NO TRUSSES, JUST CABLES Corum’s Golden Bridge Round 43

CORUM’S GOLDEN BRIDGE ROUND IS NOW PLUGGED INTO CABLES, WRITES JUSTIN NG

Watch brands may have hundreds of references and multitudes of models in their portfolios, but there’s always one model that serves as a leitmotif, invoking a myriad of guises and spawning an entire collection. When one talks about Corum, the recurring theme is none other than the Golden Bridge.

Created in 1980, the Golden Bridge was inspired by its namesake Golden Gate Bridge, a historical landmark of San Francisco that spans engineering and design. The suspension bridge is emblematic of art deco, having been erected during the height of the movement in the mid ’30s. On its completion in 1937, it was the world’s longest and tallest suspension bridge, an engineering marvel providing residents of the San Francisco Bay Area with a commute across the Golden Gate strait – a place prone to devastating earthquakes, strong currents and howling winds, and the site of more than 100 shipwrecks.

As equally stunning as its picturesque locale, the Golden Gate Bridge’s beauty has withstood the passage of time. Chevron-shaped, ribbed and bevelled elements were incorporated into the angular twin bridge towers to accentuate their imposing verticality. Truss arches and causeways provided the signature clean, geometric lines that art deco is known for. The bridge’s famous alluring orange hue even has its own classification: international orange.

Corum has sought to replicate these elements, which have made the Golden Gate Bridge a honeybunch of American cinema, within a watch. The baguette movement is evocative of the main span of the bridge, connecting both ends of the case. Up until 2016, all Golden Bridge models were enclosed in either rectangular or tonneau-shaped cases, but then Corum showed us that art deco could be circular too. The creation of the Golden Bridge Round 43 resulted in the transformation of the timepiece to a sportier, more youthful expression, one that wouldn’t have been possible with the previous incarnations’ dressier, more solemn rectangular and tonneau shapes.

Unlike the previous Golden Bridge Round 43 that paired the baguette movement with steel trusses, this year’s Golden Bridge Round 43 Art Deco complements the baguette movement with 16 slender cables: eight on each side, bisected by the movement. These symmetrical cables further criss-cross each other, highlighting the intricacies and nuances of the inner workings of the watch while playing with the transparency afforded by the timepiece’s construction. Like all Golden Bridge models, the Golden Bridge Round 43 Art Deco is a two-hand watch.

The new watch is encased in a black DLC-treated 4 mm titanium grade case. Differences exist between the two models within the sub-collection, with one featuring a rhodium-plated movement and the other an 18k gold movement. The CO 113 movement stays true to its roots with its manual winding mechanism that stores 40 hours of power reserve. To allow for easier access to the winding of the movement, the lugs where the crown is set are elongated. Each model is limited to 188 pieces and is paired with a black, tapered, vulcanised rubber strap with a titanium grade triple-folding clasp.

CORUM HAS SOUGHT TO REPLICATE THESE ELEMENTS, WHICH HAVE MADE THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE A HONEYBUNCH OF AMERICAN CINEMA, WITHIN A WATCH