Young Swiss independent brand Norqain and wildlife conservationist Dean Schneider have worked together for the preservation of wild animals since they joined forces in 2022. The watchmaker has unveiled their latest collaborative timepiece, the Wild ONE Skeleton Hakuna Mipaka 42 mm—this marks their third special release in support of the Hakuna Mipaka Oasis, a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa dedicated to rescuing and protecting animals such as lions, hyenas, and monkeys. Only 200 pieces of this exclusive sports watch are available globally, and 10% of proceeds from sales will be donated to the Hakuna Mipaka Foundation.

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Built for rugged adventure, it features a 42mm case made of NORTEQ, Norqain’s proprietary carbon fibre composite that’s six times lighter than steel and 3.5 times lighter than titanium. It also includes a sandblasted titanium inner case and a black rubber shock absorber for added protection. The case is water-resistant up to 200 metres, anti-magnetic, and corrosion-resistant, making it ideal for extreme sports and exploration. A safari-textured Norqain plate on the case side adds to the wild look.

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The visually striking skeletonised black dial has bold white and red details. The rhodium-plated, diamond-cut hour markers are filled with white X1 Super-LumiNova to ensure visibility in low-light conditions. The hour and minute hands are also partially skeletonised and tipped with red Super-LumiNova, while the flat central seconds hand has a glowing white centre and orange edge.

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The watch is powered by the COSC-certified Caliber N08S, a skeleton movement made with Swiss movement expert Sellita. It beats at a frequency of 4 Hz and offers a 41-hour power reserve. Visible through the transparent caseback, the custom skeleton rotor features a red "Hakuna Mipaka" print and the watch’s unique edition number.

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Completing the timepiece is a vegan-certified rubber strap. Each strap is unique, decorated with a hand-applied geometric pattern inspired by the Hakuna Mipaka landscape.

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The Wild ONE Skeleton Hakuna Mipaka 42 mm is priced at approx. INR 5,15,000.

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What we think - 

The Dean Schneider partnership with Norqain is one for the books, and to top off the collaborative efforts at wildlife conservation they release visually stunning and uniquely creative timepieces every year, ones that the world looks forward to. The new Wild ONE skeleton is simply the best of the lot so far.

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