Bubble Pop
Corum’s decision to revisit its larger-thanlife Bubble collection is timely in an age where the bold-spirited prevail in the pursuit of success, writes Lily Ong
In 2000, the late Severin Wunderman—who formerly owned the Corum brand—was eager to bring something new and fresh to the watchmaking world. His most popular brainchild would be the striking Corum Bubble watch, first unveiled at Baselworld the same year. An oversized watch with a diameter of 44mm, the Bubble watch is distinguished by its towering bubble-like sapphire crystal dome that distorts the dial to the naked eye. The Bubble ‘Casino’, with a roulette tablemotif complete with a ball-tipped seconds hand, followed after, along with other limited editions that mirror the collection’s youthful vibe. But Corum rarely visited the Bubble collection again over the next decade or so. It was as if the brand was holding back its hand—waiting for the right moment to reveal what it can really do. Which was early last year, when it reintroduced the Bubble watch in various special editions. While retaining the core design DNA of the original, the 2015 Bubble is not a replica of its predecessor. The case has been enlarged to 47mm; it is fitted with a rubber-ringed, spherical crown and stands some 18.8mm high, crystal included. The crystal itself is a remarkable 8mm high, making it one of the largest of any watch. Because the sapphire crystal is so tall, it acts as a lens, both magnifying and distorting the dial. This reintroduction is followed by new designs that take inspiration from Hungarianborn French artist Victor Vasarely, founder of the optical art movement; the dial is decorated with squares in graduated sizes that grow larger toward the centre of the dial. There’s even a skeletonised Bubble watch unveiled last year! This year, the brand continues its celebration of the Bubble watch by elevating its aesthetics and composition, now even incorporating complications into the Bubble watches. The first is a combination of the tourbillon and the chronograph, powered by the CO398 movement exclusive to Corum. Shaped like the Corum key logo, the tourbillon cage is visible at the 10 o’clock while the chronograph function of this timepiece is operated via two pushers in the case. Another two complications combined together in the reborn Bubble watch collection is the Bubble Tourbillon GMT that features a tourbillon regulator and a second time zone display. The second time zone is displayed on a rotating disc at six o’clock and can be read in tandem with the day and night indicator at 8 o’clock. Limited to only five pieces, these two watches share the iconic Bubble watchcase,