My favourite watch type is diver type watches, not necessarily for diving but more because I generally prefer the look of divers and use the rotating bezel as a fidget spinner and my favourite complication is the chronograph. I’d been searching for a combination of the two for a while with the problem being that I couldn’t find a decent diving chronograph at a price I was comfortable with (and at a retail price of CHF3460 this also didn’t match my budget). I tried a few with the best of them being the limited edition Solar Seiko Prospex Diver, but that just didn’t fit right. And then I found this Norqain at a very reduced price at an authorized dealer, and it seemed perfect. During this review I’ll be going over the; Norqain brand, watch specs, movement, positive points and negative issues to try and explain why.

Specifications

• Diameter 41mm

• Thickness 15mm

• Lug to Lug 48.9mm

• Lug Width 20mm

• Material Stainless Steel

• 120 Click Unidirectional Rotating Bezel

• 100m Water Resistance

• Screw Down Crown

• In House Automatic NN17 Movement

Brand

A relatively young brand Norqain was formed in 2018 in Biel Switzerland by current CEO Ben Kuffer, who had 45 years in the Swiss Watch Industry; and board members Ted Schneider, a member of the family who created Breitling; and famous Swiss Ice Hockey player Mark Streit. Norqain has also benefited from the support of Swiss Watch Industry legend Jean-Claude Biver, who has been instrumental in the creation of the Norqain Wild One.

Norqain put a lot of stock in their logo the two N’s representing the Swiss mountains which apparently are representative of the mountaineering spirit of the brand and their drive to reach new peaks. All Norqain watches are supplied with a screwed on steel plate on the side of the case at the 9, which allows for a touch of personalization as Norqain offer an engraving service here. Also since 2020 Norqain has been in partnership with movement manufacturers Kenissi allowing them to have in house movements in their watches.

Positive Points

So right up the bat this is a very striking watch. The dial has a very interesting pattern of blues that catch the light in interesting ways and change how the dial appears. As well as the dial the case is beautifully finished with some nice polishing on the edges and brushed surfaces. The bezel has some very nice beveling on the edge and the bezel is a nice steel one. All of which gives the Watch a toolish aesthetic while still retaining a nice luxury touch.

The specs of the watch are very good with a 100m water resistance backed up with a screw down crown, although it should be noted that the chronograph pushers are not screw down ones. The size of the case is nice at a very manageable 41mm diameter and 49.8mm lug to lug. The 15mm thickness might seem like a lot but a decent amount of this does disappear into the case back when on, meaning this watch can be worn with a casual shirt without bulging out of the cuff.

Negative Issues

As I alluded to you earlier the watch is quite thick, and while a lot of that disappears on wrist the watch is still thicker than most would. This would make the watch impossible to wear as a dress watch, but I don’t think most of the people who buy this watch would be doing so for this purpose.

Also this is a very busy dial, with a day/date and chronograph complication as well as the dial pattern. This is not an issue for me but I’m sure a lot of people won’t like that and will find that it affects the legibility of the watch.

The 100m water resistance is great and I like the screw down crown, but the fact that the pushers aren’t screw down pushers (despite looking like that) and I can’t help thinking that they’re more likely to be knocked meaning the water resistance can’t be completely guaranteed. But again I consider this a dive style watch rather than a dive watch and won’t be taking this on anything more than a splash in the water.

Movement

This watch houses Norqain’s own NN17 movement that is broadly based on the Sellita SW500a movement with 25 jewels, a beat rate of 28800vph and boasting a power reserve of 62 hours, assuming the chronograph isn’t running. when I’ve checked the accuracy of the movement I’ve got an average of +7.4s/d, a very good accuracy level for a movement with so many complications. The movement is nicely decorated with the rotor signed with the name Norqain and the brands double N logo.

Conclusion

I love this watch. Is it perfect no, I would have liked the pushers to be screwed down ones just for that level of security and it would have been nice if the watch was slimmer, although at the price I paid I’m assuming that would not be possible without loosing something I really like such as the display caseback, or water resistance.

So again is it perfect no, and anyone who has a dislike for bulky watches should probably stay clear but this watch is definitely a keeper for me and I would happily recommend this to anyone wanting a sporty chronograph.