Founded in 2018, Norqain has a short history, but it has already established a significant presence in the mid-range market. Not only has it expanded its sales network around the world, but it has also welcomed Jean-Claude Biver and Jean-Paul Girardin as advisors. Furthermore, this year the company participated in Watches & Wonders Geneva. The person who agreed to be interviewed was Ben Kaffer's younger brother, Tobias Kaffer, who is now the company's vice president and serves as Kaffer's right-hand man.
Interview and text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2024 issue of Kronos Japan]
At NORQAIN, we want to be crazy.
Vice President of Norqain. Born in Switzerland in 1990. After joining Louis Erard in 2013, he was appointed International Sales Director at Swiss jewelry manufacturer Guyberg. Invited by his older brother, Ben Kaffer, CEO of Norqain, he took up his current position in May 2021. As Ben's right-hand man, he mainly supports sales. "I will continue to challenge myself to make our collections known to as many people as possible."
“It was for our own good, because it was important for us to expose Norqain to retailers who didn’t know about us. We invested heavily and set ambitious goals, but we exceeded them. In fact, appointments were always booked during the event. We ended up welcoming around 100 retailers to Watches & Wonders Geneva. Now is the time for the challenge.”
He cited major changes in the market.
"Exports were down 40% in the first four months of 2024, but NORQAIN is up 40% so far compared to last year. I think NORQAIN is doing very well in a tough market. A lot of retailers heard about how well we were doing and felt they needed something new. Our watches are 100% authentic and we believe the quality is good for the price."
Tobias says the reason for their success is their independence and innovation. The introduction of a configurator, which allows users to combine various components to create their own unique bike, is a sign of NORQAIN's new direction. The original impetus for this was the "Wild One," a bike made up of multiple components.
"It all started when Jean-Claude and Ben developed the first Wild One. The case structure of this watch 'exploded.' When they realized its modularity, the idea for the 'Wild One of 1' was born in their minds."
This is an attempt to create a one-of-a-kind watch from over 3.5 million possible combinations by freely combining the movement, case, dial, hands, and plate engraving. Including engravings on the case back, the specifications are virtually limitless. While this is extremely rare for a mass-production manufacturer, typical of Norqain, with a delivery time of approximately three months and a price 1.5 times that of the regular model, it has become a realistic collection.
The configurator took approximately two years to develop. Through 11 processes, including the combination of the movement and case, over 3.5 million possible combinations are possible. Furthermore, outline images such as family photos, logos, and text can be printed on the back cover.
"Honestly, managing the supply chain for this project is difficult. The investment was huge and the margins were low. But we wanted to do this."
Even as they grow, Norqain continues to take on new challenges. "We always want to be crazy," says Norqain.
