One of the most striking and highly recognized timepieces in the world, the Corum Golden Bridge with Black Ceramic Case Watch has made its latest unveiling. After 35 years the brand has crafted a new version of a loved masterpiece. Taking the creative timepiece and placing it in a black titanium ceramic case has helped to make this remarkable watch even more coveted.
This timepiece is a true technical feat, having the crystals injected into the case by using a pressurized mold that is at 980 bars of pressure. The ceramic material is then uniformly laid out by hand in a furnace set at 320 degrees for 30 seconds, in order to harden, a process that allows the material to shrink in overall volume by about one-third, and then when it reaches the appropriate size can be encased in the crystal. This labor intensive procedure is done in order to create perfection in this timepiece.
The Corum Golden Bridge with Black Ceramic Case Watch features a breathtaking 360-degree view of the brand signature bridge-shaped baguette movement that this timepiece is accurately named for. The watch has a 40 hour power reserve, is framed by four sapphire crystals, and the 18-karat rose gold movement beats at 4 Hz. It is complete with a exquisite alligator strap and of course is engraved by hand. The mechanism featured here was created in 1980, a major milestone at the time because of the vertical-axis construction. The timepiece showcases two pillars visible on the bridges, these add rigidity of the movement, and provide for the highest level of precision.
The timepiece is elegantly hand-engraved with the brand signature, surrounded by a slender scrolling motif that depicts the three types of fern that are known to grow in the forests of La Chaux-de-Fonds, the region where this marvel was created. The magnificent work that has gone into manufacturing such excellence is not only challenging, but extremely tricky. Making sure the material is perfectly uniform so there is no roughness in the surface texture is one amazing result, and then the mastery that is required to fire the furnace to the exact time required, knowing that even a second could result in excessive shrinkage, making the case to small to allow for the caliber.
The Corum Golden Bridge watch is a work of art and takes the impeccable skill of a talented horological genius. The baguette movement is stretched along the entire length of the beautiful tonneau-shaped case. The watch industry was in awe of the challenges the brand overcame in this design, including how the bridge lines up the crown at exaclty 6 o'clock, as if forming an extension of the hand-wound CO 113 movement.
The slipping-spring winding system that is featured in the timepiece allows the ingenious architecture to be developed so the winding is separated from the time-setting, and mounted cleverly between the bridge and the mainplate. The caliber then is equipped with a variable-inertia balance which guarantees long term precise timekeeping. Quality and reliability encased into brilliant artistic design resulted in a wanted timepiece that will forever hold a place in this brand history.
