Since the company's inception in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, CORUM has taken pride in being a refreshingly different and forward-thinking Swiss watch manufacturer.
In January 2000, the company – with its history of beautiful watchmaking and its impressive offerings of unique and unusual timepieces – acquired a new owner, Severin Wunderman, who revitalized CORUM's original spark.
This respected veteran in the watch industry once more set the family business on course for prosperity in close collaboration with his son, Michael. Together they pursued the conquest of new horizons with the spirit of adventure and distinction that has always been the key to the company's success. Their vitality has given rise to the brand's invigorating philosophy, "Unlock and Conquer."
ADMIRAL'S CUP COLLECTION
Carrying a name approved by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, London, the Admiral's Cup models are a tribute to one of the most aristocratic sailing competitions in the world. The signature 12-sided case and sapphire crystal (a world-first) and the nautical pennants corresponding to the international maritime code uniquely define these timepieces.
The Admiral's Cup Tides 48 features a movement developed exclusively for CORUM by Dubois Dépraz. It's accuracy was verified and developed in co-operation with the Astronomic Observatory of Geneva and the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Services of the French National Navy.
The Admiral's Cup Challenge 44 Regatta, a Limited Edition in 18kt red gold and vulcanized rubber fused to titanium, boasts a Valjoux 7753 split-second chronograph movement. This complication is one of the most intricate to manufacture. It is particularly useful in the timing of sporting events.
GOLDEN BRIDGE
In celebration of CORUM's 50th Anniversary in 2005, a new rendition of a revolutionary concept was brought back to life, the world-renowned Golden Bridge. Originally created in 1980, today's Golden Bridge is a modern interpretation of the iconic classic with an entirely re-engineered movement.
The finely hand-engraved 18 karat gold bridges with tiny gears lined up in a row and slender open-worked black gold hands all appear to be suspended in space.
The production of this exceptional masterpiece employs the most recent of technological discoveries. The winding and time-setting crown at 6 o'clock runs in a straight line down from the movement and activates a "slipping spring" winding system to avoid forcing the delicate mechanism.
The unique miniature baguette movement with golden bridges was developed in cooperation with the Swiss manufacturer Vaucher in Fleurier, Switzerland, a company known in watchmaking circles as one of the finest design engineers of complex high-precision movements.
$20 "DOUBLE EAGLE" GOLD COIN
Considered a technical masterpiece, the Coin watch remains one of the most important pieces in the Corum collection. The workings of this unique wristwatch are contained inside a vintage 22-carat gold coin of great historic interest, the famous American 20-dollar "Double Eagle."
The coin served as legal currency for more than 45 years. And, even after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt enacted legislation discontinuing the use of all gold coins as currency, the "Double Eagle" lives-on in private collections. Marked with the seal of liberty, always so dear to America, the gold coin is imbued with an extraordinary nostalgic sense of romance that still symbolizes free enterprise. This is the reason several Presidents of the United States have worn Corum's "Double Eagle" watch since its creation in 1964.
TOURBILLON PANORAMIQUE
Raising the bar yet another notch the Panoramique allows for an "unobstructed view" of the mechanical La Joux Perret tourbillon. This timepiece is a masterful study in elegant simplicity.
The classic 18kt gold casing and exquisite tourbillon movement is a mere reflection of the imaginative and innovative qualities that are associated with the CORUM brand.
BILLONAIRE BLUE SAPPHIRE & DIAMOND TOURBILLON
The master watchmakers of CORUM interpret the tourbillon, the crowning glory of horological mechanisms, with fascinating delicacy and creativity. The aesthetic beauty of the transparent sapphire crystal bridges and plates is magnified by the fineness of the crystal. The movement, a La Joux-Perret tourbillon, is mounted on joints to enhance its shock –absorbing capacity and appears to be floating in mid-air.
A Limited Edition of only five pieces with a blue sapphire and diamond bracelet, this art of excellence remains more exclusive than ever.
THE ARTISAN COLLECTION HAND PAINTING
The art of painting miniatures on a watch dial is similar to the technique used in painting on canvas. The artisan works with indelible paints (lacquers) on which he can work over and over again. The colours are applied and mixed on the dial itself, using extremely fine brushes under a microscope. The dial is dried in a 90-degree oven between each application, allowing the colours to dry and thereby achieve intense depth and detail. Repeated firings are required to protect each phase of the process. The production time for each dial varies according to the complexity of the motif but generally requires twenty-five to thirty hours of work.
MARQUETRY
Marquetry involves the fitting together of fine slices of various stones in order to create scenes or images. This technique has always been used for objects of relatively imposing dimensions. CORUM once again chose to break the rules.
The CORUM Classical Vanitas collection marks a World Premiere in the application of marquetry to watch dials, yet another of the Company's awe-inspiring contributions to the world of fine timepieces.
Contact Information
www.corum.ch
949-788-6200