Tag: Corum BUBBLE 47
Corum BUBBLE 47
In 2015, Corum revived its popular Bubble watch with three new models. One of them was the Corum Bubble Skeleton. The Bubble watch has become something of an icon for Corum and it’s not hard to see why – especially with that domed sapphire crystal. For 2017, Corum is updating the Bubble Skeleton, also known as the Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watch, by offering it in three new bright colorways and at a lower price than the 2015 Bubble Skeleton.
Corum, in case you have forgotten, was acquired by China Haidian Holdings (now known as Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited) in 2013. After the acquisition, the brand set about consolidating its collection and trying to build a more focused portfolio of products. The Bubble watch was revived as a part of that. The decision to make the Bubble watch a priority is a pretty astute one, in my opinion. A strong, distinct look is one of the hallmarks of a successful watch and the Bubble watch certainly fulfills this requirement thanks to its impressive domed sapphire crystal. Therefore, the new Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watches for 2017 do not stray far from this formula. These new watches come in the same 47mm case as the Bubble watches from 2015. Made out of stainless steel, it’s a pretty generic looking round case, and the only really notable thing about it is the large bubble-shaped crown.
The dial is where most of the changes are found. While the old Bubble Skeleton had a rather plain skeletonized gray dial, the new Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watches will come with brightly colored dials. There are three colorways, but the differences between the three are quite minor. If you look carefully, you can see that the main skeletonized plate is blue, but the smaller plates and bridges are painted in blue, green, or purple, depending on the reference.
The other main difference is in the hands. The Bubble Skeleton watch from 2015 had skeletonized hands, but the new Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watches have solid hands painted with Super-Luminova in the same color as the watch’s movement plates. Another fun detail about the new Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watches is the lollipop-style seconds hand, which also has Super-Luminova painted in the same color as the movement plates. The hands are also incredibly large, presumably to improve legibility against the skeletonized dial.
And of course, the highlight of the watch has to be the domed sapphire crystal. The crystal itself is 8mm thick, and the overall thickness of the watch is a massive 18.5mm. The large domed crystal gives the watch considerable wrist presence, but more importantly, also creates distortion to give the watch a unique look that changes and shifts (distortion) depending on the angle which you look at the dial. Admittedly, the crazily domed crystal also affects legibility somewhat, but I would argue that skeletonized dials aren’t the most legible to begin with. Furthermore, Corum also aims to address the legibility issue with oversized leaf-shaped hands.
The movement within is the calibre CO 082, which is based on Eterna’s caliber 39. It offers 42 hours of power reserve and beats at 4Hz. Eterna is also under the Citychamp group, and you can learn all about the calibre 39 in detail here. Corum doesn’t disclose what kind of finishing and treatment has been done to the movement except that the bridges and plates have been color-treated.
As I mentioned earlier, there are three colorways in total. The ref. L082/031612 comes in a stainless steel case, with white Super-Luminova hands, and a movement finished with blue plates and bridges. The ref. L082/03165 comes in a black PVD stainless steel case, with green Super-Luminova hands, and a movement finished with matching green plates and bridges. And finally, we have the ref. L082/03166 that also comes in a black PVD stainless steel case, with purple Super-Luminova hands, and a movement finished with matching purple plates and bridges. All three colorways will come with a blue vulcanized rubber strap with a pin buckle.
Corum Bubble watches are fun and often employ a cartoonish design element, and the new Bubble 47 Squelette watches we have here are among the wackiest yet. They are not for everyone, but if you have deep pockets and a sense of humor, they may be right for you. The new Corum Bubble 47 Squelette watches in bright colors