Norqain and Kenissi Engage in Strategic Long-term Partnership

Adventurous family-owned NORQAIN climbs its next summit and establishes itself as a distinctive brand in the Swiss watch industry while taking steps to ensure its long-term independence and offer customers timekeeping quality that exceeds industry standards.

Biel, Switzerland – 5 February 2020: NORQAIN is proud to announce a new partnership with mechanical movement manufacturer, Kenissi. The announcement of the long-term collaboration between the Biel-based watchmaker and Kenissi, founded by watch brand Tudor, underscores NORQAIN’s commitment to offering quality timepieces that feature robust, high-performance movements ready for a lifetime of adventure.

As part of the new strategic partnership, NORQAIN is climbing to new heights with two chronometer-certified Manufacture Calibres. The three-hand NN20/1 and GMT NN20/2 calibres, both featuring a 70-hour power reserve, will enhance NORQAIN’s existing collection and will be ready to equip fans on their adventures starting this coming summer.

NORQAIN CEO Ben Küffer said: “This is a major step for NORQAIN, and we are thrilled to announce the news of our partnership with Kenissi. Founded on mutual trust, a spirit of innovation and long-term vision, this partnership allows our independent brand to offer our customers stylish, high-performance watches with movements that exceed industry standards and feature market-proven robustness. Investing in our independence in this way is an important milestone for NORQAIN.”

Discussions between the two entities began shortly after NORQAIN was founded in 2018 and more interesting projects are planned for the future.

Based in Biel, NORQAIN has strong ties to the world of watchmaking. Ben Küffer, the 32-year-old founder and CEO, was born into the industry and already has 12 years of experience in the world of watchmaking; the board of directors also includes Ben’s father, Marc Küffer, former owner of the Swiss luxury watch producer Roventa-Henex and member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Watch Industry for more than two decades; Ted Schneider, also born into the industry as a member of the family that owned Breitling for nearly 40 years; and Mark Streit, former Swiss NHL star and 2017 Stanley Cup winner. This team leads the company with remarkable industry insight, valuable know-how and a huge passion for the Swiss watch industry.

Extending the NORQAIN collection with Manufacture Calibres

NORQAIN has always been dedicated to creating timepieces that inspire wearers to live their life their way. The two robust and high-precision movements – three-hand calibre NN20/1 and GMT calibre NN20/2 – build on the brand’s existing collections. Both COSC-certified movements are “weekend-proof” with impressive 70-hour power reserve and their sturdy construction featuring a traversing bridge with two-point fixation ensures the timekeeping performance will not be hindered by powerful activity. The GMT movement in particular boasts a jumping hour feature to easily set the local time and change the date forward or backward at any time of the day. Whether the wearer is climbing a new summit or enjoying the hike on the way down, the Manufacture Calibres are primed for outdoor adventure and everyday functionality.

Affirming the exclusivity of these movements are the unique NORQAIN decorations visible through the transparent caseback such as the golden “double-N” NORQAIN logo, symbolising the Swiss Alps, on the oscillating weight and “Adventure – Freedom – Independence”, the brand’s core values and NORQAIN collection names, engraved on the bridge.

The novelties that will house these exclusive Manufacture Calibres will be presented at an event hosted by NORQAIN in Zermatt this June. The timepieces will be part of NORQAIN’s standard collections, complementing the existing pieces in all the three lines: Adventure, Freedom and Independence. As with the timepieces that make up the brand’s current collections, the new models will also feature customisable details such as the acclaimed NORQAIN plate and strap options.

Climbing to new heights

Since its founding in 2018, NORQAIN has become known for its motto – “your life, your way” – and for creating timepieces that suit an adventurous lifestyle. The dynamic brand is the Official Timekeeper of sporting events such as the Spengler Cup Davos and has recently entered into a strategic partnership with the NHL Players’ Association. NORQAIN has built relationships with elite athletes that represent the adventurous spirit of the brand. Known as NORQAINERS, these ambassadors include Mark Streit, Felix Neureuther, Tina Weirather, Roman Josi, Fabian Schär, Michelle Gisin, Lorenz Frey-Hilti, Andreas Steindl, Charlie Raposo, Nico Müller, Viktoria Rebensburg, Ramon Zenhäusern, Shinji Okazaki and Kenji Ogiwara.

The launch of two Manufacture Calibres and the strategic partnership with Kenissi is an example of NORQAIN putting its values of innovation and quality and its daring spirit into action, and more announcements can be expected as a result of their long-term collaboration.