Corum debuted the Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Chronograph again in 2013 as a brand new line inside its iconic Admiral’s Cup assortment. Much less “quirky” and extra up to date in design, the AC-One 45 has since seen some extra elaborate fashions, all of which appear to shout out, “This isn’t your Grandfather’s Corum watch.” Now in 2019, the model is releasing its newest iteration with a barely completely different identify. The brand new Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph assortment is an impressively refreshed luxurious sports activities watch line that doesn’t abandon its identification or DNA, whereas recognizing that folks’s tastes have developed, and strikes together with the instances.
The Corum Admiral’s Cup watch has been round since 1960, when it was launched as the primary square-shaped waterproof watch. The Admiral’s Cup remained a sq. watch till the early 1980s, when Corum made the primary main change to the design of the Admiral’s Cup by creating the now simply recognizable dodecagonal case form. The watch would go on to even outlive the eponymous Admiral’s Cup yachting regatta, which led to 2003. The Corum Admiral’s Cup watches produced from about 1983 all the way in which to 2006 would share this case form. In 2006, Corum modernized the watch with an even bigger case and extra of an general “sports activities watch” fashion, with the primary AC-One 45 Chronograph arriving seven years after that.
The dodecagonal twelve-sided “Admiral case” nonetheless defines the watch, which is now leaning even more durable into the crowded, aggressive, and numerous section that may finest be described as boldly designed luxurious sports activities watches that want a strap to a bracelet and might boast excessive water resistance. It’s apparent to anybody that items just like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore and Hublot Massive Bang completely dominate the section. Nonetheless, with the AC-One 45 Chronograph being a couple of third the price of the chronograph variations of those two, the aggressive panorama is friendlier territory for Corum. The model is pricing these 300-meter waterproof luxurious chronographs proper on the candy spot: $9,900 in titanium and $18,000 in gold.
There are 4 fashions of the brand new Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph, two in titanium and two in gold. The dial choices are the identical irrespective of which metallic you select, both a panda dial or a reverse panda dial. The modifications and updates made to the dial don’t comprehensively change the identification of the AC-One 45 Chronograph, however they’re potent and provides me extra religion within the model’s future than I’ve had since I turned a watch fanatic.
The outgoing model had a big ’60’ index at 12 o’clock, which is now gone. It’s changed with an utilized Corum key that’s proportional in dimension to the remainder of the hour-marker indices across the dial. I’ve all the time discovered the Corum key to be alluring and memorable, so I’m glad it’s now getting distinguished placement on the dial with out competing with unnecessary distractions that dwarf it as compared. Unchanged is the chronograph hand design which additionally makes use of the Corum key because the counterweight. It’s a matter of style however I believe it appears merely wonderful.
The dials are all embellished in Corum’s “grenadier fendu” (“cut up pomegranate”) sample. It’s a easy however enticing repeating sample of raised diagonally reduce squares that add a degree of high-finish, in addition to dimensionality, to the dial.
Now, it wouldn’t be a real successor to the Admiral’s Cup watches with out the hourly nautical pennants which might be as carefully related to the watch because the case form. The place the sloping flange (or interior bezel ring) creates a 150° angle is the place you’ll discover the corresponding quantity flag from the Worldwide Code of Alerts. I can’t be precisely positive, however the numeral flags are, partially, characterised by corresponding colours. Right here, the flags are fortunately executed solely in white or black. So, whereas the flag for 1 and the flag for two seem an identical, the aesthetic resolution was completely the appropriate one since all the colours lining the dial would have completely ruined it.
Whereas these nautical pennants don’t dominate the dial anymore, Corum honors the regatta-centric design DNA of the Admiral’s Cup in a tasteful method.
The chronograph sub-dials are bunched up shut collectively, however the guilloché work and framing of every sub-dial provides refinement and extra visible texture that enhances the general design, slightly than clashing. The date window between four and 5 o’clock is equally framed and, fortuitously, matches the respective sub-dial colour. The openworked and faceted hour and minute palms aren’t as legible as they might be, although I perceive and agree with them as a pure aesthetic resolution. Thankfully, the ends of the palms have lume, as do the hour markers.
Another factor in regards to the dial: The outdated model had “Admiral’s Cup” written proper throughout the dial. Now, the hours sub-dial at 6 o’clock merely reads “Admiral” throughout the the underside. Thankfully, all of that is legible and simply learn because of the wholesome software of anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal on the dial in addition to the exhibition caseback.
The case is waterproof to 300 meters (no shock right here, contemplating the gathering’s historical past) and measures 45mm-wide, 14.3mm-thick, and has a 51mm lug-to-lug measurement. The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 44mm has a 55mm lug-to-lug, and the Massive Bang Chronograph 44mm has a 56mm lug-to-lug measurement. These lug-to-lug measurements make them put on significantly bigger than their case width would counsel. In actual fact, the 41mm-wide Massive Bang Chronograph has a 51mm lug-to-lug measurement, making it principally an identical in dimension to this 45mm-wide Corum.
So, somebody who finds a 45mm-wide case as usually being too large ought to preserve the far more wearable lug-to-lug measurement in thoughts. The substantial dimension of the crown guard and chronograph pushers additionally explains the 45mm case width of the Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph.
The circumstances are executed in both titanium or 18ok rose gold with a chunk of titanium between the bezel and case. This extends across the double-knurled crown and is characterised by the 2 screws above and beneath the crown. This piece of titanium is completed in black PVD for all however the reverse panda mannequin in titanium which has a really cool white end to it. Coincidentally, this mannequin occurs to be my favourite of the bunch, by far. Lastly, the marginally angled chronograph pushers really feel nearly as good as they give the impression of being, which is to say incredible.
The titanium piece creates some separation between the bezel and the remainder of the case. The a part of the case between the lugs is angled, converging within the center and creating a visible language that’s carried on within the rubber strap. The built-in strap has been clearly thought out as an important a part of the watch and the subtly engraved Corum key on each the highest and the underside is a superb contact. Lastly, Corum switched out the outdated buckle for a brand new triple-folding clasp.
Turning the Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph round reveals an exhibition caseback and the automated Corum CO 132 motion, which, I imagine, is a modified ETA motion. The black PVD-coated rotor takes up a lot of the caseback, although the Corum emblem within the gold variations appears very properly executed, as do the ornamental screws. The CO 132 operates at 28,800 vph and has a 42-hour energy reserve.
The newly up to date Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph is a testomony to how considerate design and a willingness to iterate can lead to an exponentially higher product. This watch is among the most nice and sudden surprises for me this yr. It appears, feels, and wears nice; nonetheless, there’s definitely room to enhance with the motion. These watches ought to make their method over to the Corum e-shop quickly this yr.
The Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph in titanium on rubber strap in both white or black dial is priced at $9,900 and the 18ok rose gold mannequin with both white or black dial is priced at $18,000. You may study extra at corum-watches.com.
