Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life ‘Holiday’: Maldives Calling!

A GMT watch usually helps you keep track of time between the departure hall, your hotel room and your home time zone. With the Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday”, this also turns into a prize draw: amongst the 500 limited-edition pieces, there is one watch that will reward its owner with a trip for two to the Maldives. Thus, a serious mechanical travel watch with an in-house calibre meets a world map, a cocktail, flip-flops and a hidden golden ticket – a concept that strikes a balance between charm and calculated design.

From ice cream sundaes to a second time zone

Until now, the Enjoy-Life range – with models such as ‘Ice Cream’ and ‘Sprinkles’ – had defined itself primarily through colour, sweets and a sense of carefree fun. With the new ‘Holiday’, the Enjoy-Life range is introduced to a GMT function for the first time. What’s new is not so much the technical basis as the idea behind it: for the first time, Norqain is combining its well-known Freedom GMT platform with the colourful visual style of the Enjoy-Life range. As the second time zone is all about being on the move anyway, the holiday theme doesn’t feel arbitrary, but rather has been developed logically from the function itself.

A day’s holiday in 24 hours

At the centre is a world map, its continents divided into orange, pink and turquoise. The colours extend onto the 24-hour ring, where they blend into one another, as if the light of a long summer’s day were shifting around the dial. Instead of the classic day-night design, the result is a bold backdrop that deliberately leaves a understated appearance to other watches.

A total of 24 ‘Holiday Icons’ were hand-drawn and then transferred to the dial, the GMT scale and the date display. They draw on cultural and geographical landmarks without seeking to create a map in the style of an atlas. The small chronology on the GMT ring is particularly well thought out: at midnight, the crescent moon appears; around two o’clock, the sleep symbol follows; and between eight and nine, coffee. Around midday, the sun takes over, before a cocktail accompanied by the words ‘Happy Hour’ heralds the end of the working day between 4 pm and 6 pm.

The date plays a part too. Over the course of the month, five holiday motifs appear there: flip-flops, sunglasses, a beach parasol, swim shorts and a bikini. In this way, even the date becomes part of the holiday: with each motif, the calendar moves a little further away from everyday life. Whilst this is charming and quite different from the norm, it is by no means neutral. Anyone who sees or uses a GMT primarily as a practical travel tool is likely to find the abundance of motifs a bit much. Yet it is precisely this carefree spirit that defines the character of the watch.

A true traveller’s watch beats beneath the icons

The 40-millimetre stainless steel case is from the Freedom GMT collection. Inside beats the automatic Norqain in-house calibre NN20/2 made by movement producer Kenissi, which is chronometer-certified and offers a 70-hour power reserve. Thanks to the sapphire crystal caseback, it remains visible at all times, and the ‘Enjoy Life’ logo and the inscription ‘ONE of 500’ can also be seen there.

A key feature for travellers is the independently adjustable local hour hand. It can be moved forwards or backwards in one-hour increments using the crown, whilst the home time is maintained by the GMT hand. After landing, all that is needed is a quick adjustment to the local time, without having to reset the minute and second hands. The watch also features a screw-down crown engraved with the brand logo and the ‘Norqain Plate’ on the left-hand side of the case, which offers space for a personalised engraving. A stainless steel bracelet and a white rubber strap are available as options.

A travel case, flags and a number under 500

The concept doesn’t stop at the watch. It is delivered in a bespoke aluminium travel case containing a passport holder, a world map and a metal tin full of flag pins, which can be used to mark destinations visited or planned. This is far more elaborate than a standard watch box, beautifully thought out and takes the theme through to its logical conclusion.

Find out more about the “Enjoy Life” collection and the Freedom Chrono “Sprinkles” here

The Freedom GMT Enjoy Life ‘Holiday’ Limited Edition is limited to a total of 500 watches and is available with a stainless steel bracelet or a white rubber strap; the breakdown of the total number between the two versions is not specified. Among the 500 watches produced worldwide, there is exactly one winning watch. Its owner will receive a trip for two to the Ayada Maldives Resort: six consecutive nights in an Ocean Villa, full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner – all-inclusive. How the winner will find out about the Golden Ticket will remain a secret until September.

Of course, this campaign is part of the marketing strategy, but at the same time it fits in remarkably well with the GMT concept: the watch not only measures time in distant places, but can actually provide the reason for the journey itself. The situation would only become problematic if the potential holiday at a resort were to seem more important than the product behind it. However, the mechanical foundation is far too substantial for that to be the case. The Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” is priced at €5,350 with a stainless steel strap and €5,210 with a rubber strap.

norqain.com