Corum's Malleable Approach To High-End Watchmaking

Defiant and populist in equal measure, Corum’s malleable approach to high-end watchmaking will prove to be its most enduring legacy

- Alvin Wong

Sometime in the future, perhaps decades from now, we imagine that watch historians will be reflecting on early 21st-century watchmaking with mixed feelings of bewilderment and frustration. They might wonder how, despite horology being bolstered by never been-seen technological advancements and new-fangled materials, some of this era’s most illustrious names are content to make the same watches over and over again.

But we also believe these historians of the future would not have to search too hard to find a handful of brands that were brave (or foolish?) enough to think and do things differently. And for that, we are betting our money on Corum to be one of the names to emerge with its reputation intact.

That’s not to say that Corum is immune to the perils of the trade – that is, having to negotiate the tension between bottom lines and the pursuit of creative ideals. It is fair to assume that few watch companies would readily risk financial returns by backing certifiably insane ideas such as watches made out of coins, watches with dials that look like snow globes or, Lordforbid, watches with slender mechanical movements shaped like baguettes. And yet, somehow, Corum has managed to do all of these while enjoying both critical and commercial rewards.

Lab Time

Corum’s newest addition to its product line-up, the Lab 01, demonstrates the kind of take-it-or-leave-it ethos the brand has cultivated since its founding in 1955. Launched in late 2018, with follow-ups in early 2019, the Lab 01 collection is admittedly not for everyone with its loud and sporty disposition.