Norqain

Norqain was founded in 2018 in Nidau, near Biel, on the initiative of Ben Küffer, together with former Swiss ice hockey star Mark Streit as co-founder. The company presents itself as an independent, family-run business, with roots its founders trace back to four decades of watchmaking production in the Tavannes region. The declared goal from the outset has been to produce robust, almost "indestructible" mechanical sports watches, able to accompany their wearer through outdoor activities and adventures, at prices more accessible than those of the great historic Swiss manufactures.

A key step in the brand's growth came in February 2020, when Norqain began a partnership with Kenissi, the movement manufacture founded by Tudor that also produces calibers for other brands in the Rolex/Tudor group. From this partnership came COSC chronometer-certified manufacture calibers, with power reserves reaching up to 70 hours. Over time the technical project was expanded with the development, together with Manufacture AMT, of an in-house flyback chronograph caliber (the 8K Manufacture Calibre), carried out under the guidance of Ben Küffer and board advisor Jean-Claude Biver, a reference figure in the Swiss watch industry.

The brand's own name is conceived as an acronym of its declared values — New, Open-minded, Rebellious, Quality time, Adventure, Independent, Niche — which sum up Norqain's positioning: a young, independent Swiss watchmaker, with a declared focus on sustainability (straps free of animal-derived components across much of the catalogue) and ties to the world of sport, reinforced by partnerships with the NHL Players' Association and with athletes such as Mark Streit himself.