Norqain Returns With A Turquoise Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite That Weighs Almost Nothing

Regular readers know I'm not enamored with Norqain. It's not that they make bad watches. I'm just not sure who they make watches for. But that's for another day. There is one Norqain that's kind of interesting to me, and that's the Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite which weighs 45 grams with the strap on. That is less than many steel bracelets weigh by themselves, and it is the whole point of the watch. Norqain launched it earlier this year in black and yellow. The second version keeps everything the same and swaps the accent colour for turquoise.

The case is 41mm wide and 11.95mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 48.7mm. It is assembled from several parts in Norteq, the brand’s own carbon composite, plus X-Lite carbon, titanium and aluminium. There’s sapphire on both sides, a screw-down crown and 100 meters of water resistance. Norqain rates the case and movement to survive shocks above 5,000G, which is roughly what a full golf swing sends through a watch. The dimensions are reasonable for a sports watch, and at that crazy weight you'll easily forget you're wearing anything.

There is no dial in the usual sense. The movement sits in full view, with an inclined flange and chapter ring carrying the hour and minute track. The applied markers and openworked hands are outlined in turquoise Super-LumiNova. Norqain has used turquoise across the collection for years, so it looks like they're owning the color.

Inside is the Norqain calibre NBK26/1, which the brand calls the 4K Manufacture, developed with Manufacture AMT. It’s automatic, beats at 4Hz and has 65 hours of power reserve from one barrel. It is COSC-certified, has 24 jewels, and is openworked on both sides, down to a rotor cut with a mountain design. You get a choice of a perforated black-and-turquoise rubber strap with a Norteq pin buckle or a stretch strap in matching colours.

The Norqain Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite Turquoise is limited to 300 pieces, 100 more than the original, and it's priced at €10,650 on either strap. See more on the Norqain website.