Bridging the Gap: Corum Watch Golden Bridge Circle

Following last year’s relaunch of the Bubble collection and further expansion of the collection this year, Corum is also introducing another reinterpretation of the familiar model, the Golden Bridge. First launched in 1980, the Golden Bridge has become an iconic timepiece due to its small, rectangular movement. It comes in many variants, but in 2016 Corum first introduced it to a round case. This is the golden bridge circle of the Corum watch.

The Corum Golden Bridge is arguably the precursor to the current all-sapphire case – you will. Industry legend Vincent Calabrese envisioned a case that would not be the coffin of the movement. Instead, he dreamed of having a case that served as a showcase for the mechanical engine that powered the watch. The first prototype of his linear built-in movement appeared in 1977. It is only fixed to the case at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, so it is almost suspended in the air. Vincent was introduced to Mr. René Bannward, the founder of Corum, through a mutual friend, the director of the International Watchmaking Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Mr. Banward was so convinced of the possibilities of this new revolutionary movement that the first fake Corum Golden Bridge opened to the public in 1980.

Over the years, we’ve seen several iterations of this concept, with very classic gold or platinum tonneau cases, and very modern titanium versions with horizontally suspended movements. This new Corum Gold Bridal Circle is inspired by the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The suspension bridge spanned the Golden Gate Bridge connecting the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay Area and was commissioned in 1937. This engineering marvel of its time was probably the most iconic and photographed bridge in the world. This is mainly due to the bridge’s enormous size, idyllic location and the distinctive red paint used to cover the bridge and protect it from the elements. If you look at the construction of its road deck, you can clearly see the inspiration for the construction of girders like the Corum Golden Bridge Round. If you think about it, the name is almost doomed: Golden Gate and Golden Bridge. 1 plus 1 almost equals 2 stories, right?

The Corum Golden Bridge Round not only has a gold case, but also has a movement partly made of 18ct gold. The main plates and bridges of the hand-wound rectangular C0113 movement are made of gold, as are the beams that adorn the movement. The design of the movement leaves little room for extra decoration, but the main plate and bridges feature some classic hand-engraving. The girders are brushed but not trimmed and have no polished interior corners, but somehow it doesn’t fit the gold door inspiration. The bridges don’t have any decorative polish, why should the girder of the watch do that? Surrounding the movement and the girder is a beveled ring with simple applied hour markers, the brand name at 12 o’clock and the Corum-key logo on either side. luxury watches copy

The 43mm wide case is very comfortable to wear, although it is a little oversized and not a true classic. It’s pretty slim though, at less than 9mm thick, making it perfect for business attire. It features a sapphire crystal on the front and back and a sapphire case for maximum viewing of the C0113 movement and girder. The lugs on the 6 o’clock side of the case are slightly elongated to make room for the crown to be manipulated. The Corum Golden Bridge Round watch is worn on a soft brown alligator leather strap with a delicate butterfly folding clasp with the Corum logo.

Some specifications of the Corum Golden Bridge Round Watch:
Case: 43mm x 8.8mm, 5N 18K rose gold, sapphire front, back and strap, water-resistant to 30 meters, crown at 6 o’clock.
Movement: Caliber C0113, hand-wound, 28,800 vph 40-hour power reserve, hours and minutes
Strap/Bracelet: Brown alligator leather, 5N 18k rose gold butterfly folding clasp with Corum logo