Corum and the Beauty of Mechanics

In 2013, Corum welcomed a new line to the Admiral family – the Admiral AC-One. Keeping in mind the key design codes of the Admiral collection, the lines of the iconic dodecagonal-shaped case was reworked to become more rounded, and angles less prominent. And titanium became the material of choice for this contemporary reinterpretation. Designed as a robust timepiece to complement luxury offshore boating, the Admiral AC-One 45 is even sportier, bolder and pushes the boundaries of creativity a step further.

The AC-One 45 Openwork Automatic introduces a skeletonized dial. The movement is the calibre CO 297, a new calibre, developed by Corum in-house specifically for this model. The bridges visible on the dial side were designed to be in harmony with the dodecagonal-shaped case, as well as the silhouettes of the nautical parents. A sub-dial displaying small seconds is at the 9 o’clock position, while the power reserve indicator sits at 3 o’clock.
Like the AC-One 45 Squelette, which was introduced in 2014, the architecture of the AC-One 45 Openwork Automatic juxtaposes this otherwise rather bulky timepiece with a touch of lightness. But unlike the Squelette which features a completely skeletonized double-date disk, the Openwork Automatic boasts bolder lines and therefore sports a more robust and athletic look.

Corum offers the AC-One 45 Openwork Automatic in two different versions. The first, with a titanium case which adds lightness to the overall design and adds a futuristic vibe. The second version pairs contrasting rose gold with black PVD-coated titanium for a more sporty feel.

And for those of you who are looking for a more complicated mechanism, Corum has prepared the AC-One Openwork Tourbillon. It features a tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position (in addition to all the details mentioned above). Technically sophisticated and beautiful to look at.

All watches feature redesigned straps made from rubber on the surface and synthetic textile on the bottom.

Unleashed: The New Urban Warrior from Corum

The Admiral is one of the pillars of Corum’s heritage. Unveiled in 1960, five short years after the brand’s creation, it embodies the Swiss watchmaker’s idea of maritime-inspired watchmaking. Although it has always been loyal to its artistic fibre, it has never been afraid to set sail for distant shores. This year, it gives its Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph a facelift so as to modernise the collection while lending it an urban sportiness.

First introduced into the brand stable as the Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Chronograph in 2013, the masculine-looking watch has always been a combination of power, elegance and performance with a huge dose of inspiration from the sailing world. The new Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph retains the essence of its sporty predecessor except for a few minor tweaks. The 60 hour marker at 12 o’clock has been replaced by the Corum key and brand logo, which have been slightly enlarged. That decision makes the dial less busy and crowded and therefore the chronograph looks sleeker and more contemporary.
For the chronograph display, Corum stuck to the same tri-compax arrangement. But the dial now features a „Grenadier fendu“ motif, which is a unique pattern. And instead of monochromatic dials as with the predecessor, The Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph comes with black or white dials with contrasting sub-dials. On the former are white sub-dials framed by either white or rose gold rings, while the latter features black sub-dials encircled with white or rose gold rings.

Corum also reworked the case shape of the Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph. While it follows strictly the case shape of the legendary Admiral watch, there is a marked difference – the new version features a more angular dodecagonal bezel compared to its predecessor, which boasted more rounded corners. For the new variant, Corum has also included two titanium inserts between the bezel and case so as to offer the option of playing with colours and materials – the possibility of mixing and matching is boundless and something that might be experimented with in the future.
The result lends a more powerful and athletic presence on the wrist, which also makes the watch highly suitable for the rigors of every day wear.

Powering the chronograph is the highly reliable CO 132, a self-winding movement that beats at 4 Hz and boasts 42 hours of power reserve.

While the previous versions were offered with either a rubber strap or metal bracelet, the new Admiral comes with a vulcanised rubber strap. But Corum offers the watch also with either a titanium or rose gold bracelet.