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A Surprising Brand May Have Just Launched the Year’s Best-Looking Chronograph

How do you improve a panda dial? Add a little gold.

Close-up of a wristwatch featuring a steel stainless steel case, a cream-colored dial with two black subdials, and a date window at the 6 o'clock position. The watch has gold-tone hour markers and hands, a black tachymeter scale on the outer edge, and a black textured strap with white stitching. The crown and two pushers are visible on the right side of the case.Norqain
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By Brad Lanphear

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Norqain is known for its ultra-modern, tough-as-nails sports watches. But the young Swiss watchmaker can turn out the classics with the best of them.

Look no further than the new Freedom 60 Chrono 43mm Limited Edition for proof.

Steel Norqain wristwatch with a white dial and three black subdials. The watch features gold-tone hour markers and hands, a date window at 4 o'clock, and a black tachymeter scale around the outer edge. It has a black textured strap with two small white embroidered details near the lugs. The watch has two pushers and a crown on the right side.
Norqain’s take on the classic panda dial features a creamy off-white dial and rose gold-plated accents.
Norqain

Norqain launched the Freedom 60 chronograph in 2020, just two years after the brand debuted, and has kept it in the rotation with fresh updates ever since.

The design follows the beloved 1960s racing chronograph blueprint established by brands like Hamilton and (pre-TAG) Heuer, and helped create a solid foundation for Norqain’s brilliantly innovative designs that followed.

Somehow, through several generations of updates, including a 40mm downsizing, Norqain never fully committed to the mid-century chrono look with a panda dial — until now.

Steel chronograph wristwatch with a white dial and three black subdials, featuring gold-tone hands and hour markers, a date window between 4 and 5 o'clock, and a black leather strap with textured pattern. The watch is being adjusted by a hand on a wrist wearing a cream-colored knit sleeve.
This Freedom 60 panda has the original 43mm case size.
Norqain

Of course, Norqain’s long-awaited take on the fan-favorite black-on-white dial isn’t boilerplate. A few flourishes make it one of the most stunning chronographs of 2025, panda or otherwise.

Everybody loves pandas

The basic design for the Freedom 60 Chrono has never changed. It creates depth with sunken tracks on the subdials and applied hour markers. One minor update is that the totalizers are now snailed, enhancing that depth with radiant texture.

Steel stainless steel Norqain wristwatch with a white dial featuring three black subdials, gold-tone hour markers and hands, a date window at 4 o'clock, and a tachymeter scale on the outer edge. The watch has two pushers and a crown on the right side and a matching silver stainless steel bracelet.
The Freedom 60 Chrono 43mm LE is available with a steel H-link bracelet.
Norqain

The dial’s base is a creamy off-white color that matches the original Freedom 60 Chrono, which was released in 2020. A black ring with a white tachymeter scale covers the dial’s concave outer rim.

Norqain elevates its panda above the rest of the Freedom 60 Chrono line by adding rose gold plating to all six hands, the applied hour markers and the brand logo.

Steel chronograph wristwatch with a white dial and three black subdials, featuring a black textured leather strap, worn on a wrist with a beige knitted sleeve.
The hour hand, minute hand and hour markers have Super-LumiNova inserts.
Norqain

In keeping with the vintage theme, the hour hand, minute hand and hour markers are fitted with old radium Super-LumiNova. The dial is topped with a box-shaped sapphire crystal featuring anti-reflective coating on both sides.

A small date window is tucked away at 4:30, between the 30-minute totalizer and the 12-hour register.

Still tough-as-nails

Norqain’s black Perlon Rubber strap, the default option for the Freedom 60 43mm Limited Edition, adds a touch of modern design. It is soft, flexible, breathable and ultra-tough, yet it still blends perfectly with the vintage-inspired dial.

Wristwatch with a silver case, white dial, and three black subdials. The watch has gold-tone hands and hour markers, a black bezel with white markings, and a black textured leather strap with white stitching. The brand name "NORQAIN" is visible on the dial. The watch is worn on a wrist with a light brown skin tone, and the person is wearing a cream-colored ribbed sweater.
The Freedom 60 Chrono is available on Norqain’s Perlon Rubber strap with either a pin-buckle or folding clasp.
Norqain

That strap and a brown Alcantara option are each available with either a steel pin-buckle clasp or a steel folding clasp. The third option is a steel H-link bracelet with polished outer links and brushed center links.

The Freedom 60 43mm Limited Edition runs a customized Sellita caliber SW510a automatic movement with a 62-hour power reserve. Its signed rotor is displayed through an exhibition caseback.

Side view of a Norqain wristwatch with a stainless steel case, a domed crystal, and a black textured strap featuring white stitching. The watch face has a white background with three black subdials and rose gold accents on the hands and hour markers. The brand name "NORQAIN" is engraved on a metal plate on the side of the case.
The Norqain plate on the side of the case can be customized for $170.
Norqain

As with previous references, the Norqain plate fastened to the side of the polished case can be customized for $117. There are three fonts to choose from, and the engraving is limited to 15 characters.

So far this year, Noqain has made a strong case for being the most intriguing modern sports watch brand, which makes the revelation of this gorgeous classic chronograph much more surprising.

The young watch brand apparently wanted to remind everyone that it can still do the classics when it’s not churning out the sportiest and most colorful mechanical watches on the market.

Availability and price

The Norqain Freedom 60 Chronograph 43mm LE is available now from Norqain for $4,990 on a black Perlon Rubber strap with a pin-buckle, $4,820 on a brown Alcantara strap with a pin-buckle and $5,090 on a steel H-link bracelet with a folding clasp.

The Perlon rubber and Alcantara straps can be upgraded to steel folding clasps for $160.

This is a limited edition run of 300 pieces.

Steel Norqain wristwatch with a white dial featuring three black subdials, gold-tone hour markers and hands, a date window between 4 and 5 o'clock, and a black textured strap with silver stitching. The watch has two push buttons and a crown on the right side.Norqain

Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono 43 LE

Specs

Case Size 43mm
Movement Sellita caliber SW510a automatic
Water Resistance 100m
About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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