By Kien Lee
It was the year 2000 when Corum first introduced the Bubble timepiece. Quickly taking connoisseurs and enthusiasts by storm, the watch became an instant bestseller.
The Bubble was the brainchild of the late Severin Wunderman, who had acquired Corum that very same year. Wunderman was inspired by an experimental deep-sea dive watch from the 1960s, which was fitted with an enormous domed crystal to withstand the pressure of the ocean.
That moment of inspiration formed the genesis of the Bubble, which was to become one of the most recognizable wristwatches of its time.
Bear in mind, at the turn of the century, oversized watches had not yet seen the popularity it has today.
Big watches were scarce and Corum's Bubble rode on the wave that was to follow. The Bubble was unveiled at Baselworld 2000, and back then it stood out with its unparalleled 44 mm in diameter with a towering sapphire crystal so tall it distorted the dial.
Unprecedented, the Bubble was unquestionably unique, and its unorthodox design was an extension of Corum's long-established unconventional philosophy.
The Revival of the Bubble
Fast forward fifteen years later, the Swiss watch manufacture from La Chaux-de-Fonds has triumphantly revived the series as a pillar of its watchmaking heritage.
The new Bubble retains all the design codes of the original; fitted with a rubber-ringed, spherical crown, the case is a collection of smooth, rounded lines. However, it has been enlarged to 47 mm, topped off with an 18.8 mm high, crystal included. Short, curved lugs on the timepiece hug the wrist snugly.
This sapphire crystal at 8mm high is one of the largest of any watch. As it is, sapphire is a material so extraordinarily hard it has to be cut with a diamond-tipped tool. This is challenging enough when machining ordinary, flat watch crystals the job can take hours.
As such you can easily imagine how crafting the mountainous crystal of the Bubble requires exponentially more work, machining a block down to such flawless clarity that there are absolutely no optical imperfections.
Because the sapphire crystal is so tall, it acts as a lens, both magnifying and distorting the dial.
The Bubble Squelette
Our favourite and one of the outstanding timepieces to kickstart the revolution is the Bubble Squelette, with a skeletonized movement takes its place, with the domed sapphire crystal providing a magnified view of the exposed wheels of the CO0082 self-winding movement inside.
The Squelette is fitted with rubber strap topped with alligator skin, with a buckle matching the case finish.
For 2016, the new iteration sees the introduction of the Bubble High Jewellery Skeleton – a trio of wristwatches with open-worked ultra-thin movements, each a one-of-a-kind creation set with exquisite gemstone: rubies, blue sapphires and black sapphires.
Find out more here.
Corum timepieces are available at the following locations:
Cortina Watch ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn, #03-02, Singapore 238801
(65) 6509 9218
Cortina Watch Paragon
290 Orchard Road, #01-13, Singapore 238859
(65) 6235 0084
Cortina Watch Capitol Piazza
15 Stamford Road #01-77/78/79/80, Singapore 178906
(65) 6384 3250
Sincere Fine Watches Takashimaya S.C.
391 Orchard Road, #01-12, Singapore 238872
(65) 6733 0618
Sincere Fine Watches Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue, #01-55/55A, Singapore 018972
(65) 6634 9782
