Did Norqain and the NHL Just Drop the Watch World’s Coolest Partnership?

Properly executing a collaboration is a delicate art, and one that even the most discerning brands have fumbled. First, the two brands have to be aligned enough for it to make sense, and yet, conversely, different enough that the release brings new audiences into both parties. Second, the drop has to have enough thoughtful details to justify the purchase (especially when it comes to luxury watches), but not so riddled with details that the product becomes hokey or too on-the-nose (again, especially when it comes to luxury watches). And third, timing is everything.

This week, the sports world saw the best of those elements come together with the launch of the Norqain Adventure Sport Chrono NHL Limited Edition watch.

I travelled with the Swiss watch brand to Tampa Bay, Florida, where co-founder, former player, and Stanley Cup champion Mark Streit unveiled his brand’s first collaboration with the NHL as the league’s official luxury sports watch. In terms of that third element — timing — Norqain couldn’t have chosen a better weekend to drop the watch. Closely following the league’s iconic Winter Classic in Miami, Tampa Bay played host to Boston in the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium for the NHL Stadium Series, where more than 65,000 fans watched the Lightning and Bruins face off. In storybook fashion, the NHL capped off a landmark weekend with what was undeniably the game of the year (the fastest goal ever scored in an outdoor game, a goalie fight, a four-goal deficit erased by Tampa Bay, and a shootout victory for the Lightning, if you’re into that sort of thing). And even so, Norqain and the NHL dropped a watch so well executed that it demanded a spotlight of its own.

The day prior, Streit and his fellow co-founder, Ben Küffer, invited a select group of media to preview the watch, where they walked us through the seemingly endless list of Easter eggs they included to honour the NHL. Just a few of the more memorable details are a rubber strap made from recycled hockey pucks, a seconds counter formed by two rotating hockey sticks, the NHL shield integrated at six o’clock and tastefully engraved on the caseback, and subtle skate marks designed into the white dial. And yet, despite the array of details, the result is simply an incredibly stylish, well-designed timepiece.

It sounds reductive, but it’s a harder challenge than one would imagine. Like all luxury goods, the art is in the refinement. With only 1,917 watches made (a nod to the year the NHL was founded), it’s fair to assume the bulk of purchases will come from hockey fans. But, really, it’s a piece simply cool enough for anyone enamoured with great watch design.

“The rotating hockey sticks used for the seconds counter are my favorite element,” said Streit. “I’ve never seen anything like that on a watch. But every detail tells a story, even the strap.”

The official partnership with the NHL was announced in November, with Canadian legend Sidney Crosby and Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi as shareholders. Now, the release of the Norqain Adventure Sport Chrono NHL Limited Edition marks the next bright chapter in the brand’s growth, one defined by expert watchmaking, impeccable design, and a wealth of hockey history.

Learn more about Norqain and the NHL.

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