A look at the new NORQAIN Wild ONE Hakuna Mipaka watch for 2023
Thursday - 12 October 2023
The new Hakuna Mipaka Wild ONE watch from NORQAIN depicts the detailing of a lion’s fur coat on its dial, along with stunning rose gold plated features that evoke the dusky sunset over the Hakuna Mipaka Oasis.
NORQAIN is a relatively young brand, having only been around for half a decade. The manufacturer, which was founded back in 2018 by Ben Kuffer, is known for its spirit of adventure and its love for the great outdoors. The family-owned business immediately acquired a serious following of enthusiasts thanks to its high-end timepieces and polarising designs like the Wild ONE, the Adventure, the Freedom and the Independence. Over the years, NORQAIN has secured this reputation for building strong, durable timepieces through its use of proprietary materials that are perfect for the modern world.
The story of the Wild ONE
The Wild ONE watch series by NORQAIN has been the brand’s focus over the past year or so. Sitting within the Independence watch collection, it represents the relationship between company CEO and NORQAIN co-founder, Ben Kuffer and the legendary Jean-Claude Biver. Perfectly signifying the modern and youthful style that Biver is associated with, alongside a modular case design, the Wild ONE is a unique sports watch that can be transformed into a plethora of different colours thanks to its innovative shock-resistant rubber technology, which can be coloured to any shade desired.
The Wild One takes design cues from the Independence watch but is designed to be lighter and more resistant on the wrist. The dial too can be printed with any number of graphics or it can be 3D laser cut. The rubber material, once combined with the carbon material used for the case, creates a superb shock-resistant and vibration-resistant housing for the movement to perform inside. One iteration from the Wild ONE collection is the Hakuna Mipaka watch.
NORQAIN is now onto its third iteration of the model, which sees the brand collaborate with Dean Schneider once again, the proud owner of a southern African Oasis that is home to many thousands of native species as well as rescued animals. In the past, the watch has incorporated real sand taken from the Hakuna Mipaka Oasis within its shock-resistant rubber core.It is Schneider’s passion, drive, courage and fearless spirit that makes him such a perfect fit for a watch collaboration with NORQAIN. These qualities are also shared in the design of the brand’s innovative NORTEQ case.
The NORTEQ case
Think of the NORTEQ case as having four structures like the Earth. We have the crust, the mantle, the outer core and the inner core. The wild ONE’s dial is the crust in this scenario. Then we have the case itself. The composition is made up of carbon fibre and a polymer mix made up of 60% caster oil. This is the mantle. The outer core is the Wild One’s shock-resistant rubber structure that protects the internal components of the watch. Elements of these rubber structures are exposed through the surface of the case to inject a touch of colour into each iteration. Within this outer core structure is the inner core – a titanium body with sapphire crystal applied to both of its sides to guarantee utmost protection over a chronometer-certified movement fitted within.
The new NORQAIN Wild ONE Hakuna Mipaka
The new Wild ONE Hakuna Mipaka watch from NORQAIN, using the NORTEQ case, is three and a half times lighter than titanium and six times lighter than conventional steel watches. The watch pays tribute to its inspiration in many thoughtful ways, namely with a golden brown palette for the dial, echoing the colour of a particular lion close to Schneider’s heart. The dial also features laser-etched features in brown that echo the lion’s fur, whilst the Hakuna Mipaka shield and logo reside at the 6 o’clock location. The hands that glide effortlessly around the dial are red gold-plated, bringing an undeniable sense of luxury to the dial. These features, along with the matching red gold-coated hour markers, evoke the dusky evening light across the Hakuna Mipaka Oasis.
The new NORQAIN Wild ONE Hakuna Mipaka watch for 2023 measures a 42mm diameter and comprises a total of 25 individual hand-assembled parts to create its striking modular construction. The case is both light and incredibly shock resistant, making it a great companion for anyone who spends a lot of their time outdoors and on the go. Weighing just 84 grams, the watch is water resistant to 200 meters, protecting a reliable movement at its centre.
The Kenissi Calibre NN20/1 that lies within the case of the new Hakuna Mipaka watch by NORQAIN is chronometer-certified and is capable of producing a power reserve of 70 hours once fully wound. Shneider reinforces his mission statement on the back of the case, alongside a sapphire crystal glass exhibition feature. It reads “We need to learn to love them exactly the way they are and not the way we wish them to be!”. A motto that anyone with a love for wildlife and animals would likely agree with.
If you’d like to order one of the new NORQAIN Wild ONE Hakuna Mipaka watches, you can do so by visiting the link here, or simply call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453.
