Swiss watch start-up Norqain earned a spot in the display windows of the prestigious retailer Wempe in remarkably little time. Our editor Joern F. Kengelbach explores this through the lens of the latest 2024 Wempe Signature Collection, created in collaboration with none other than this rising watch start-up, which has been making waves in recent years.
Success stories often seem easy to explain in hindsight. How many times over the past 20 years have I heard my fellow writers declare, ‘Of course, it was obvious this product, or that team, was destined for success!’ Naturally, no one mentions the brands that didn’t make it. In the end, what we’re left with is a watch world filled with tales of triumph.
Why does Wempe stock such a young watch brand?
Jokes aside, this really is a remarkable success story. As I step into what is arguably the most impressive event hall in Germany, I can’t help but wonder: how on earth has Norqain – a brand I was entirely unfamiliar with – managed to earn a place in the collection of one of the world’s most prestigious retailers? And not after the usual 40 years of establishment usually required by Wempe for a listing, but in 2019, just one year following its founding in 2018.
During our celebratory evening, which takes place close to the southern German city of Munich, I have the chance to explore this question. Wempe has gone beyond simply adding Norqain to its line-up available at ten branches across Germany – including the flagship Weinstraße location in Munich, alongside Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Dortmund, Stuttgart, and Leipzig. Tonight, the retailer is marking the occasion with a special limited-edition model: a watch limited to a mere 50 pieces as part of its Wempe Signature series, a concept introduced for the first time in 2022. This exclusive Norqain watch now joins the ranks of well-established luxury brands such as Girard-Perregaux, Breitling, Hublot, Chopard, Nomos, Ulysse Nardin, and Parmigiani Fleurier. And for those who are paid by the word, the watch’s name offers a mouthful: the Wempe Signature Collection x Norqain: Independence Wild One 42.
Where does the name Norqain come from?
Before the watch is unveiled by Scott Wempe and Norqain CEO Ben Küffer in the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk – a former thermal power station – I can’t resist quickly googling the etymology behind the brand name. No, not Bergson, which honours French Nobel laureate Henri Bergson, who penned the philosophical work Time and Freedom in 1911. I mean Norqain, the brand itself, founded in 2018. For some reason, when I think of ultra-light sports watches made from carbon fibre, my mind drifts to Norway. Is there a connection? Let’s find out.
Charmingly, you can find two explanations online. According to a quick Google search, the founders came up with an original method for finding a name: it starts with the seven essential characteristics that are supposed to make up the brand. It works like this: N stands for the NEW: the desire for the new. O stands for OPEN MINDED: open to change. R for REBELLIOUS: rebelling against established brands. Q for enjoying QUALITY TIME (this can also be a nod to Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship), A for ADVENTURE, I for INDEPENDENT (independent of a large corporation), and finally N for Part of a NICHE – a niche brand that goes against the mainstream.
That reads like the eternal search for the question of why Rolex is actually called Rolex – a tale for another time. I’d rather go straight back to the Swisswatches interview with CEO Ben Küffer from 2023, in which he makes it a little easier for us, explaining: ‘I had the image of the Swiss mountains in my head because they represent Switzerland. If we as a young Swiss company want to make a splash, it seemed important to take the mountains with us. The ‘NOR’ stands for the north. The ‘QAI’ stands for Quality, Adventure and Independence and reflects the values that are most important to us.’ That’s sounds plausible.
A good name is only one component of success
There is no question that the word NORQAIN stands out among many classic Swiss company names, which are essentially old family names. The Swiss mountains, meanwhile, can also be found in the logo, which shows two stylised mountain peaks that also form two opposing letters ‘N’. It’s smart, but a good name is only part of the story (as any Rolex collector is well aware).
How good is the Norqain Wild One?
In any case, this watch, which we at Swisswatches have already described in detail here, is smart in the mechanical sense, including the two most important details: one describes the special construction of the 42 mm case, which consists of 25 components. The case is made of, nomen est omen, Norteq, an in-house developed carbon fibre composite that is three and a half times lighter than titanium, and a rubber shock absorber that fills the entire inside of the case. Thanks to this construction, the Wild One really lives up to its name and can allegedly withstand shocks of up to 5000 G. Don’t worry, I won’t be testing it, even though the 25-metre-high event hall would be very tempting for drop tests.
Which movement powers the Wempe Signature x Norqain?
A good case is one thing for a watch, but the crucial question is, of course, what watch is still ticking after a 10-metre drop? Here, too, the answer is surprising: the Independence Wild One 42 Signature Collection features the automatic calibre named NN20/1 by Norqain. It comes from none other than the top Swiss movement manufacturer Kenissi, who developed it exclusively for Norqain. With a very respectable power reserve of 70 hours, it is also certified as a Swiss chronometer by the COSC.
Wait a minute, I think to myself as I sit down with the bright turquoise and green timepiece in the in-house café, which transforms into a gourmet restaurant in the evening. It is charmingly named Zeitlang (the German expression for a certain period of time). I want to piece together why a Swiss start-up founded in 2018 is already listed with Wempe in 2024 (and a total of 300 points of sale worldwide in addition to three of its own boutiques in Zermatt, Zurich and Singapore), and can already draw on Swiss watch movements that half the industry would do anything to get their hands on.
The real reason for the rise of Norqain
Here’s the quick version and the first part of the explanation for the brand’s meteoric rise: do you remember Théodore Schneider? In 1998, ‘Teddy’ Schneider took over the Grenchen-based watch brand Breitling from his father, but in 2017 he had to sell it, allegedly because his sister wanted her inheritance paid out. The successors: 80 percent went to the British private equity company CVC, the remaining 20 percent also went to CVC shortly after the deal and to Georges Kern, who has been a co-owner of Breitling ever since. Together with his son Ted Schneider, one of Switzerland’s richest watch dynasties is now supporting young companies with good ideas (and good money). The start-ups include Swissroc, a Geneva-based property business and, of course, Norqain, which is based in Nidau.
When several special entrepreneurs join forces
In addition to this special member of the Supervisory Board, Ted Schneider, the other frontrunners are ice hockey legend Mark Streit and, of course, ex-Breitling brand manager and current Norqain CEO Ben Küffer. How did Ben Küffer get into the watch industry, you ask? Well, his father Marc Küffer was the owner and CEO of Roventa Hennex SA, a leading manufacturer of Swiss-made watches, so-called private label watches. He was also a member of the board of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry for 25 years. And no, of course his son did not have his watches produced entirely by a private label supplier. Later that evening, he explains: ‘We fill all strategic positions and provide the entire service ourselves. We employ our own watchmakers, our own customer service and our own logistics.’
Norqain breaks through the 10,000 watches per year mark
Even in Switzerland, you first have to gather this much expertise and liquidity for a watch start-up. The success didn’t take long to arrive. The first model series performed better than planned: in the very first year of 2018, over 4,000 watches were sold instead of the targeted 1,000. Then came Covid. The company, which is wholly privately owned, has since stopped talking about sales figures. However, word on the street is that the target of 10,000 watches was already broken last year.
Why the Norqain movements are so good
The alliance with Kenissi in the movement sector also lends the young brand much credibility. Working with the revered manufacture is an accolade for Küffer and his team: after all, the movement manufacturer in Le Locle was founded by the wholly-owned Rolex subsidiary Tudor and is 20 percent-owned by Chanel. Kenissi can be choosy when selecting potential customers. How fitting, one might add, that Jean-Paul Girardin, a former Breitling CEO of all people, is also the boss at Kenissi.
A very special watch manager joins Norqain
The list of professionals supporting this young company is impressive and ever-growing. Among them is marketing powerhouse and ice hockey legend Mark Streit. Another notable name is Jean-Claude Biver, a figure synonymous with mechanical watches for over 15 years. In spring 2022, Biver, the legendary watch executive, will join the Board of Directors as an advisor. As CEO Ben Küffer often shares at Wempe events, Biver’s influence has been transformative. Known for revitalizing Blancpain, shaping Hublot into a global powerhouse, and now achieving success with his own brand, Biver has brought a bold, challenging dynamic to the passionate team from Nidau. Küffer candidly remarks: “The man is mad, but Norqain needs this kind of forward momentum.”
How did the collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver come about?
You can read how the collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver came about in the aforementioned Swisswatches interview, but it’s just too good not to discuss twice if you want to understand what powers this managerial machine: in the middle of Covid, on Easter Friday 2020 at 06:15, Biver wrote Norqain CEO Küffer a message. He wrote that he had heard about the brand from a colleague. To the reply that they could meet at any time, Biver replied: ‘Tuesday 8:00 am.’ Two weeks after the meeting, Biver called back and demanded: ‘If you make a watch that doesn’t look like one that already exists, then I’ll come on board’ and specified: ‘No steel, no titanium – super-light sports watches!’ The result is turquoise green, and I’ve been wearing it on my wrist all afternoon. That’s how the Wild One was born.
Norqain’s reliance on competent luxury watch retailers such as Wempe
At the close of the evening, CEO Ben Küffer shares a sentiment that resonates with us wholeheartedly: ‘I believe in the specialised trade. I believe that a mechanical watch triggers real emotion and pleasure, especially when you are served by an expert.’ This conviction is central to his vision. While it’s true that such a business model might not have garnered a single franc from banks at the start of the 21st century, this no longer concerns him. Küffer is confident he has assembled the perfect team to drive the success of this quintessentially Swiss start-up.
Scott Wempe, Joern Kengelbach and Ben Küffer
Aggressive on price, convincing on performance
So, the success of the ‘wunderkind of Swiss watch start-ups’, as a watch magazine recently called the Norqain brand, is based on a good management team with sufficient capital? Is it really that simple? Experience in an industry often brings a deep understanding of its rules, and the same principles apply to watch companies as to any other start-up. A great idea must find the right niche among customers. For Norqain, this niche is exceptionally high-performance watches offered at remarkably competitive prices. Take, for example, their limited-edition carbon fibre sports watch, priced at 4,950 euros. Water-resistant to 200 meters, it offers features and quality that rival models from much more renowned Swiss brands, often priced at two to three times as much.
Success hasn’t simply fallen into the brand’s lap. Everyone involved has earned their expertise in mechanical watches through dedication and hard work. CEO Ben Küffer, for instance, spent 11 years honing his craft in the Swiss watch industry. Of course, some fortune is involved – like having a childhood friend as influential as Ted Schneider. But luck, as the saying goes, often favours the hardworking. Reflecting on the journey, Küffer proudly states: ‘I am very proud of how much we have built up in six years.’
Can Norqain do more?
We haven’t even mentioned Norqain’s latest coup yet: the 8K manufacture calibre developed in collaboration with Sellita’s high-end AMT department. An automatic chronograph movement with column wheel control, flyback function, 62-hour power reserve and COSC certificate. The entire movement is skeletonised and extremely light. The model name says it all: Independence Skeleton Chrono 42 mm. The price for the manufacture chronograph: 5,700 euros. Only a few examples of this second series are still available. According to Küffer, the watch is not limited, apart from the production capacity. Initially, 300 pieces were ordered and a second batch will arrive in time for the Geneva Watches and Wonders in April 2025. I almost forgot: this spring, Norqain became likely the youngest brand in history to present itself for the first time at the world’s most important luxury watch fair.
The summit is still a long way off – but where there’s a will, there’s a way
Incidentally, if any collectors find themselves reminded of a completely different brand when visiting these premises, they wouldn’t be wrong. This very location, the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk, hosted one of the most significant watch presentations of the year in mid-October. None other than Patek Philippe chose this space to unveil its first new collection since 1999 – the highly anticipated and widely discussed Patek Philippe Cubitus collection. Fast forward to this evening, and the same venue now features Norqain CEO Ben Küffer and Scott Wempe discussing the next generation of watch collectors. You have to hand it to them: while the climb to the heights of Patek Philippe may be steep, Norqain is already shaking up the establishment. As long as the brand keeps its pricing grounded, there’s little to stop the meteoric rise of this exciting new manufacture.
