Norqain
Cornol, Switzerland · Est. 2018
Founded by Ben Küffer
Norqain was founded in Biel/Bienne in 2018 by Ben Küffer and an experienced team, producing sport and adventure watches with Kenissi movements — the manufacture also supplying Tudor and Chanel. The brand has grown rapidly through its emphasis on Swiss manufacture credentials and straightforward, purposeful design.
- Founded
- 2018
- Headquarters
- Cornol, Switzerland
- Group
- Independent
- Price Segment
- Mid
- Status
- Active
Key Collections
- Wild ONE — NORQAIN Wild ONE is the brand's high-performance sports collection, built around NORTEQ carbon-fibre cases, skeleton dials, chronograph options, and bold color editions. Key references: Wild ONE Skeleton Chrono, Wild ONE Skeleton 42mm Coral, Wild ONE Meteorite Special Edition.
- Independence — NORQAIN Independence is a skeleton-led collection for the brand's bolder modern watches, with current official examples spanning chronographs, titanium limited editions, and colored open-worked dials. Key references: Independence Skeleton Chrono Orange, Independence Skeleton Chrono Purple, Independence Skeleton Jade Limited Edition.
- Adventure — NORQAIN Adventure is the brand's all-terrain sport collection, officially positioned for trails, summits, and tides with patterned dials, chronographs, and NEVEREST GMT variants. Key references: Adventure Chrono 44mm DLC, Adventure 40mm Grey, Adventure NEVEREST GMT Glacier.
- Freedom — NORQAIN Freedom is the brand's vintage-leaning outdoor collection, with official current examples including Freedom Chrono, playful Enjoy Life editions, and Freedom 60 GMT models. Key references: Freedom Chrono Sprinkles Pink, Freedom 60 Chrono 43mm Black, Freedom 60 GMT Ice Blue.
Timeline
- 2018 — Ben Küffer founds NORQAIN in Nidau, Switzerland, as an independent family-owned watch brand.
- 2019 — Launches first collections — Independence and Freedom — powered by quality third-party Swiss movements.
- 2021 — Partners with Kenissi (Tudor's movement manufacturer) for exclusive calibre supply.
- 2023 — Introduces the Wild ONE with a proprietary NORTEQ carbon composite case, weighing under 60 grams.
- 2024 — Expands global distribution and establishes itself as one of Switzerland's fastest-growing independent brands.
- 2025 — Announces landmark multiyear partnership with the NHL as Official Luxury Sports Watch. Debuts the 8K Manufacture Calibre skeletonised flyback chronograph movement and Wild ONE Skeleton 39mm at Watches & Wonders 2025.
- 2026 — Launches the redesigned Adventure 40mm and the Wild One Skeleton Chrono with flyback at Watches & Wonders 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions about Norqain
- Who is behind NORQAIN?
- Ben Küffer, a third-generation Swiss watch industry professional whose family has deep roots in the industry (his father led Breitling for years).
- What makes the Wild ONE special?
- It uses NORTEQ, a proprietary carbon-fibre composite developed with a Swiss materials specialist, making it one of the lightest Swiss mechanical watches ever produced.
Other independent Switzerland watch brands
- Hautlence — La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
- Gerald Charles — La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
- Frederique Constant — Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland
- Raymond Weil — Geneva, Switzerland