and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
The Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton watch is completed by a three-row link stainless steel bracelet with brushed and polished finishing and a folding buckle. The release retails at £3,050 and is described as a special edition, but for now it appears the Swiss watch brand have only 300 pieces available. Whether or not they will manufacture more is currently unknown.
If you’d like to learn more about the Norqain Independence 22 Skeleton Special Edition and order it for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 42mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in with crown-guards
- Case Back: Sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Manufacture Calibre NN08S automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Skeleton with Superluminova markers and hands
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
- Buckle: Folding
- Limited: Special edition, currently 300 pieces available
- RRP: £3,050
- Release Date: Available now
