A young yet accomplished watchmaker, Norqain has carved out a niche in the world of sports watches. With experienced figures like Jean-Claude Biver on its board and Kenissi as a movement supplier, Norqain combines the quality of established brands with the creative freedom of modern microbrands. Two collections, the carbon and rubber Wild One and the all-metal Independence Skeleton, exemplify this ethos perfectly.

What’s truly exciting is the brand’s latest creation: the Wild One Skeleton in Turquoise. This timepiece combines the best of both collections, offering the blend of a carbon- and-rubber case, vibrant turquoise details and a skeleton movement, making it an outstanding choice for those in search of a summer-inspired sports watch.

The focal point of this new launch is undoubtedly the case, primarily due to its eye-catching and generous use of turquoise, a color that has gained tremendous popularity in watchmaking in recent years. This marks the first instance where Norqain has utilized turquoise and, as expected, it has taken a unique approach. It has sidestepped the conventional practice of using turquoise solely on the dial and, instead, adorned both the case and strap with this color. This unconventional choice provides the watch with the striking appearance one associates with turquoise, yet adds a more original character to the timepiece.

On the topic of the case, it’s worth noting that it’s nothing short of a complex construction, both in terms of the number of components and the mix of materials. Starting with the innermost case, there is a titanium container in which the movement is secured. Just outside the titanium case is a turquoise-colored rubber shell that serves as a shock absorber. Finally, on the outermost layer, you’ll find the Norteq case, a carbon fiber composite developed in conjunction with Biwi, a Swiss specialist in polymers. This construction allows the watch to successfully pass a shock resistance test of up to 5,000g, which is the industry standard for shock-resistant watches.

Transitioning from the case to the dial, we encounter the skeletonized movement. The NN08S movement, at its core, is based on the Sellita SW200, which in turn is derived from the ETA 2824. However, it has undergone the process of skeletonization to expose various intriguing components.

Upon removing the dial, the concealed parts that lie beneath it are revealed. For instance, at the three o’clock position, you can observe the keyless works responsible for allowing the crown to switch between hand-winding and time-setting functions. Just beneath the hour and minute hands, you’ll find the motion works — these are reduction gears responsible for accurately displaying the hours as driven by the minutes.

Furthermore, the barrel of the movement has been revealed. In fact, the barrel cover has been skeletonized to unveil the mainspring within, and the tightness of the spring serves as an immediate indicator of the power reserve. The more tightly it is wound towards the barrel arbor, the greater the remaining power reserve.

One notable aspect of the movement is the precision of its skeletonization and the color palette. The skeletonization of the movement was evidently executed with the sporty aesthetic in mind. This is evident in the relatively numerous straight-profile bridges, which impart a more masculine appearance compared to the more intricate bridges typically found in traditional skeletonized movements.

In addition, the movement’s color has been meticulously treated to achieve a consistent gray hue with various surface finishes, resulting in a heightened sense of depth. The use of uniformly gray bridges and wheels also brings the added benefit of reducing the array of colors on the dial, avoiding a cluttered or chaotic appearance. Lastly, the bridges have been machine-beveled to enhance the watch’s shine and give it a more upscale appearance.

In all, the Wild One Skeleton in Turquoise combines strength and lightness, which are the two key signature characteristics of Norteq. The watch weighs just 78 grams, making it more than 50% lighter than other Norqain watches in stainless steel, and a full six grams lighter than other Wild One models. It is delivered on a vibrant turquoise blue rubber strap that looks completely at home at any chic beach resort or island destination — and yet is perfectly built for extreme adventure whether on land or at sea.