Hands-on Review: Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono

2 0 Tuesday, 21 April 2020 Edit this post

Norqain is one of the most interesting watch brands emerged in the last few years.

Founded in 2018 by watchmaking industry veteran Marc Küffer - former owner of the Swiss luxury watch producer Roventa-Henex and member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Watch Industry Association for more than two decades - and his son Ben, the CEO of the company, this fully independent company located in Nidau (Biel) has developed in a short time frame three collections, Adventure, Freedom and Independence, each with their own distinctive style and character.

We recently had the opportunity to wear and test for a few days the Freedom 60 Chrono, a vintage-style sports chronograph of great appeal, and we were positively impressed by the level of attention that Norqain paid to details in designing this model.

The Freedom 60 Chrono comes in a 316L stainless steel case whose line are highlighted by the alternation of polished and satin-brushed surfaces.

Despite its pretty large size (43 mm diameter, 15 mm thickness), the watch sits very comfortably on the wrist thanks to ergonomically designed short lugs.

Wristshot of the Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono

On the right side, we have the classic two chronograph pushers (start and stop at 2 o'clock, reset at 4 o'clock) and the large screwed crown with the embossed side-by-side N’s that are part of the Norqain logo symbolising a mountain peak.

On the left side, we find a polished plate, also made of 316L stainless steel, with the Norqain logo. This plate can optionally be engraved with your name or a personal message at the extra cost of Euro 140. The inset pusher located on at 10 o’clock can be used to adjust the date that is displayed on the dial between 4 and 5 o'clock. By repeatedly pushing it, the date-disc will rotate forwards until reaching the desired date without having to readjust the time.

Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 10 ATM (approximately 100 metres / 330 feet).

Protected by a double anti-reflective, scratch-proof box-type sapphire crystal, the "reverse panda" tricompax dial offers excellent readability thanks to large hand-applied indexes and syringe hands that stand out against the black background. The white sub-dials indicate chronograph 30-minute and 12-hour at 3 and 6 o'clock respectively and running seconds at 9 o'clock.

Old Radium Super-LumiNova emitting green glow is applied to hands and markers to enhance visibility in poor light conditions. The applied Norqain logo adds a nice final touch to the ensemble.

Lumeshot of the Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono

Showcased through the sapphire crystal transparent caseback, the self-winding Norqain Calibre NN18 is based on the highly reliable and time-tested ETA/Valjoux 7753, an excellent chronograph mechanism with cams and a 3-6-9 dial layout that we definitely prefer to the 6-9-12 layout used by the ETA/Valjoux 7750.

The Calibre NN18 features a personalized unidirectional winding rotor enhanced by Côtes de Genève decoration and the engraved logo of the brand. Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), this movement guarantees a power reserve of 48 hours.

The watch is perfectly matched to a vintage-style leather strap with distinctive “Norqain stitches” available in various nuances (ebony, praline, truffle and shark) and secured to the wrist by a stainless steel pin buckle with engraved logo.

The Freedom 60 Chrono is also available with a well executed stainless steel bracelet.

This attractive chronograph from Norqain can be a strong competitor even for chronographs from brands with more tradition. If you are looking for a quality sport chronograph with a vintage touch, the Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono should definitely be considered among your buying options. The price of Euro 3,590 with leather strap or Euro 3,840 with steel bracelet is certainly in line with the high quality of this timepiece and, in particular, its style, finishes and performances. norqain.com