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Today I would like to present a watch and its manufactory. Its founders, Swiss watch enthusiasts, had precise ideas about what would make the watches of this brand stand out from the crowd. NORQAIN ADVENTURE SPORT DLC Review.

According to their own character and identity, the founders of the still young manufactory designed watches that look sporty and robust at first sight. We will find out whether the brand can keep this promising impression by looking at the model I would like to present to you today. 

Watch lovers have summarized the character in one word: NORQAIN. NOR- what? NORQAIN is an acronym for various characteristics that should ideally apply to my watch today: the NORQAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC, a sporty-looking watch for active people with a mechanical automatic movement and that special touch of luxury. Since a special watch deserves a special review, I want to discover the watch together with you today in a different way: broken down by the name NORQAIN and the matching features.

1st N: The NEW – the first impression of the new watch

2nd O: OPEN MINDED – with a movement visible from the outside

3 R: REBELLIOUS – a case with a rebellious design

4 Q: enjoying QUALITY TIME – more than just reading time: a dial with qualities

5th A: ADVENTURE – start the countdown to your next adventure with a bezel

6. I: INDEPENDENT – with wearing comfort into freedom: the bracelet

7th N: Part of a NICHE – My conclusion on a “niche watch” (and a niche brand)

Let’s go and have fun!

1st N: The NEW – the first impression of the new watch

Cool, sporty, hardened and noble the NORQAIN looks to me. While I have been sitting at my desk for days, working and only going outside to clear the entrance of the house of snow, the NORQAIN looks as if it has just returned from a hiking trip of several days in the snowy mountains. She is certainly not cold, strong and brazen as she comes along. The bezel shimmers matt, as does the stainless steel case with DLC coating.

The sporty bracelet sits comfortably on the wrist. The second hand ticks silently. I like to go on extensive tours with my mountain bike in the forest and in the mountains. The NORQAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC is made for it, you can see that directly. The logo, for example, consists of two opposite “N”, which in a stylized way reminds me of the silhouette of a mountain. NORQAIN does not deny its Swiss origin. Well, the German mountain forests are enough for these days.

2nd O: OPEN MINDED – with a movement visible from the outside – NORQAIN ADVENTURE SPORT DLC

Many watches can no longer keep what they promise on the outside inside. My NORQAIN does it better. On the inside beats a Swiss heart, a mechanical ETA 2824 automatic movement, modified to a NORQAIN caliber NN09, which also has a quick correction for the date display when the crown is pressed, which saves tedious turning of the crown. The movement consists of a total of 80 individual parts. It has a power reserve of 38 hours and is driven by a total of 25 rubies. 

Let’s get to my small but nice highlight, hidden in the case back. The Swiss manufacturer has installed a semicircular glass window through which the movement can be admired. A little tip for you: to give your NORQAIN a very personal touch, you can have the visible oscillating weight of the movement personalized. Normally the NORQAIN lettering is engraved here. I find this idea very successful.

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3 R: REBELLIOUS – a case with a rebellious design

In my opinion, there are so many watches on the market that are withdrawn, discreet and simple. Watches that would like to hide on the wrist under the sweater. Therefore I am always happy about watches that polarize and attract attention. Watches that don’t want to be everybody’s darling, but rather extreme and rebellious. The Adventure Sport Auto DLC adapts to the identity of NORQAIN and embodies exactly that. And this can be seen particularly well in the bold design of the case. 

The case has a diameter of 42 millimetres and a thickness of 12.8 millimetres. Although it is made of stainless steel, it is coated with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon Coating), which is also where the name comes from. This gives the watch a particularly sporty character. The surface has a brushed, shimmering structure and is dark grey to black. I associate heavy rock and alpine terrain with this surface. This gives the watch a robust and hard appearance. Because of the dark colour the watch is simply evil, which I like very much. 

The screw-down crown is big enough and in combination with the fluted surface it is easy to use. Crown protectors are not necessary. Another small but nice detail: the crown is decorated with a highlighted “N” logo of the manufactory. On the opposite side is a double screwed badge, which also normally carries the NORQAIN lettering, but can also be personally engraved in two selectable fonts. You can configure your NORQAIN easily and conveniently on the homepage.

Finally, I want to talk about the case back again. In contrast to the rest of the case, it is polished on the outside and has engraved specifications. As befits a robust adventurer’s watch, the case back is made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Here, material costs are not saved in the less present areas. This leaves a very good impression. 

Our adventurer is washed in all the right places anyway. The NORQAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters.

4 Q: enjoying QUALITY TIME – more than just reading time: a dial with qualities – NORQAIN ADVENTURE SPORT DLC

For you watch enthusiasts, reading the time is certainly only one of many important aspects why you are interested in watches. A central role is played by design, which is nowhere more apparent than in – exactly, the dial. And that is especially cool with the NORQAIN.  

The sporty carbon design, which some of you may know from motor sports, has been taken to the extreme here and has a very special pattern. The faceted indices are white rectangular markers that taper inwards and fine lines and a double marker at 12 o’clock. Like the hands, the polished markings are filled with Super-Luminova luminous material.

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Thus the markings glow yellow-green in the dark or in poor light conditions. The hands pick up the design of the markings again and are tapered to a triangular shape at the end. Unlike all other markers, the second hand is not framed in black but in red. It has a large red arrow at the end.

The outer ring of the dial, on which the minute markings are located, is polished and black. The date window is square and sits at 3 o’clock. As mentioned above, it has a quick-adjustment mechanism that can be operated by the crown. Below 12 o’clock, the NORQAIN logo is printed, above 6 o’clock, a red “AUTOMATIC” lettering matching the second hand with red applications, as well as the indication of water resistance below. Under 6 o’clock there is the imprint “SWISS MADE”. They can be proud of their origin.

Finally, it must be mentioned once again that the workmanship of the dial with its fine, clear imprints makes a very high-quality impression and is therefore easy to read. The inscriptions are also filled with luminous material, so you are well prepared for the night in nature. The dial is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on both sides.

5th A: ADVENTURE – start the countdown to the next adventure with a bezel

Like the case, the rotating bezel is made of stainless steel and coated with DLC. With a total of 120 clicks, the countdown to your next adventure can be set to within half a minute. The bezel also stands out from the rest of the case in design. The bezel is naturally circular. On the side, it has a kind of ribbing, which makes it very easy to use and rotate, just like the crown. All markers are engraved, but not further marked by luminous material. From minute 0 to 15, the bezel is marked in one-minute steps, from minute 15 to 60/0 in 5-minute steps. The black bezel also has the brushed pattern that makes the NORQAIN look so robust.

6th I: INDEPENDENT – wearing comfort in freedom: the bracelet – NORQAIN ADVENTURE SPORT DLC

With my bracelet I feel perfectly prepared for the trip into nature. It is a khaki-coloured Nordura textile strap, which picks up the pattern of the dial very nicely with its tile look and additionally sets some new colour accents. It has an uncomplicated pin buckle. The outer fibre is polished, which makes the watch look even more precious on the wrist.

Some of you might be surprised why I find the wearing comfort with a textile strap so pleasant. You are right, in most cases textile straps wear out quickly on the wrist due to sweat. Here it is different. The clou is on the inside. It is lined with leather, which feels very light and soft when you wear it in everyday life. 

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In general, the NORQUAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC is incredibly comfortable. Especially for a large watch with a 42 millimeter diameter on my rather medium sized wrist, this means something.

More choice is of course at your disposal. You can choose between a black Nordura textile strap or a rubber strap, which is even more robust. The rubber strap picks up the ribbed look of the bezel again.

7th N: Part of a NICHE – My conclusion on a “niche watch” (and brand)

The adventure calls and I feel ready. No multi-functional jacket, no 35-litre rucksack and no breathable hiking boots can compete with my new companion on the way to the unknown. The NORQAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC is the perfect watch for adventures.

With this watch you can see that even before NORQAIN was launched, the founders were watch enthusiasts and owned a manufactory. This is evident in the well thought-out design, the attention to detail in so many places and the sophistication of this model in every aspect. Watch brands are created anew every day and disappear just as quickly. The individual models are too similar, their founders too inexperienced. NORQAIN has quite different chances, I’ll bet on that. The watches have their own unmistakable character and identity, so that the models stand out from the market. 

In addition, the company works with a number of prominent sportsmen and women who represent the brand and its models. These include ski racer Felix Neureuther and footballer Shinji Okazaki. NORQAIN goes its own way. While other brands focus on trivial influencers, the Swiss manufacturer selects athletes who perfectly embody the N.O.R.Q.A.I.N. characteristics. This may not reach the huge audience of millions, but instead arouses interest in the core target group: people with style and a penchant for sports, adventure, limits and success.

The manufacturers have recognized that they produce a niche product. After all, the target group is also a niche. And NORQAIN is allowed to share this target group with other major watch brands such as Tudor or Longines, which also serve this target group and are in a similar league in terms of both price and quality. Prices for the NORQAIN Adventure Sport Auto DLC start at 2060€. More choice of other models from the Adventure Sport collection can be found on the homepage. 

So, off into the adventure!

NORQAIN ADVENTURE SPORT DLC here:

https://www.norqain.com/watches/adventure-sport-auto-dlc-blackdial/

https://www.norqain.com

https://www.instagram.com/norqain/

https://www.facebook.com/norqain

Dear WATCHDAVID reader! You have just read a sponsored article. This kind of advertising gives sponsors the opportunity to present you news or offers that are less suitable for conventional advertising. Sponsored contributions are always subject to the editorial guidelines of WATCHDAVID. My actual opinion about this watch can be read in this review.

Technical Details

NameNORQAIN Adventure Sport DLC

Reference numberNB1000B01A/B102

BrandNORQAIN

Categorychronographs

Price from2060 Euro

Warranty2 years

Case Material316L stainless steel / DLC coating

Diameter42.00 mm

High12.80 mm

Watch Glassanti-reflective coating / Sapphire Crystal

Watch TypeAutomatik

Waterproof10 bar (100 m / 330 ft)

Movement NameNORQAIN Caliber NN09 (ETA 2824

Power Reserve38 hours

Functionsdate / hour / Minute / second

Dialgreen

Indicesdashes

Special FeaturesSwiss Super-LumiNova®

Bezelblack / diving bezel / DLC coating

Bracelet Colorgreen

Bracelet Materialrubber / textile

Clasp316L stainless steel / pin buckle

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