Corum - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Corum is a Swiss brand founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Gaston Ries and his nephew René Bannwart. It has built its identity on pieces with strong designs and a few ideas that have become signatures, from the Admiral to the Golden Bridge, including the Bubble and the Coin Watch.

Origins and identity

From the very beginning, Corum cultivated formal audacity and a cultural nod. The first collections arrived in 1956 and the brand quickly forged a reputation for "creative" leadership in Swiss watchmaking. The family's momentum continued with the arrival of Jean-René Bannwart in 1966, who notably contributed to the growth of the Admiral.

Admiral: nautical DNA

The Corum Admiral’s Cup appeared in 1960 as a regatta-inspired watch; in 1983, the model was redesigned with the dodecagonal case and nautical flags that would become the visual code of the collection, one of Corum’s most recognizable. Today, the Admiral remains the brand’s “sport chic” pillar.

Corum Golden Bridge: the mechanical icon

Launched in 1980, the Golden Bridge elevates its linear "baguette" movement into a fully-fledged architecture. Originally designed by Vincent Calabrese, co-founder of the AHCI, this caliber has become Corum's signature: an engraved bridge that leads the eye from the barrel to the escapement with controlled transparency. Recent variations (Rectangle, Dragon, etc.) extend this idea with handcrafted finishes and intricately crafted cases.

Bubble and Coin Watch: other style icons

In 2000, the Bubble—a large case topped with an oversized sapphire dome—added a pop touch and became a collector's phenomenon, later relaunched in series, in the wildest variations. As for the Corum Coin Watch (1964), it inserted a real $20 "Double Eagle" coin into a watch with a discreet lid, a coin that became a cultural marker worn by several American presidents.

Recent milestones and governance

Following its acquisition by Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group in 2013, Corum returned to Swiss control in 2025 with the arrival of a new CEO, Haso Mehmedovic, and a recovery plan focused on heritage (Corum Admiral and Corum Golden Bridge) and a tighter distribution. The stated objective: to consolidate the brand's identity and strengthen the "made in La Chaux-de-Fonds" presence, to capture the attention of collectors in the high-end luxury watchmaking segment.

Conclusion

Corum is neither a "high complication" house in the academic sense, nor an opportunistic brand: it is a publisher of Swiss icons, capable of alternating between alluring pieces (Admiral, Bubble) and mechanical manifestos (Golden Bridge), with a deliberate dose of singularity. Prioritize the authenticity of Dialicious customer reviews to choose the Corum model that best suits your desires by exploring our owner feedback.

(Updated August 2025)