The Retro-style NORQAIN Freedom 60 Chrono Lineup Gets New Pastel Colours

Pastel colours on dials imbue timepieces with a distinct and gentle elegance, marking a departure from conventional dark and metallic hues that are usually found in watch designs. Gentler colour options are usually consistent with a taste for minimalism and subtle refinement. The latest chronographs from NORQAIN offer such a colour palette and more.

Launched ahead of Watches & Wonders 2024, the three 40 mm Freedom 60 chronographs indeed have appealing pastel dials. The Freedom 60 Chrono 40 mm Peach Limited Edition will be restricted to just 300 pieces, each printed with “ONE of 300”. The Sky Blue and Pistachio editions are permanent timepieces; their colours are inspired by summer in Toscana.

Vintage-inspired wristwatch designs often incorporate the aesthetics and craftsmanship of watches from bygone decades, which typically range from the early twentieth century to the 1960s and 1970s. These designs essentially pay homage to the ageless elegance, durability, and simplicity of previous-generation watches. The 1960s-inspired NORQAIN Freedom 60 Chrono sub-collection was first released in 2020. 

The latest trio is packaged in small 40 mm stainless steel cases, each with a thickness of 14.90 mm and a lug-to-lug distance of 49.20 mm. Each case is largely polished with brushed flanks and has a domed sapphire crystal that produces retro distortions at certain angles. The chronograph functions are controlled by twin antique pump-style pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o'clock, and there is a big screw-down crown as well.

On the left side, there is a plaque with twin screws that can be personalised (or can simply bear the brand's name). All three dials have a silky sunray-brushed finish and a black chapter ring with white numerals for the tachymeter scale that lies on the outer periphery of each dial. The diamond-cut hour markers as well as the hour and minute hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova®. All three novelties get the anthracite NORQAIN logo at 12 o’clock.

The subdials, which are black for the Peach and Pistachio editions and dark blue for the Sky Blue one, are recessed and snailed with the 30-minute elapsed chronograph timings at 3 o’clock, the 12-hour totaliser at 6 o’clock, and the tiny seconds at 9 o'clock, following the traditional tri compax configuration. The date window, located at 4:30, has the same colour backdrop as the dial and is relatively unobtrusive.

The watch is powered by the calibre N19 (Sellita SW510 a), which is an automatic cam-type integrated chronograph built on the 7750 architecture. It features 27 jewels, beats at 28,800 vph (4Hz), and provides a significantly longer 62-hour power reserve. There is also a personalised NORQAIN oscillating weight on the caseback. The new Freedom 60 Chrono models come with three strap options: a stainless steel bracelet, a black Perlon rubber strap, and a grey or ivory NORTIDE linen strap produced from recycled ocean plastic. What’s more, each of the these gets a pin buckle or a folding clasp.