The world’s top Swiss watchmakers have many admirable qualities, but a sense of humour isn’t often one of them. NORQAIN, however — the decade-young brand that recently became the official watch partner of the NHL — takes fun extremely seriously. This is nowhere more evident than the brand’s Watches & Wonders booth, which features a scale model of an Alpine village, a full-sized gondola car, and a bunch of seriously fun new watches.
Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life “Sprinkles”
Last year, NORQAIN caught a lot of attention for its first “Enjoy Life” concept, which was a tri-compax chronograph with hits of pastel pink, blue, and green. This year’s follow-up doubles down on the fun with two new models, one in pink and one in blue, topped with a dusting of rainbow sprinkles. Outfitted with a modified Sellita automatic movement inside its 40mm 316L stainless steel case, it comes with a choice of a steel bracelet or a white rubber strap printed with glow-in-the-dark sprinkles.
Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life “Sprinkles”
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORQAIN.
Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life “Sprinkles”
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORQAIN.
“With the Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life ‘Sprinkles’ we simply want to have some fun,” says NORQAIN founder and CEO Ben Küffer. “The world can feel heavy with bad news, but our message is simple: life is a gift and life is short. Enjoy the freedoms you have, celebrate the good moments, treasure time with family and friends, and make the most of every minute. Sometimes the simplest things bring the greatest joy.” It’s a hard sentiment to argue with, especially when the chronograph in question is as horologically serious as it is whimsical.
Wild ONE Skeleton Chrono
On a more serious note, this new chronograph reflects NORQAIN’s technical ambitions with a manufacture movement and a new dial design that uses floating transparent discs in place of conventional small seconds and chronograph minutes hands. Crafted from NORTEQ, the brand’s signature carbon composite material, its design includes a carbon fibre cage and rubber shock-absorbing core that make it durable enough to withstand being worn on the tennis court or soccer pitch. The chronometer-certified NORQAIN 8K manufacture calibre, meanwhile, is a flyback column-wheel chronograph that resets and restarts with a single push of the button at 4 o’clock.
Available in three distinct colour combinations (including one with a top plate in 18k red gold), it embodies the brand’s close association with pro athletes, including co-founder and Grand Slam tennis champ Stan Wawrinka. “It’s my final year on tour, and after more than two decades as a professional tennis player, I know how important it is to work with equipment that reflects your mindset and performance,” he says. “The Wild ONE Skeleton Chrono represents exactly that spirit, a watch designed for people who want to push limits, go further, and achieve their goals. I’m excited to wear it on court.”
Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite
In another example of the brand’s technical ambitions, this is NORQAIN’s lightest and most robust timepiece to date. Weighing in at just 45 grams, it includes components made from titanium, aluminum, NORTEQ, and a new proprietary carbon fibre composite called X-Lite, as well as a skeletonized NORQAIN 4k manufacture movement. Limited to just 200 pieces, it marks an important milestone for the young brand and is a quintessential example of its high-tech, sporty aesthetic.
Learn more about NORQAIN at Watches and Wonders 2026.
FEATURE IMAGE, FROM LEFT: SYDNEY SCHERTENLEIB, GIANLUIGI BUFFON, STAN WAWRINKA.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORQAIN.
