Norqain’s Best-selling Freedom 60 Chronograph Is Presented In A Smaller Size With New Strap Options

The new Freedom 60 Chronograph now features a comfortable 40mm stainless steel case with a royal blue or anthracite two-layer dial. NORQAIN delivers on its promise to use only vegan-certified watch straps with innovative options developed with AppleSkin and tide ocean SA.

The NORQAIN Freedom 60 Chronograph, among NORQAIN’s top-selling watches, is launched today with a 40mm case that suits wrists of all sizes. The model is presented in two variations featuring a royal blue or anthracite dial. Additionally, there are two innovative options for watch straps made with recycled materials.

In 2021, the brand announced a commitment to phasing out all leather straps in its collection, a bold statement that underscores NORQAIN’s unconventionality in the watch industry. As part of the announcement, NORQAIN promised that all new timepieces would be introduced with only vegan-certified straps or metallic bracelets. These new Freedom 60 Chronograph models are presented with the wearer’s choice of four vegan straps, two of which make use of everyday materials in a highly innovative way.

The new Freedom 60 Chronograph 40mm

The key difference between this Freedom 60 Chronograph and its predecessors is the comfortable 40mm case size which makes it a stylish unisex model. The dial is available in royal blue or anthracite. The colour stands out from the white outer ring and three counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – not only because of the mesmerizing sunburst effect, but also because the coloured dial is placed on top of a white disc. This two-layer dial gives the watch a dynamic appearance that distinguishes it from its counterparts in the NORQAIN Freedom family.

The watches in the Freedom 60 collection are known for the vintage design that gives the line its name. The 60s-inspired design elements found on the Freedom 60 Chronograph include a domed sapphire glass covering the dial, Old Radium Super-LumiNova® luminous markers, and faceted hands coated with Old Radium Super-LumiNova®.

The case thickness is 14.9mm, the distance between the lugs is 20mm and the lug-to-lug length is 49.2mm. Visible through the transparent caseback is the automatic winding NORQAIN Calibre NN18, based on the ETA 7753, with an exclusive NORQAIN-branded oscillating weight.

The 2022 Freedom 60 Chronograph is available with four vegan straps and bracelets: the stainless steel bracelet (CHF 3’890.00) and Perlon rubber strap (CHF 3’790.00) are standard options in the NORQAIN collection; the tide ocean SA “Nortide” strap (CHF 3’630.00) and Alcantara strap (CHF 3’630.00) are new additions.

Linen strap made from ocean-bound plastic by #tide ocean material®

For this launch, NORQAIN teamed up with the Basel-based company tide ocean SA, also known as #tide or #tide ocean material®. #tide collects plastic trash polluting the ocean and coastlines and, in partnership with the Swiss University of Applied Sciences and the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (IWK OST), upcycles it into a premium granular material made of 100% ocean-bound plastic. During this process, no chemicals or virgin plastic is added. This second-life raw material is then used to create other products, such as the yarn that is woven together in our ivory-coloured linen fabric strap. The signature NORQAIN stitches on the strap and the name of the material – “Nortide” – signify a long-term NORQAIN-#tide collaboration. The smooth underside of the strap is an AppleSkin leather alternative.

Alcantara with apple peel

The second vegan-certified strap resembles premium suede, both in appearance and quality. The rich brown colour pairs perfectly with the blue and anthracite dials. This versatile material is commonly used in the interior of vehicles, proving that it has tried-and-tested durability that is prepared to withstand the activity and adventure of any NORQAINER. The AppleSkin underside is made from apple peel and core that is recovered from the food industry. The leftover pulp is transformed into a powder before being mixed with pigment and a binder. It is then dried until it turns into a PETA-approved leather-like material. The product contains a minimum of 50% apple material.

About NORQAIN

Founded in 2018, NORQAIN is a fully independent, family-owned Swiss watch company located in Nidau (Bienne) in the heart of the Swiss watch industry. Driven by the excitement that comes with exploring the road less travelled, NORQAIN has three collections – Adventure, Freedom and Independence – that are exclusively equipped with mechanical automatic movements. In 2020, it introduced two Manufacture Calibres produced in collaboration with movement manufacturer, Kenissi. NORQAIN is a proud partner of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Official Timekeeper of the Spengler Cup Davos. Available throughout Europe, Japan and the US, NORQAIN has an expansive network of retail partners that includes Bucherer and Kirchhofer in Switzerland; Wempe in Germany; Watches of Switzerland in the UK; Ben Bridge, Tourneau, Westime and Govberg in the US; L’Oro in Canada; Seddiqi in Dubai; and over 30 points of sale in Japan. In December 2021, NORQAIN also opened its first flagship Boutique in Zermatt, Switzerland.

About tide ocean SA

tide ocean SA is a Swiss company with offshoots in Southeast Asia that has developed upcycling methods for ocean-bound plastics with the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (IWK OST). In addition to environmental protection, #tide also creates a social impact: from fishermen to retailers, everyone benefits from the values that it upholds. The granules, threads and filaments made from #tide ocean material® are used in a wide variety of products and have received multiple certifications and awards. In its first two years of business, #tide has transformed the equivalent of more than 25 million plastic bottles, thereby creating jobs and protecting marine life. www.tide.earth