We tell a detective story about Norqain watches, about which we found some scrupulous details.
Action 1: the appearance of the hero
Deep down everyone doubts. Everyone except those who buy NFTs and crypto. The rest tend to trust anyone but themselves. And you know what? I don't really believe in myself either. But when it comes to watches, there is one person whose opinion I fully share and can always rely on. If he has started something, expect extravaganza and fun, explosive success and fabulous profits. So, let me introduce: “a seller in a toy store” (as he calls himself), a master of performance, a man-orchestra and just a demiurge of the watch world - Mr. Jean-Claude Biver.
In short: absolutely everything that Beaver touched in the watch industry became a gold mine - no matter what swamp he got another story from. Just an example: without exaggeration, the great, oldest watch brand Blancpain was bought by Jean-Claude in 1981 for £15. After 000 years, he sold the already prosperous manufactory for £11 million.
Yes, there were times when mechanical watches were not in favor. Then he took to raising Omega. Do you know what kind of watch James Bond wears? Here. Do you know who exactly put them on his hand? Now you know. After Beaver took on a very young brand, the watch case of that brand resembled a submarine porthole. It was a gold watch with a rubber strap. And you know this brand. Now everyone knows her. This is Hublot. In 2004, Beever became Hublot's chief executive and the company's turnover grew from £10m to £20m in less than 500 years.
What is Jean-Claude Biver doing today? Follow me, reader! I will reveal all my secrets to you.
Action 2: Brand Emergence
Among all the bright world events, it was difficult to recognize a barely noticeable movement in the watch world. Yes, in 2018, a certain Ben Küffer founded his own watch brand Norqain in Switzerland. Ben approached the matter very thoroughly. He invited Ted Schneider to the team (the one whose family owned the Breitling brand for almost 40 years) and offered a place on the board to Mark Streit, the famous Swiss hockey player, Stanley Cup winner. He appointed (whom would you think? Correct!) Mark Küffer as the Chairman of the Board, who, in turn, has been working in the premium segment of the watch industry for more than 45 years: he was the CEO, the curator of production, and the owner of watch brands.
Moreover, for a quarter of a century, Mark Küffer was on the board of directors of the Swiss Watch Industry Association. Is the bouquet too strong, you ask? And how. But even the most chic salad needs a cementing base. In general, all this retinue undertook to create new watches so vehemently that the "refueling" should have appeared by itself. And then there was a knock on Norqain's door. Behind the door stood a gray-haired giant with burning eyes. Yes. Yes. Jean-Claude Biver himself.
The big game has begun, place your bets gentlemen. And better do them right now, while the entrance ticket is still relatively inexpensive.
Action 3: the phenomenon of the clock
As I said, Jean-Claude Biver in the watch business is something like Warren Buffett in the investment business. If he “buys” something, run after him, the chances of success are high. And so I immediately took this watch in my hands, examined it from all sides, walked in it for a week and this is what I saw. I’ll make a reservation right away about a strictly subjective choice: I love watches on a bracelet. No Nato or leather straps.
My sore point is watches with GMT function. I don’t always have a relationship with them, but there are several copies in the collection. Next, in terms of size. Like many watch enthusiasts who are large-sized by nature, it took me a very long time to move from huge watches to compact, classic sizes: the case is no more than 40 mm in diameter, the height is preferably 12-14 mm. In general, the Norqain model from the Freedom 60 collection fit these parameters.
Steel classic case with polishing and satin finish, the same bracelet, not flat, but domed sapphire crystal of the dial (this is a particularly nice moment), three hands for classic time indication and one for GMT, that is, the second time zone. Black dial, date window at 3 o'clock, 100-meter water resistance, luminous hands and indexes, and screw-down crown.
By the way, I would like to note the hour and minute thermometer hands separately. There is medical rigor and clarity in this.
Well, everything is fine, but what is so amazing about this watch? What were the guys up to? For this I had to dig deeper. Namely, look at the back of the watch - there is a transparent sapphire cover. Oh, how much I see through this magical sapphire.
Look, official information says: Norqain watches are equipped with calibers NN20 and ETA/Sellita. Caliber NN20 is the result of a collaboration between Norqain and Kenissi, a Geneva-based movement manufacturer. The result of cooperation is the three-hand switch NN20 / 1 and GMT NN20 / 2, that is, with an indicator of the second time zone. And everything would be fine if I had not met exactly the same mechanism before. And not just anywhere, but in a Tudor North Flag watch in 2015. Yes, it was caliber MT5621 and yes, no GMT function, but this is Tudor's first in-house movement.
How did I know about it and how did I not forget? Ask! It was the first watch in Tudor history to feature a transparent case back. Why such a revelation? But only to the fact that Tudor, like Rolex, does not make mistakes. And that in these seven years the caliber has shown itself in action. Let me be wrong and I just imagined the identity of the mechanisms, because the names are different, but, believe me, wearing a watch of a young brand with a caliber of a legendary brand on your hand is cool. Why? Now I will explain everything.
So, let's move on to the details of the clock. What is important: almost all GMT-calibers translate the date slowly, tightly, start wrapping it up at 11 at night and cope with the clock by 3 in the morning. This state of affairs is acceptable to some, but it pisses me off. But Norqain Freedom 60 does it instantly, at midnight. What could be better? Only a 70-hour automatic caliber power reserve and silicon balance spring.
Let's return to the appearance of the watch. Norqain is inspired by uncharted routes and unexplored places. Hence the names of the collections - Adventure, Freedom and Independence ("Adventure", "Freedom" and "Independence"). The brand's logo - mirrored letters N in the shape of a mountain peak - is a tribute to the Swiss Alps and the spirit of adventure. “The Swiss Alps have always inspired us,” say the founders of the brand, “and their sheer imperfection has influenced our vision. The adventurous spirit of mountaineering is deeply ingrained in our DNA and we are constantly looking for new challenges.”
Well, the main test is the test by the public, watch enthusiasts. But with such calibers and such a team, the brand has a great future. After all, when Jean-Claude Biver himself advises you ...
