Norqain’s collections are split into three main families. There’s the Freedom, a retro chronograph model with many colourful and whimsical variations. The Adventure, a down to earth tool watch for daily use. Lastly, the Independence, a skeletonised sports watch that leans into a more urban aesthetic with bold shapes and multiple stealthy, DLC coated variants. Previously the Independence Skeleton three hand model was only available in steel but as of today, it’s now also produced in Grade 5 titanium with the introduction of the Independence Skeleton Titanium.
The swap from steel to titanium is a huge change for a watch like this. Titanium is roughly 45% lighter than steel, making the watch significantly more comfortable on the wrist without sacrificing any durability thanks to titanium’s good strength to density ratio. Plus, with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, it’s also scratch resistant – living up to Norqain’s sporty, adventure-ready remit.
Visually it maintains the Independence’s strong shapes and broad surfaces. At 42mm it’s at the upper end of the standard tool watch range with a flat, round bezel. A chunky crown with built-up crown guards makes it easy to set the time while on the go. The dark, stealth vibe of the DLC case is maintained on the dial by black skeletonised bridges holding the exposed geartrain, balance wheel and mainspring. However, the red gold plated hour markers and hands introduce an element of visual contrast.
At a practical level, the gold plated markers help improve legibility so that the watch doesn’t fall into the trap of a completely illegible all black display. But at the same time, they introduce a sense of prestige and precious metal that gives the Independence its urban appeal – more at home in the city than up a mountain. It’s the style of watch you can easily picture on the wrist of a footballer (or hockey player as Norqain are the official partners of the NHL).
The movement on display through the skeletonised display is the NB08S, base Sellita SW200-1. It’s a COSC certified chronometer with 41-hour power reserve. In its skeletonised form, you can see its balance wheel oscillating at 12 o’clock while the mainspring at 5 o’clock is kept wound by the automatic rotor, which is itself visible through the exhibition caseback.
For pricing, the Norqain Independence Skeleton Titanium is £4,400 on rubber strap with pin buckle or £4,710 on rubber strap with folding clasp. Personal preference is obviously important but for the sake of £310, a pin buckle will do me nicely. The strap itself is a black rubber with a faux fabric texture upper. Compared to the previous steel editions, that’s approximately £600-£900 more, which makes sense given the improved materials.
Price and Specs:
More details at NORQAIN.
