Q&ANorqain’s CEO And Founder Speaks About The Spirit Of Freedom And Daring

When Norqain was being conceived, what were the key factors that went into defining what its DNA would be?

It was all about creating a brand that was authentic and pure, which meant it had to be a brand from scratch. It was to be a brand coming from a younger generation in Switzerland. We believe in mechanical watches—it’s a part of our culture. And it felt so normal for me to make an outdoor, active brand, because that’s what Switzerland is about, it’s what our team is about—we’re a very sporty team. Norqain is a nature-based Swiss watch brand, and the motor behind it is an active, young team. In 2018, even when nobody believed in us, we believed that it’s important to have brands at the entry-level price point among independent manufacturers.

How did you and the team decide on the Norqain collections and what the products were going to look like?

For me, it was clear that we had to have three collections. Independence was always going to be the main one, because that’s what we are—we’re all about independent watchmaking. This is the collection where we decided to do our daring designs and to really express ourselves. This is also the collection that led to The Wild One watches with bold designs. Then, we have the Adventure—the modern sport watch with a rotating bezel. Last, but not the least, there’s the Freedom 60, which is the vintage sporty line. The three collections allowed me three different worlds to design with.

What are the complications and features that you haven’t done yet and would like to include in the brand’s portfolio?

There are a lot of things that we would like to do that we have not done yet. We’re only a five-year-old company. One thing I can immediately think of is doing a split-seconds chronograph. There’s nothing in the works yet, but it’s one that I’d like to do. I would love to have a slim chronograph movement. I think there should definitely be more chronographs. We’re a sporty brand. It suits us.

“I think there should definitely be more chronographs in our portfolio. We’re a sporty brand. It suits us.” Seen here is a 44mm Adventure chronograph in a DLC-treated steel case

What are the challenges you face as a young brand in an industry that literally goes back centuries?

When we launched, I faced only problems because the Swiss watch industry is about tradition, history, the stories… The day we took the decision that we would not buy an existing brand and that I would start something new was the day that I thought that, hopefully, in 20 years, people will say that we were these crazy guys who launched a new brand in a tradition-heavy industry. I’d like for them to think of the Swiss brands that are sold to big groups. For them to admire the passion we have, how we’re investing into our products for the long term, and how we don’t have shareholders behind us. We knew that nobody needed a new watch brand, so we were all prepared to do what needed to be done in order to make a mark as a new watch brand.

Could you talk about the biggest milestones for the brand—the things that made it what it is today? How has the brand evolved from what it was initially?

The first watch fair in 2018 was when there was confirmation of what I was expecting, but even worse—that nobody wanted a new watch brand. I had everything ready, I had my vision, and I was all set to launch the brand by January 2019. But the reaction was very bad. In 2019, when we started our product with our whole hearts into it, we knew we would have to give it our all, and would have to do everything it took to be a success. The next milestone was when we partnered with Kenissi, right before the pandemic. It was a big milestone for us to have our own manufacture-developed calibres. That was big. And last, but not the least, was our collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver.

How did Jean-Claude Biver come on board? What are your key learnings from working with him?

During COVID, I was depressed. I was alone in the office, it was around Easter, and I received an email from Jean-Claude Biver. And I didn’t know him personally back then, you should know. He came to meet me, and I showed him around, he met the team. And at the end of the meeting, he told me he saw something special in us, in Norqain. He said he believed that in an industry of tradition, we needed new stories to tell, and that he would help me launch a watch that would be super-light, super-robust and very sporty—if I wanted that. I called him the next day and said, “Let’s go!” Two and a half years later, we launched The Wild One.

My biggest learnings from Biver—even as I continue to learn—are, one, that he never takes no for an answer. I’m like that too, but he really goes to the extreme. When someone tells him something is not possible, that’s when he gets really interested. With suppliers and innovation, he’s always challenging people to push boundaries. He’s always looking for a new challenge. And the second thing is his humility. I hope I too can always be humble, the way I was raised by my father. Jean-Claude Biver has that humility, despite all his success with so many brands, and with who he is in the industry. He’s a completely normal guy, and I love that.

“My biggest learnings from Biver—even as I continue to learn—are, one, that he never takes no for an answer. And the second thing is his humility. He has that, despite all his success with so many brands, and with who he is in the industry. He’s a completely normal guy, and I love that.”

What was the shift in attitude like from people at large when this partnership with Biver was announced?

We had a lot of eyes. More people took notice. And, of course, the people who have been following us from the beginning have seen an evolution in the brand. For instance, with The Wild One, people took notice of how we’d gone into the territory of new materials. With Jean-Claude, of course there would be new materials.

Küffer was wearing the Independence Wild One during our conversation

The Wild One uses a very durable material called Norteq, made from carbon fibre and a high-performance polymer matrix

What are the biggest highlights for the brand in 2023—the novelties, innovations, developments and so on?

There are two or three new and exciting editions of The Wild One, which I think people will be excited about. We’re launching five new Independence watches, including two new skeleton editions, for which are receiving a very good response. There’s a green gradient, and a brown. In terms of products, we have a lot of different novelties with variations and new editions. These Independents have already been launched this year, and the new Wild Ones will be coming soon.

Could you talk about your collaborations with Dean Schneider and others? How do these associations come into place, and what kind of goals are set for these partnerships?

I want people who inspire other people. Dean is one of them. He inspired 10 million people to follow him by supporting animals in South Africa. And we give 10 per cent of the Norqain Hakuna Mipaka’s sales to him and his foundation in South Africa. It’s a great story, he’s an amazing guy, and I’m very proud to be working with him.

I think our goal with these collaborations is to do something good. For instance, with the Neverest collection, there is our association with organisations that support Sherpas’ families.

“I think our goal with these collaborations is to do something good. For instance, with the Neverest collection, there is our association with organisations that support Sherpas’ families.”

The Neverest Night Sight comes with a dial completely coated with Super-LumiNova, in keeping with the outdoor theme of the series and the Norqain brand

NORQAIN Adventure

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Looking back at the last five years, how do you see the next five years going for the brand?

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped bring us here. For the next five years, I want all those who supported us to be proud. When they’re standing with watch enthusiasts, they can say that they knew Norqain would make it, and they believed in us. Our goal is to make our community grow as much as possible. I believe those who wear Norqain watches are our best ambassadors.