Luxury Swiss watchmaker Corum has launched the Admiral AC-One 45 in a bronze chronograph edition – a unique addition to in its own collection in patinated bronze. Unlike other timepieces made with raw bronze that will age or even deteriorate with time – Corum has pushed the envelope to the limit by developing a fully pre-patinated bronze case.
Exclusive to the brand, this treatment gives the piece a more pronounced maritime look, and above all results in a more finely-crafted aspect than raw bronze designs. Each Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph Bronze is unique in its own way, too: no two patinas give the alloy exactly the same coloration.
“A natural patina builds up over time; our idea was to apply the same principle, halting the process before the alloy actually begins to corrode,” explains Corum CEO Jerome Biard. “By using this approach, we allow unique colors to emerge in a process akin to pure artistic creation, with each hand-finished watch displaying unique character. The result verges on being a work of contemporary art – and that’s right in keeping with the Corum spirit.”
Resplendent in the hues revealed in this way, Corum’s Admiral AC-One 45 bronze chronograph has been finished in different shades of brown, ranging from chestnut to chocolate. The dial of the piece has been specially designed in matching teak, featuring a vertical cut resembling that of a historic tall ship’s authentic teak deck – a nod to the seafaring pedigree of the Admirals.
Twelve pennants, the traditional hour markers for this collection, are arranged around the dial. Broad, skeletonized hands glide over them, powered by an automatic chronograph caliber boasting a 42-hour power reserve. The watch sits on a leather strap, carefully chosen to match the shades of the 45-millimetre patinated bronze case.
The watch features a CO 116 – automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve with hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph functions. The watch case measures 45 mm in diameter and is 14.30 mm thick made from bronze and covered with a double anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The watch is water resistant to 300 meters and even its case back is covered with a sapphire while the bracelet is made of calf leather with a triple-blade folding clasp in stainless steel with black PVD coating.
