Last week I wrote an article about how Corum’s CEO has firmed up the foundations of his brand for the future, using not just his business acumen, but also his resourcefulness by attracting two highly talented individuals to come and work with him to help to develop his brand – Vincent Calabrese, the man who conceived the linear system which would become the Golden Bridge, and Laurent Besse who developed the Ti-Bridge.  As promised by Antonio Calce a few years ago,  development of the Ti-Bridge continues, for 2013 comes a new model, a new calibre and a unique new winding system.

Few watches showcase watchmaking in a scientific and methodical manner whilst retaining horological exquisteness, the Ti-Bridge achieves both with aplomb.  Unmistakeable at a glance, its horizontal line-up of barrel, gear train and escapement is both technical and beautiful.

That such a unique timepiece should gain its energy from an ordiary rotor simply would not do.  The new calibre, the CO 207 has its power fed from twin interconnected circular rotors which move together in a most business-like manner.

Viewable through rear sapphire they offer a starkness and an air of practicality, as if to declare that their purpose of the provision of power to the barrel is a most solemn and serious affair, and their appearance which is bereft of embellishment is wholly suitable for the industrialised aesthetics of the Ti-Bridge collection.

The curvature of  its tonneau case contradicts the modernistic nature of the Ti-Bridge.  It has a softness and a tactile quality which opposes its titanium cross-bars, its rugged hands and its spiked-toothed innards.  This one measures 42mm x 52mm but will wrap around even a diminutive wrist.

The Corum Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder will be issued in a 200 piece titanium edition, shown here or a 25 piece edition with rose gold case.

My article – Corum A Solid Footing for the Four Pillars read it here.

Or Corum, watch by watch here.

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Established in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Corum may have a short history as watchmaking brands go,  but since their founding in 1955, they have taken us on a horological journey interspersed with a wealth of highlights – sometimes eccentric, often technical, always unconventional – yet despite the often peacockish designs, a high standard of quality was always a feature.  Not everyone “got” some of the more flamboyant models, but I for one think that a little design inebriation goes a long way in this often sober industry.

Severin Wunderman, a man who was as industry-savvy as they come, chose his CEO well, appointing Antonio Calce in 2004 – this was a man who had a clear vision of what Corum needed to survive – a trimmed-down portfolio, a re-focus on Haute Horlogerie timepieces and improved distribution.  His commitment to the business was affirmed in 2011 when he became a major shareholder.

Perhaps you have heard the term “The Corum 4 Pillars” referring to the Golden Bridge, Admiral’s Cup, Romvlvs and Artisan collections, the building blocks of the brand which, under the leadershiop of Antoino Calce have been nurtured and refined.

When Artisans Horlogers went out of business in 2011, Mr. Calce pounced “Biver-style” acquiring a very valuable asset for his brand – the talents of Master Watchmaker Laurent Besse, already familiar to Corum for his development of the Ti-Bridge.

More recently came a partnership with Vincent Calabrese, AHCI co-founder and the man who originally conceived the system of linear gear trains that would become the extraordinary Golden Bridge.

Having two such individuals on the payroll is quite a coup considering the hiring clout of the Swatch Group, LVMH or Richemont.  Perhaps Mr.Calce gives an irresistible pitch, perhaps  the diversity and potential of the the Corum portfolio appeals, perhaps this is a CEO who lets his watchmakers be watchmakers without too much fussy meddling or perhaps, more importantly, both these talented men see the future potential of this brand.

I find it reassuring that Corum, once viewed by many in the industry as the “other” watch brand, the one which dared to be unconventional has perchance become the envy of some of the larger watchmaking companies – and for the future, the Four Pillars have a  very solid foundation.

Get acquainted with Corum through our extensive archives here.

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1956 saw the unveiling of a new watch collection for a new watch company.  One model was particularly well received – a rather classy piece featuring a mechanical movement with a quite useful addition for the time, an alarm function.  Also available for purchase back then was a 100 piece limited edition with an automatic movement.  Both editions bore the new, but now synonymous “key logo”.  The timepiece was the Corum Chargé d’Affaires a watch which heralded the arrival of Gaston Reis and his nephew René Bannwart’s new watchmaking business.

The creation of  authentic re-issues is something which Corum are extremely masterful at achieving.  The 2011 Grand Précis not only captured the elegance of the original Précis aesthetics, within its movement were also some calibre components of the 1957 model, having been stored away safely for more than fifty years.  And the re-issues of the Chinese Hat, the Golden Tube and the Golden Bridge in 2010 were more than pleasing on the eye.

Both the Précis and the Chargé d’Affaires were respectful of the fashion of the time, with an elegance and restraint which would eventually give way to the flamboyant years at Corum – before coins were split to create watch dials, before the wonderfully wacky seventies feather dials and Rolls Royce avant-garde watches, before the Admiral’s Cup and before the creation of calibres which were formed into almost impossibly slim baguette forms.  Both of these classical, but mechanically sophisticated pieces were to become the blocks on which Corum would build its “Four Pillars” …  and its future.

Corum describe this edition of the Chargé d’Affaires as “virtually identical” to the original, and it is.  Only a slight up-size of the case, to 38mm, has changed.  Corum resist the urge to fiddle or re-work anything else, even the original calibre, the manual-wind Calibre CO286 is used to power the piece, having been restored using traditional methods and vintage tools.

On the case side are two neatly tucked-in crowns, one for the alarm and one for the hands – and with a twin barrel system which provides individual energy for both the alarm and timekeeping functions, the alarm is able to sound for more that 12 seconds without affecting precision.

The dial is silver-toned with applied indices, and the faceted dauphine hands are really rather beautiful, contrasting superbly with the vivacity of the red-tipped alarm hand.  Visible through the case back is the inscription on the sound bridge “1956-2013″ offering further tribute to the importance of the original.

The Corum Chargé d’Affaires will be limited to a 150 piece 18K gold edition, and a 50 piece 18K white gold edition.

More information at Corum.

And perhaps a look-see at our extensive Corum archives?

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Corum created it, counterfeit killed it, and fans of the brand either loved or loathed it – but this was a watch which they could not ignore and as a follow up to our recent features on both Severin Wunderman and the Corum watch brand, neither could we – the Corum Bubble watch.

Flash back to 2000, a new Millenium, and Severin Wunderman had a new watch brand with which to exercise his creative talents which he had gained from the previous 25 years making and marketing Gucci watches.  Naturally coming from this fashion-based niche he would be fearless when it came to using colour and ingenuity in the new models which he would present to the industry in the coming years, because although Corum had somewhat lost creative direction in the years previous to his ownership, they had a portfolio archive of some very fanciful timepieces.  However, when he unveiled vision for what he hoped would be a showstopper at the coming year’s watch fairs it must have raised more than an eyebrow or two in his newly acquired design department – even on the sketchpad what he was suggesting must have seemed just a little too audacious.

The watch was inspired by a Rolex timepiece which was strapped (-ish) to  Professor Piccard’s submarine when he and his colleague Navy LT Don Walsh went to “Challenger Deep” and back in 1960.  The watch, the Rolex Deep Sea Special needed a substantial sapphire in order to withstand the pressures of the deepest place on earth, the Corum Bubble’s 11mm thick submarine hatch-styled sapphire dome was merely for effect.

The piece was ingenious in a number of ways: it was styled to be  a durable part of the new Corum portfolio, with a sapphire crystal which would magnify and showcase the brightly coloured dials and limited edition pieces which would be released in the future: it was a surefire method of attracting  publicity not just for his for his newly acquired watch company, but was also a way of attracting  a younger client base in the hope of gaining brand loyalty for the future, and of course, it was a very public statement of intent to the watch industry – Corum, under the direction of Severin Wunderman would continue to be as atypical as ever before.

The Corum Bubble also perpetuated itself by appearing as a limited edition each year of its production in a variety of guises which featured a roulette table, poker hand, bats,  skull and cross-bones, dive-bomber editions and the Baron Samedi, complete with a coffin-styled presentation box and voodoo doll.

Most were powered by quartz movements, but there were mechanical calibres, and chronographs too, and of course some had precious stones, after all diamonds-on-steel were a “Wunderman Special”.  The Corum Bubble watch was fashionable, it was fun and at times it was outrageous – not to everyone’s taste, but then it was never intended to be.

To be copied in the luxury watch industry is not flattery – it restricts growth,  it shrinks profit-margins and ultimately it dilutes the exclusivity of a model.  Just a few years after the release of the Bubble counterfeit copies were in abundance, these were quality replicas, which even Corum’s own experts were unable to detect until the pieces were opened and the movements examined.  Perhaps it was futile to compete with a marketplace flooded with fakes, perhaps the cost of producing the domed sapphires became a mitigating factor, perhaps the industry had grown too familiar with the theatrical limited edition unveilings, perhaps even Corum had grown a little tired of its flamboyant character and were ready to concentrate all its design efforts on a more restrained and high-end portfolio.  By the time its creator, Severin Wunderman passed away in 2008 the Corum Bubble was no longer a part of the brands main portfolio.

I have owned and worn a Corum Bubble for many years, not one of the limited edition models, simply a mother-of-pearl dial mid-size model.  It is powered by quartz – I am unashamed, the watch must be viewed face-on to view the time, such is the distortion of that immense sapphire – I care not, and the miniscule date window is unfunctional whatever angle it is viewed from, so what? – when I wear it, watch enthusiasts appreciate it, and often pass comment, and …… those who don’t know watches,  appreciate it, and often pass comment, no other model in my collection provokes such a favourable reaction.  Future classic?  Some pieces are still available out there – just be careful of the fakes……

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Few watches create such an impact as those which bear the Corum marque. Classic, subdued and understated styling are terms not to be found anywhere within the Corum rulebook.

Formally established in 1955 in the Swiss watchmaking heartland of La Chaux-de-Fonds following the partnership of Gaston Reis, an independent watchmaker himself since 1924, and his nephew René Bannwart, the new firm soon broke away from the previous non-brand family business and established the name ‘Corum’.

Within one year of the company being founded, the first watches from the new Corum watch company arrived on the market and to considerable acclaim too. The Corum Chargé D’Affaires which first announced the arrival of this new company in 1956 was also a revealing insight to the thinking behind the Corum brand. The new model which bore the now-synonymous Key logo, featured a mechanical movement with alarm function in a classy stainless steel case, and was complimented by a 100-piece limited edition with automatic movement.

From the earliest days of the Corum brand, it was evident that instead of opting for the ‘safe’ direction of conventional design, which many watch houses preferred, Corum were daring to be different, and it was this difference which made their watches stand out from their contemporaries of the time.

Following on from the well-received Chargé d’Affaires, Corum embarked on producing a succession of distinctive and eyecatching wristwatches for the lady as well as the gentleman. These would include in 1958 the ladies Chinese Hat with its’ dial surrounded by a broad gold ’brim’, then the Golden Tube ladies watch which was based around the solid gold tube-like case and featured a slim baguette movement. Reputedly it was the Golden Tube which first opened doors for Corum as a watchmaker of quite some influence. International orders began to fill up the pages of the Corum order books.

1960 saw the first incarnation of the Corum Admiral’s Cup watch, a square Carrée-cased piece with faceted caseback whose name derived not from any connection with the great yacht race but rather from the fact that the watch could boast water resistance – which was not easily achieved in a square watch case at the time and so was in fact a bit of a feat!

Being square, the original Corum Admiral’s Cup Carrée bears no resemblance of the revisited Admirals Cup watch which would in time come to symbolize the popular face of Corum watches as well as the marques’ new commercial link to the yacht race. Although all this would come quite some time into the future for the Corum watch company back then in the early ‘60s.

Four years later in 1964 saw the unveiling of what would become another Corum icon – this time the ‘Double Eagle’ $20 Gold Coin watch. Presented as an heirloom timepiece and accompanied by an advertising strapline which suggested that your great-great grandson would be eternally grateful when he took possession of the Coin watch, the watch was an interpretation of an older idea which had a coin as a face for pocket watches with a closing case front. Except, in true Corum fashion, this was presented as a wristwatch. A clever piece of machining had the gold $20 coin split in two and a slim hand-wound mechanical movement sandwiched between the halves, with the ‘face’ protected by a sapphire mineral crystal. Again, Corum notched up another hit when the watch was sold out before even making it as far as The Basel Fair showcase in 1965!

By now, Corum was an established manufacturer of fine watches, albeit with a distinct leftfield curve. Although totally practical, their watches also possessed a quirkiness which you either ‘got’ or you didn’t. But for those who did get it, the marque continued to raise eyebrows with models such as the oversized square Buckingham gents watch, as well as the Romulus which features the roman numerals engraved into the bezel – allegedly because as the first public unveiling approached, the watch was still unfinished, and the only way to beat the deadline was to take a risk and opt to engrave the numerals. Another one of Corum’s “Four Pillars”, the Romulus still holds its’ place among todays’ Corum portfolio!

The hippy-chic 1970s were seemingly made for the daring watch brand, and Corum did not let down their growing number of clients. Can you imagine a watch with a peacock feather for a dial? Corum went one step further than imagining – in 1970 they produced the Feathered Friend, complete with a choice of bird feather dials! There followed The Ingot (in a scaled down but otherwise perfect gold ingot – obviously!), the Rolls Royce, complete with miniaturised Rolls Royce grille and many other more obscure, sometimes outrageous and elaborate one-offs.

However, as the heady ‘70s ended and the more focused and business-like 1980s came in, Corum, in some respects, ran out of inventive steam, and although they could still devise unthinkable (to others) methods of watch design, the creative output dwindled somewhat.

The ‘80s did see the unveiling of two important models however. The Corum Golden Bridge, which featured a distinctive baguette movement, and the Corum Admiral’s Cup.

Both new models would in time become cornerstones of Corum’s “Four Pillars”. The new Admiral’s Cup was now redesigned and reconceptualised in that it now came in a rounded 12-sided case, the numerals replaced with their equivalent in nautical pennants. The astonishing Admiral’s Cup Marrées (Tides) which featured Corums first in-house Caliber CO 277 movement offered the wearer information such as high and low tides, current strengths and lunar cycle! Combined with a commercial partnership and a participating role in the great ocean yacht race, the Corum Admirals Cup still holds an important place in the Corum portfolio through to this day.

And so the new Millenium neared and, with its’ passing also came about change at Corum. In January of the year 2000, the company announced to the watch world that it was under new ownership.

Enter Mr Severin Wunderman, a watch industry entrepreneur who had worked his way up in the field of marketing since the 1960s in the US, where upon identifying and seizing a true opportunity after a chance conversation with Aldo Gucci, owner of the luxury goods brand which bore his name, Wunderman went on to oversee the manufacture and international marketing of Gucci watches from his own production facility, Severin Montres which he sold at the end of the ‘90s.

Immediately the Wunderman influence became evident, as did the perfect symbiosis between the man and the brand, for in 2000, the year of his arrival, Corum unveiled the iconic Corum Bubble with its ‘submarine hatch’ domed crystal. This was a watch as worthy of the Corum name as any of the marques’ previous models. Oversized, overstated, fun and funky – even outrageous, the Bubble went on to symbolise what the brand was about. It also had the effect of raising the profile of the Corum name and introducing it to a new, young and consumables-hungry client base.

The Corum Bubble also perpetuated itself by appearing as a limited edition each year of its production in a variety of guises which featured a roulette table, poker hand, bats, the Baron Samedi, skull and cross-bones and the dive-bomber editions. These were not watches for the shy and retiring type, but then, Corum never made watches for the shy and retiring!

Sadly the dynamic whirlwind that was Severin Wunderman would not get to see out his first decade as owner of this eccentric yet ‘in-touch’ watch maker, although having survived an incredible life, including lung cancer in the ‘90s, it is the good fortune of the watch world that he made it as far as he did. Passing away aged just 69 years in June 2008, he left behind a legacy which will endure for some time to come.

Well before his passing, Severin had introduced his son, Michael Wunderman and his own longtime friend Antonio Calce into pivotal roles within the hierarchael structure, and under their direction the Corum brand was able to carry the momentum built up over the previous decade.

In 2012, Corum continue to develop what are now considered their two flagship collections, the Admiral’s Cup and the Bridges.  The latter now consists of the Golden Bridge models and the Ti-bridge – this year saw the release of new cases for the Ti-Bridge Flying Tourbillon and the Ti-Bridge Three-Day Power Reserve.

The Admiral’s Cup, seen by Severin Wunderman as one of the cornerstones which would be integral to the future of Corum has also been nurtured.  Now three genres complete the collection, the Seafender, the Challenger and the Legend models.  This year a World First was achieved – the Admiral’s Cup Legend 46 Minute Repeater Acoustica, developed along with La Fabrique du Temps, it is the first to strike four notes with four hammers working together in pairs to produce the harmonies.

Antonio Calce, CEO of Corum has been credited as the man who has led the brand through a difficult period for both the industry and his brand, following the loss in 2008 of Severin Wunderman.  In 2011 he took his leadership a stage further, becoming a major shareholder in Montres Corum Sàrl.  He like Mr. Wunderman has a vision of the direction in which to take his company and the confidence to do so, a plan which includes an extension of the facilities at La Chaux-de-Fonds and more interestingly, he has hired Laurent Besse who previously worked with Corum in developing the movement for the Ti-Bridge.

Some in the industry never took to Corum, never quite ‘got it’, but it might be that those individuals didn’t actually realise what they were looking at. Certainly it can be argued by the horologists association at the gentlemens club that Corum was as happy to use a quartz movement as a mechanical movement as a means to an end and that they made watches from which some recoiled in horror at first sight – but surely if this was the effect, then that was the intention?

More information at the Corum Official Website.

…. And perhaps a look-see at our extensive archive of Corum watch reviews and features here.

Popularity: 3% [?]

What would you like your legacy to be?  That in your chosen industry you were successful?  Or that in your lifetime you animated that industry with vibrancy and colour?  Severin Wunderman achieved all of the above, and in doing so became one of the (the?) best Watchbrand Makers of our times.

He was, essentially a salesman, but he was also a visionary, who was an expert at finding a niche into which to put a quality product, at the right price.  He was a patron of the Arts and an art collector from an early age, with a particular fondness for the works of Jean Cocteau, yet he was also a generous man and a lifelong philanthropist.  Those familiar with the name Wunderman will, no doubt make the immediate connection with the Corum watch brand which he aquired in 2000, and indeed this is where he found an outlet for his skills of innovation and creativity, but even before his efficacious years at Corum, he had already had almost three decades in the watch industry, years during which Mr. Wunderman had created a new blueprint for the marketing of  luxury designer-branded timepieces, which some of the more savvy individuals in our industry still use today.

Early Years of Hardship

….. But life was not easy for the youthful Severin Wunderman, one can hardly imagine a childhood with worse adversity.  Born to Jewish parents in Brussels in 1938, Severin’s childhood was to be interrupted by the life-changing events of World War II when, like many, his family were forced to take drastic measures to save their children.  He and his siblings were placed under the protection of a Catholic priest in the countryside, then with a Gentile family who were somewhat reluctant to return their little charge, his father having to forcibly remove him.  During this time Mr. Wundermans’s education continued in a school for the blind where he was the only pupil with sight.  These were character-building years which would serve him well for the challenges that he would face throughout his life.  After the war, normal family life would continue to evade him, his mother died when he was just ten years old, after which  he emigrated to Los Angeles on his own, to live with his older sister Bella, who had already taken up residency there.

The Watch Industry Beckons

Like many young men, Severin found that years spent in High School were no match for the independence gained from earning his own money and with an enterprising spirit emerging, he made his income from a number of ventures, including the manufacture and sale of gold chains eventually gaining a foothold into the watch industry.  In the 1960′s, while selling watches for Alexis Barthelay, a legendary encounter was to seal Severin’s fate, sending him firmly into the watchmaking business.  He had hoped to simply sell some watches to Gucci when he entered their New York flagship store.  When he got there a phone was ringing, the assistants were otherwise occupied.  Was it audacity or merely good etiquette which made Severin pick up to answer the call?  It matters not, at the other end was the boss – naturally irritated by such boldness.  This opportunistic moment led to a meeting of the two, and Severin, ever the salesman, became the sole manufacturer and distributor of Gucci watches, and the development of those first models and his company Severin Montres was financed by a cheque written by his new-found friend, Aldo Gucci.

To ensure the success of Gucci watches, Severin found the perfect mix of fashion, price and quality.  This was one of the most prestigious designer brands – that they would be fashionable was a given, but rather than compete in the high-end sector where competition was rife, he created timepieces which were priced to sell but which were worthy of the quality expected by potential customers.  Luxury was not to be compromised, but he found solutions – instead of watchcases in precious metals, he concentrated on much more affordable steel and was one of the first to add the ultimate in economical opulence,  diamonds on a steel case.  Gucci went public in the late 1990′s, and had it not then perhaps Severin Wunderman would have remained as he was, in a watch sector which he had made his own … but that would have left our industry bereft of his animation and enthusiasm.

Corum – A Perfect Outlet For His Creativity

Perhaps Severin Wunderman had viewed other brands before setting his sights on the Corum brand, but surely none could have provided a more suitable avenue for his inventiveness.  The brand was founded in 1955 by Gaston Reis, an independent watchmaker himself since 1924, and his nephew René Bannwart and were viewed by many in the industry as the “other” watch brand, one which dared to be unconventional.

Well renowned for being more than a little eccentric, this was the brand who in the 1960′s split coins, sandwiching a slender mechanical movement between the two halves, the brand who in the 1970′s had presented a watch featuring a peacock feather on its dial and one styled like a miniature Rolls Royce grille, the brand who in the 1980′s, and leaning towards Haute Horlogerie created the exquisite Golden Bridge with its slender baguette movement.  With Corum, Severin would find himself perfectly at home, relishing the challenge of continuing and developing this unusual portfolio……

… and his influence was tangible almost immediately.  In 2000 Corum presented to the industry the Corum Bubble, a piece inspired by a Rolex timepiece on Professor Picard’s submarine.  The Bubble had an astounding 11mm thick submarine hatch-styled sapphire dome.

The piece was ingenious in a number of ways: it was styled to be  a durable part of the new Corum portfolio, with a sapphire crystal which would magnify and showcase the brightly coloured dials and limited edition pieces which would be released in the future: it was a surefire method of attracting  publicity not just for his for his newly aquired watch company, but was also a way of attracting  a younger client base in the hope of gaining brand loyalty for the future, and of course, it was a very public statement of intent to the watch industry – Corum, under the direction of Severin Wunderman would continue to be as atypical as ever before.

These were good years for Severin Wunderman, having survived lung cancer in the 1990′s, the aquisition of such an originative company no doubt stimulated him, both mind and soul.  And he had much to do, he had a strong conviction that through the brand’s core values and its “Four Pillars” he could lead Corum to a higher level of Haute Horlogerie whilst remaining true to its core values.  He was a man unafraid to look backwards to move forwards, and Corum although relatively youthful still had quite a portfolio archive and he set about re-working and developing some of the collections including the Golden Bridge and the Admiral’s Cup.

Severin Wunderman died on 25th June 2008 having suffered a stroke while at his South of France residence.  He left behind not only his contributions to the watch industry, but also the legacy of numerous gifts donated to aid medical research, the Severin Wunderman Family Foundation and a substantial collection of art donated to help found the Musée Cocteau de Menton.

Well before his passing, Severin had introduced his son, Michael Wunderman and his own longtime friend Antonio Calce into pivotal roles within the hierarchael structure, and under their direction the Corum brand was able to carry the momentum built up over the previous decade.

More information at Corum’s Official Website here.

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The Corum Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber.

The Corum Admiral’s Cup collection has, in recent times become all “grown up”.  For the Admiral’s Cup Legend models the 12-sided case has been smoothed – still recognisable, but so much more refined and well behaved.  Tourbillons, Annual Calendars and micro-rotors have featured – and even an ultra-complex Minute Repeater model has been included to add Haute horlogerie to a collection which remains an integral part of the brand, and a cornerstone of its “Four Pillars”.  Corum’s Antonio Calce has described the Admiral’s Cup as the “most complete line of watches” ever produced by Corum.  Now the antithesis to the recent gold and titanium-cased pieces we have been describing has arrived -  the Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 clad case to strap in vulcanized rubber and  in a veritable spectrum of colours – brilliant.

These watches are still serious kit – COSC certified chronograph movements power them, but their tactile rubber construction gives them an almost playful character, the brightest of which harks back to a former era of Corum – that of the animated Severin Wunderman years.

Four editions will be available, a chocolate 50 piece edition with red gold crown, pushers and bezel, grey and green editions, each a production of 70 pieces and a dive-tastic orange edition which we have featured, limited to 120 pieces.

The Corum Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber has a case size of 44mm, and is water resistant to 100 metres.

More Corum?  We have an extensive archive of original articles and drool-worthy images here.

Popularity: 3% [?]

For their 2012 Admiral’s Cup portfolio, Corum have chosen to concentrate their efforts on the Legend – the newer and more elegant model in the portfolio created to fulfill the “everyday wear” niche and this is the Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor unveiled at BaselWorld.

Last year we reported that the Admiral’s Cup watch had “grown up” with the release of the Seafender 47 Tourbillon GMT, the first in the series to offer an automatic tourbillon, the Legend Tourbillon Micro-Rotor is a little less sophisticated – but only on the inside, encased in the sleek and most refined Admiral’s Cup case-shape yet, and with a few admirable finishing touches you’d have to say it’s a fine addition to the collection.

Over the years the 12-sided case may have been softened and the colourful nautical pennant hour markers may have been reduced to barely there features but somehow the character remains, an Admiral’s Cup watch is still instantly recognisable.  This piece features a dial of contrasts, snailing on the outer, barleycorn – a firm favourite with Corum’s designers – on the inner, texturing which adds interest to the silver-grey dial.  Even the outsize “60″ at 12 o’clock has been sacrificed to allow full attention to the large-ish opening which reveals the 12mm tourbillon carriage with its openworked bridge, and naturally the eye is immediately drawn to it.

Inside is the automatic CO503 movement which produces 60 hours of power reserve from a 17mm micro rotor which bears the Corum Key and which features some fine Côtes de Genève engraving, viewable through an exhibition caseback.  Unfortunately no images are available of this craftsmanship – however what we can show you where the collection started.  The first Admiral’s Cup watch was presented in 1960 and it was a bit of a ground-breaking model – do not let that elegant Carré case-shape fool you, back then producing a square case watch with water resistant properties was quite an achievement.

The model was re-awakened in 1980 forming an integral part of the marques’ new commercial link to yacht racing.  It has evolved but the changes have been gradual, considered and respective to the collection’s personality – developments which have culminated in this year’s Admiral’s Cup Legend 46 Minute Repeater Acoustica the “first ever to strike four notes with four hammers working in pairs to produce harmonies”.

The Legend 42 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor will be produced in a limited annual production of 15 pieces in red gold, 30 in red gold and steel, and 75 in steel.

Like Corum?  Here’s a full biography of the brand with some superb original images of the early stuff – some wacky, all wonderful.

Popularity: 3% [?]

New for 2012 is the Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Annual Calendar.

If you know Corum, then you will be familiar with the Admiral’s Cup collection – one of the original pieces in the portfolio of unconventional timepieces created by Gaston Reis and René Bannwart.  It has evolved from its elegant Carré case-shape of the 1960′s, transformations which have taken it through many sculpted and colourful variations.  The Legend is a more recent, elegant addition which features the most refined version of the 12-sided case to date.

This one features an Annual Calendar, but in harmony with the understated styling of the piece, it is a subtle inclusion – at the edge of the dial is the date ring, indicated by an openworked hand and at 6 o’clock is a subdial for the months.  Only the odd dates of the month and only every other month are marked, keeping everything neat and clutter-free.

Two 42mm case editions will be available, 18K red gold, limited to 25 pieces and stainless steel, limited to 150 pieces.  Inside is the automatic Corum CO503 movement with 42 hours of power reserve.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Two years ago Corum celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Admiral’s Cup collection by releasing a complex edition featuring both a Tourbillon and a Minute Repeater – ultra-complex and ultra limited edition.  Just ten pieces were made.   Now it’s back – in an icily cool titanium case – if you missed it first time around, all good things come to those who wait – if you bought the first edition in red gold, you’ll want to kick yourself, this one looks even better.

The movement developed to power this piece, the C0 010 took two years to develop and has become a very fine feather in the Corum Cap of horological achievements.  A Minute Repeater function is a delicate and complicated piece of micro mechanics which, during the development of this calibre, Corum believe they have improved in almost every way possible.  Their Master Watchmakers have taken the minute rack, turned it around and made it bigger to improve the strength and accuracy of each note, fine tuning has lead to more harmonious tones, both the Tourbillon and the silicon escapement ensure greater precision – minutiae that would not concern all but the most discerning enthusiast, yet they are details which Corum have, in their mission of raising their standards sought to amend.

A showcase piece then, and one with the immaculate hand decoration that you would expect from such a fine timepiece, circular graining, circular satin-brushing, Côtes de Genève, the look-see through the sapphire caseback displays standards worthy of intense inspection.

The dial of this piece is crafted using smoky sapphire, a unique feature which suits that titanium frame even more than the first edition.  The chevrons and hands are rhodium-coated, the pennants are monochrome – shadowy in comparison to the colourful ones of times gone by.  The Tourbillon appears in an opening at 5 o’clock.

Even though it is perhaps masquerading as a Haute Horlogerie watch, this is an Admiral’s Cup so technically speaking is a sports watch.  A Minute Repeater complication is not something you would normally associate with a sporty timer – the little slide mechanism on the case side used to operate the system would be more than a little obtrusive.  At best you could injure yourself or your opponent while playing your favourite rough and tumble sport, at worst you could damage this watch.  Corum’s skilfull craftsmen have developed a clever system which activates the chimes using the bezel so with a quick  27-degree turn in the clockwise direction you can chime away the time, with no slide on the side.  They have quite simply thought of everything….

The superb Corum Admiral’s Cup 45 Minute Repeater Tourbillon Titanium will be a limited edition of just 15 pieces each presented on a black crocodile leather strap.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

New from Corum is the Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon GMT, a very understated addition to the Corum portfolio and the first in the Admiral’s Cup collection to feature an automatic tourbillon.  Earlier this year Antonio Calce, the CEO of Corum announced that he would continue to develop the Admiral’s Cup which he described as the “most complete line of watches” ever produced by Corum.  Like many watch bosses Mr. Calce is completely committed to achieving his vision for the company.  So committed, in fact that he became a Corum shareholder last week, a man unafraid to “put his money where his mouth is” then.

First released in 1960 and re-born in 1980, the Admiral’s Cup collection has had a cherished upbringing.  Its development and progression has been gradual, the changes made to its design have been considered.  The 12-sided case shape has evolved but it remains.  Gone are the colourful pennants now replaced with monochrome markers.  The models in today’s portfolio have a broader appeal too – three domains “the Extreme, the Sport Chic and the Elegance” ensure there is something for everyone.  The Seafender 47 Tourbillon GMT with its superb “Corum Key” adorned Tourbillon can be filed under Elegance.

This one has an 18-carat red gold 47mm case with contrasting charcoal dial.  At 3 o’clock is a pointer date indicator with a second time zone dial at 6.  The chevrons and the under-size Corum 60 at 12 o’clock are also constructed from gold and the Corum Admiral’s Cup logo is etched directly onto the sapphire crystal.  The indication at 7.30 is a day/night display and the pusher on the case side is used to adjust the second time zone.

Inside is the CO 397 self winding movement with 50 hours of power reserve.  The exhibition caseback provides a view of the unusual features of this calibre – a series of turbines turn while beneath each a wheel turns in the opposite direction -  a sporty and techy contrast to the reserved well-behaved dial.

The Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon GMT comes presented on a black alligator leather strap.

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Admiral’s Cup Seafender 48 Deep Dive

Admiral’s Cup Tides 48

Popularity: 5% [?]

If you’re a deep sea diver then the watch you choose to strap onto your wrist will not just be an accessory, it will help to keep you alive whilst in the depths.  To do this it has to provide accurate time-elapsed indications, be capable of withstanding extreme pressures and perform with complete reliability – every time you dive.  Fortunately the functions needed to make a watch into a life-prolonging device do not spoil its looks, to the contrary.  Nothing makes an impact quite like a generous case, chunky bezel and a highly legible, uncluttered dial.  The Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 48 Deep Dive is not just a serious piece of diver’s kit – it’s a looker too.

Admiral’s Cup watches are distinctive even from a distance thanks to their 12-sided case shape.  This one measures a more than ample 48mm across and will rest almost 19mm on your wrist but because of its titanium construction is not in the slightest bit unwieldy.  On the dial everything is readable even in the murky depths, the markers are coated with lume and the hands feature applied “Hyper Luminescent” technology – be in no doubt, this thing will glow.  A small seconds indication appears at 9 o’clock with day and date apertures at 3.  The uni-directional rotating bezel is extremely accurate, to the nearest half minute and on the side of the case at 9.30 is a decompression valve – a horological “anti-bends” mechanism.

Water resistance of the Seafender 48 is to an impressive 1000m, of course many who buy this piece will never push it to its limits, but it’s an impressive feature and perhaps one which you can brag about or just keep to yourself, smug in the knowledge that your watch is a bit better than your mate’s.  Around the back is a solid caseback engraved with a  “Corum 1000 metres” logo.

The latest piece is an up-size of the Seafender 46 unveiled by Corum earlier this year and the brand choose to make two editions available, a 100 piece limited edition with black PVD coated case and contrasting red gold bezel, or my favourite – a 200 piece version with satin finished titanium case featuring orange hour markers, a colour which always looks great on dive watches and one which is synonymous with cult dive watches of the past.  Both new Admiral’s Cup Seafender 48 Deep Dive watches are presented on a Corum sculpted rubber strap with titanium buckle.

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The Corum Grand Précis.  One Of The Blocks That Built The Brand

Popularity: 4% [?]

Corum, established in 1955 are as watch brands go still a youthful brand.  In 1957 one of the first watches they presented was the Précis, a piece very much in keeping with the popular classically styled dress watches of that time.  It came long before the foundations were set for the Corum “Four Pillars”, before they split coins to create watch dials, before the wonderfully wacky seventies feather dials and Rolls Royce avant-garde watches, before the Admiral’s Cup and before the Corum Master Watchmakers designed calibres which were formed into almost impossibly slim baguette forms.  The Précis was one of the building blocks on which the brand was built.  Fitted with a high precision handwound movement, hence its name, the Précis announced to the industry that Corum were going to be a serious contender.  Safely stored away for more than fifty years some calibre components of the 1957 Précis survived and have been used to create the new Grand Précis.  This is a very authentic re-edition of the original.

The piece features a 38.5mm case, a slight up-size from the original 36mm piece, but perfectly proportioned for today’s marketplace.  Inside is the handwound CO162 Calibre, built from original parts with hand finished bridges.  Never owned a manual timepiece?  I’m hardly suprised.  Rotor-kenetics and quartz movements are now so much the norm that a generation have been denied the physical act of winding a watch.  The winding ceremony is one which many would not care for, but for others it is a gratifying way of “staying in touch” with their watch  – for me, both are good but with a manual watch I do find it quite comforting to own something which isn’t actually broken when it stops, and without a big chunky rotor to block the view you have a full-on view of the movement and generally a slimmer calibre.  The Co162 is notable for its extra large balance wheel, built for precision and when fully wound will have a power reserve of 38 hours.

The dial is champagne-toned with a brushed finish, features gold elongated baton markers and hands and the original logo appears beneath the “Corum Key”.  A whisker-slim crosshair divides the dial with another, in miniature forming the small seconds. A watered down version of the snipper-style crosshair has been used to form the small seconds of the Zenith Elite 681 and also by Jaeger-LeCoultre on their Master Hometime but its use on the whole dial of the Précis is subtle, flawless and engaging.

The Corum Grand Précis will be a limited edition of 100 18 carat red gold case pieces and 50 with 18 carat white gold case.  Water resistance is to 30m and the piece comes presented on a black crocodile leather strap.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Corum release a limited edition piece, the Seafender 48 Chrono Bol d’Or Mirabaud to celebrate their continued partnership with the classic European regatta.  The brand will sponsor a number of prestigious sailing events in the coming season – the perfect excuse to showcase their thoroughly thalassic Admiral’s Cup collection.

The traditional colours of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud are blue and gold which Corum used as inspiration for last year’s very tasty blue dial Chronograph 48 Bol d’Or Mirabaud. The 2011 piece features a 48mm titanium case coated with blue PVD and gold chevrons, hands and hour markers presented on a black dial – the images don’t do this one justice, try to imagine the brilliance of those golden chevrons and numerals glimmering in the sunlight.

This is a highly textured piece.  The outer edge of the black dial is decorated with interwoven Clous de Paris.  With the chronograph minute hand mounted on the same axis as the hour and minute hand, there is no need for a chrono subdial which leaves lots of plain dial space in the middle, a contrast to the outer dial embellishment.  At 9 o’clock is a gold small seconds counter, with a date window at 3 o’clock.  Inside is the COSC certified CO960 automatic chronograph movement with 48 hours power reserve.

The Admiral’s Cup portfolio continues to grow and develop.  What began as a commercial link to the world of yacht racing more than half a century ago has become a fundamental part of the brand and if Corum have made a duff Admiral’s Cup model I’ve not seen it.

The Admiral’s Cup Seafender 48 Chrono Bol d’Or comes presented on a textured black leather strap and is a limited edition of 30 pieces.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Corum present a new Admiral’s Cup model for 2011, the Seafender 46 Chrono Dive.  Part of their “extreme” collection this one is not just for use while posing on the deck – it’s a serious diver’s watch with all the safety features you’d expect along with an added chronograph function and, as you can see by the image it is a bit of a handsome brute.

The Corum Admiral’s Cup range has evolved into a collection of big, chunky, sculpted watches.  This one measures a very usable 46mm and that 12-sided case, synonymous with the collection, is constructed from titanium.  On the dial the nautical pennant hour markers are monochrome.  The minutes counter is at 3 o’clock, hours counter is at 6 and small seconds is located at the 9 o’clock position.  A date window is at 6 o’clock.  At the dial edge, chevrons mark the hours apart from the outsize Corum “60″ at 12 o’clock,  All the essentials are Superluminova coated for ultra readability after dark or in the depths.  The chrono pushers are screw-locked and the screw-down titanium caseback is inscribed with the figure of a diver.  Water resistance is to 300 metres.  Inside is the Corum C0753, COSC certified with a power reserve of 48 hours.

Maybe you think it looks a bit too much just like the Admiral’s Cup of last year and the year before?  Well it does, but with such a superb design the old saying remains true – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and thankfully Corum continue to refresh this classic with only subtle tweeks to its design.

The Admiral’s Cup Seafender 46 Chrono Dive comes presented on a big chunky rubber strap with Corum engraved titanium buckle.

Popularity: 6% [?]