Unique materials and sporty sensibility shine through! Interview with the Vice President about the new work of Swiss rising star NORQAIN|Pen Online

At NORQAIN’s new work presentation held this fall, two top Japan athletes called “NORKEINER” took the stage. What resonates with the brand is an insatiable spirit of challenge. We sat down with Tobias Kaffer, Vice President of NORQAIN, to learn more about the latest releases from a remarkable brand that is taking the Swiss watch industry by storm.

Sport climber Tomoa Narasaki (left) and ski jumper Ryosuke Kobayashi (right) participated in the new product launch event “NORQAIN PEAKS 2024” held on November 15.

Representation of high quality and affordables with skeletons

Tobias Kaffer was born in Switzerland in 1990. He started his career in the watch industry in 2013 with Louis Erard. After gaining experience in the sales department, he became Vice President of NORQAIN in 21. Since his first visit to Japan last year, he has deepened his ties with Japan.

When I dodged the greeting of the first meeting, I gave him a carefree smile, “Please call me Toby.” This is also the friendliness unique to a family brand. However, it goes without saying that there is a strong will and passion to promote the business with his brother Ben, who is the CEO.

INSPIRED BY THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW HER OWN PATH, THE NEW WORK IN THE COLLECTION IS THE INDEPENDENCE SKELETON 42MM GRAY. The sandblasted case features a robust crown guard to emphasize its strength. The open-work skeleton grey dial is chicly matched with red gold colours on the pointers and indexes.　

“We first adopted the skeleton in 2021 not only because we wanted to showcase our unique design, but also because we wanted to show the brand’s commitment to providing the best quality at the best price,” explains Kaffer.

INDEPENDENCE SKELETON 42MM GREY / THE SKELETON, WHICH APPEARED IN 2021 AS A LIMITED EDITION, HAS BEEN REGULARIZED THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THE DURATION OF THE CURRENT MODEL HAS ALSO BEEN IMPROVED. Self-winding, SS Case & Bracelet, Case Diameter 42mm, Power Reserve Approx. 41 Hours, See-Through Back, 100m Water Resistance. ￥693,000

The name of the collection, Independence, overlaps with the pride of an independent brand.

“Being independent is a really important value, and it’s about being yourself, which is a challenge, but you can work with a partner factory that you can think of 100 per cent of the time. That’s where our watches come from.”

From the flagship “Wild One Skeleton 42MM”, which symbolizes the brand’s innovation, two new products are now available. It is a model made of the original material NORTEQ and an exclusive style made of 18K red gold.

The new model is made of grey Nortec material and features a multi-piece case in which the movement is housed in a titanium container protected by rubber shock absorbers and sandwiched between Nortec cages.

WILD ONE SKELETON 42MM GREY / NORTEC, A CARBON COMPOSITE MATERIAL THAT IS DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP WITH A HIGH BRIGHTNESS COLOR, HAS ACHIEVED BLUE-GRAY FOR THE FIRST TIME THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. Self-winding, Nortec case, case diameter 42mm, power reserve about 41 hours, see-through back, rubber strap, 200m water resistance. ￥902,000

“Nortec is a carbon composite material that is resistant to deformation and never breaks even if it is naturally fragile carbon, and its unique case structure achieves an impact resistance of 5000 G, so it can be worn in golf, tennis, baseball, cycling, or any other sport. This is further reduced with a skeleton dial, which weighs only 78 grams.”

On the other hand, the new one, which uses 18K red gold, says that he really likes the color harmony with the chocolate brown.

Wild One Skeleton 42MM Gold / The “PX IMPACT Gold” used is 18K red gold with a low environmental impact supplied by the PX Group, and is committed to social responsibility as a fully traceable material. Self-winding, 18K RGB case, case diameter 42mm, power reserve about 41 hours, see-through back, rubber strap, 200m water resistance. ￥2,365,000

“The exterior is made of gold, and it weighs about 100g, but it still has an impact resistance of 5000g. For these new releases, we have hired Swiss professional ice hockey player Roman Joshi as an ambassador. He can use it seamlessly in training and off the rink, which is exactly what he is going to do.”

Legendary Swiss ice hockey player Roman Joshi has made more than 900 appearances as a professional ice hockey defender. As a NORKANER, he is an ambassador and one of the co-owners, and his passion for challenges resides in the spirit of the brand.

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A limited edition model that pays tribute to Japan is now available

From the “Adventure Sports” announced as the first collection at the time of the brand’s founding, a new Japan limited edition has appeared, and a two-color dial is available. While the regular model has a sporty ceramic bezel, it is finished with polish and stands out for its elegant luster.

“We envisioned that people who would be using Swiss mechanical watches for the first time would wear them regardless of the occasion or outfit Japan, and we wanted them to wear them regardless of the occasion or outfit.

THE GEOMETRIC NORQAIN PATTERN ENGRAVED ON THE ADVENTURE SPORTS JP 42MM/MIDNIGHT BLUE DIAL EXPRESSES INDIVIDUALITY AND PHILOSOPHY, WHILE ALSO IMPROVING VISIBILITY. Self-winding, SS Case & Bracelet, Case Diameter 42mm, Power Reserve Approx. 41 Hours, Water Resistant to 100m. ￥396,000

ADVENTURE SPORT JP 42MM / The hard stainless steel case is harmonized with an anthracite dial. The polished gloss of the bezel adds elegance and glamour. Self-winding, SS Case & Bracelet, Case Diameter 42mm, Power Reserve Approx. 41 Hours, Water Resistant to 100m. ￥396,000

The two colors, midnight blue and anthracite, each show off their different personalities and can be chosen according to their style. Both dials are engraved with a NORQAIN pattern.

“We want to pay attention to the details, and one of them is that the calendar disc is the same color as the dial. In general, it is white or black, but then it stands out too much. On the other hand, if it is the same color, it will blend in naturally, but it will not be versatile with other dials, and it will take time and money. But I chose the same color because I didn’t want to compromise on watchmaking.”

Tobias Kaffer says he strongly sympathizes with the passion of the Japan people for watches, their quest for quality and detail. What is contained in the Japan exclusive is nothing less than respect. It also resonates with NORQAIN’s great challenge to inherit and further develop Swiss watch culture for future generations.

NORQAIN JAPAN
TEL：03-6864-3876
norqain.com

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