The family-owned brand underscores its international ties to ice hockey by extending its partnership with the NHLPA until 2024. With co-founders Mark Streit and Roman Josi, this strategic partnership is a natural fit for NORQAIN.
BIEL/BIENNE / TORONTO (Feburary 3rd 2023, 4 PM (CET)): NORQAIN is proud to announce that the strategic partnership it began with the National Hockey League Players’ Association in 2020 has been extended for another two years until 2024. To celebrate the continuation of this allegiance, NORQAIN is launching a Wild ONE timepiece in an edition limited to 300 pieces, of which 256 will be available for purchase. During the all-star festivities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in February 2023, each of the 44 NHLPA players will receive a personalised version of this watch.
In its role as Official Timekeeper of the NHLPA, NORQAIN will be present in the NHLPA Player Lounge in Fort Lauderdale during the annual weekend showcase. The brand will also organise various activities with NHLPA players throughout the coming years and will be present at select NHLPA events.
“Having been a member of the NHLPA for over ten years, I have experienced first-hand the support it offers players and their families in all aspects of being a professional hockey player. I can confidently say that with NORQAIN’s passion, sense of adventure and drive, the brand is a great match for this strategic partnership”, said NORQAIN Co-founder and former NHLPA member, Mark Streit. “The renewal of this collaboration is an important milestone for NORQAIN. I am proud to see two of my passions come together – hockey and watches – and look forward to watching this partnership grow stronger over the coming years”.
“The NHLPA is thrilled to extend our partnership with NORQAIN, and we look forward to expanding our relationship with them in showcasing their products”, said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. “The combination of the stylish timepieces and the natural connection through Mark Streit and Roman Josi, creates a strong and direct tie to the Players. We are extremely excited to see our partnership with NORQAIN continue to grow”.
The NORQAIN Wild ONE NHLPA Limited Edition
In 2022, NORQAIN introduced its Independence Wild ONE, the ultimate sports watch with a high-performance material that the watch industry had never seen before: NORTEQ. The brand now presents an exclusive version to honour its partnership with the NHLPA. With its extremely robust construction, it’s a fitting match for a sport known for its dynamism, intensity and high-impact plays.
What immediately stands out about this 100% Swiss-made Wild ONE timepiece, aside from its incredible lightness, is its innovative construction. The case has separate top and bottom NORTEQ parts, developed by strategic partner BIWI, which serve as a protective cage and are connected and secured with custom-made screws. Between these parts is a black rubber shock absorber that surrounds a titanium container in which ticks the NN20/1 Manufacture Calibre. The shock-absorbing BIWI rubber bumper of each watch has been mixed with the material of an ice hockey puck, giving every model a unique appearance. Water resistance to a depth of 200 metres expands the range of sports that the Wild ONE is suited for. In total, the case is made of 25 parts, including four screws which are engraved with a mountain-peak design. This watch weights just 84 grams, which is 50% lighter than a stainless steel NORQAIN watch.
The Wild ONE NHLPA Limited Edition features a marbled black NORTEQ case. Inspired by the action, speed and thrill of the game, the white dial stands out with its “scratched ice” design and striking raised markings. The NHLPA logo is found at 6 o’clock on the dial as well on the sapphire glass caseback. The caseback also indicates the exclusivity of the timepiece with the engraving “ONE OF 300”. The watch is complete with an integrated white rubber strap with a Milanese texture and a black edge or an all-black rubber strap and is available at authorised NORQAIN retailers as well NORQAIN’s online shop for USD 5,590.00. Both NORQAIN and hockey fans who purchase this limited edition timepiece will receive an exclusive NHLPA X NORQAIN puck, unavailable anywhere else.
The Wild ONE and its next-gen material is the result of two years of close collaboration between NORQAIN’s team, Jean-Claude Biver, BIWI SA and the best-of-the-best Swiss suppliers. The lightweight and shock-resistant timepiece reflects NORQAIN’s DNA as a brand that produces top-quality mechanical timepieces for watch fans who lead an active lifestyle. This special case can withstand shocks of up to 5000 g, making it suitable for when the wearer rides a mountain bike, skis an exhilarating downhill slope or enjoys a strong shooting practice on the ice. Additionally, the revolutionary material is anti-magnetic and will not corrode over time.
Since 2018, NORQAIN has cultivated an outstanding reputation as being an adventurous brand with dynamic engagements and innovative watches in a competitive price segment. It counts numerous elite athletes in its family of NORQAINERs such as Roman Josi, Mark Streit, Andri Ragettli and Michelle Gisin. This continued involvement in ice hockey, a sport that is part of the brand’s DNA and a key element in its past, present and future, proves that the brand and the NHLPA players continue to be aligned in their drive, dedication to precision, love for action and sense of adventure.
About NORQAIN
Founded in 2018, NORQAIN is a fully independent, family-owned Swiss watch company located in Nidau (Bienne) in the heart of the Swiss watch industry. The board is made up of watch industry experts and elite athletes, and since 2022, Jean-Claude Biver has served as the Advisor to the Board. Driven by the excitement that comes with exploring the road less travelled, NORQAIN has three collections – Independence, Adventure and Freedom – that are exclusively equipped with mechanical automatic movements. In 2020, it introduced two Manufacture Calibres produced in collaboration with movement manufacturer, Kenissi. NORQAIN is a strategic partner of the NYRR and through this partnership, the Official Timekeeping Partner of the TCS New York City Marathon and other races. NORQAIN is also a proud partner of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and Official Timekeeper of the Spengler Cup Davos. NORQAIN received the CO2-NEUTRAL certification from Swiss Climate and is committed to developing innovative solutions to produce NORQAIN timepieces with a sustainable supply chain and ethical practices. Available throughout Europe, the US, Japan and other parts of Asia, NORQAIN has an expansive network of retail partners that includes Bucherer and Kirchhofer among others in Switzerland; Wempe in Germany; Watches of Switzerland in the UK; Ben Bridge, Bucherer, Westime and Govberg in the US; L’Oro in Canada; Seddiqi in Dubai; Ethos Watches in India and over 30 points of sale in Japan. In December 2021, NORQAIN also opened its first flagship boutique in Zermatt, Switzerland and only six months later its second boutique in Singapore on the famous Orchard Road.
About the National Hockey League Players’ Association
The National Hockey League Players’ Association, established in 1967, is a labour organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League. The NHLPA works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labour relations, product licensing, marketing, international hockey and community relations, all in furtherance of its efforts to promote its members and the game of hockey. In 1999, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund was launched as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 23 years, more than 80,000 deserving children in 34 countries have benefited from the players' donations of hockey equipment. NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $25 million to grassroots hockey programs, making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com.
NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo are registered trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license. © NHLPA. All Rights Reserved.
