Celebrating its long-standing partnership with the Okalys-Corum Team, Corum has presented a special-edition Admiral’s Cup Chronograph 48 Grand Prix (ref. 753.935.06-0231.AK57) model. As it becomes usual for the niche of “sporty” luxury chronograph, the new timepiece combines such materials as lightweight titanium, elastic rubber, and leather with a textile-look finish.
With the total production run limited to only 25 pieces, the Admiral’s Cup Chronograph 48 Grand Prix is delivered in a huge titanium case 48 mm in diameter and a whole 17 mm thick.
Its dark gray dial and black rubber band with textile-look texture are matched to a thick black rubber dodecagonal bezel that partially protects the convex sapphire crystal from abuse.
The black and gray color scheme is perfectly emphasized with orange SuperLuminova coating on the dial and Arabic numerals on the chapter ring, as well as with contrast stitching on the band. It is worth mentioning that the faceted hour and minute hands, as well as the 12 pennants that substitute the normal hour numerals, are also covered with a black luminous substance.
Although Corum plans to sell the Chronograph 48 Grand Prix for as high as 10,200 CHF, it is surprising that the strap that it comes on is equipped with just a titanium tongue buckle, not a deployment clasp one would expect from such a high-priced piece of work.
What’s inside? Well, inside is the Cal. CO753 automatic movement, which is basically the top-grade, COSC-certified version of the good old ETA 7753 ebauche. The only difference between the two is that CO753’s rotor is decorated with Corum’s logo.
Not talking about Corum itself, but rather about the whole industry of the “Swiss Made” fine watches, I wonder: can the practice of selling the dirt-cheap base calibers under their own trademarks be qualified as deceptive behavior?
The uniqueness of the movements is the main selling point here and that is the reason why brands like IWC or Lange & Sohne sell their timepieces at such high prices. And that is why the second-tier brands accepted the practice of renaming the calibers they outsource either from the Swatch Group or some of their minor competitors.
When the Nissan Outlander is sold as the Citroen C-Crosser or the Peugeot 4007, it is perfectly okay (at least, with me): they are sold at more or less the same price and, what’s most important, everybody seems to know that both cars are rebadged versions of the same Japanese vehicle. But most of you may know for yourselves how much effort it takes sometimes to dig out information on a particular “brand-name” caliber, which is given a unique name, but in fact, is just a usual ebauche with some minor decoration and/or a mass-produced third-party add-on module put on top of it.
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Overall Legibility: 4/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
See also: Omega Constellation Co-Axial Double Eagle Mission Hills in red gold and titanium
Photos: Corum
Corum Admiral’s Cup Chronograph 48 Grand Prix (ref. 753.935.06-0231.AK57) specification:
Price range: €7000 (MSRP)
Movement: Caliber CO 753, automatic, based on ETA 7753, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph
Power reserve: 48 hours
Case: Titanium
Bezel: Black rubber
Bezel shape: Dodecagonal
Size: 48.00 mm
Case height: 17.00 mm
Dial: Gray, with Cotes de Geneve decoration
Numerals: Arabic, orange Superluminova
Hands: Steel, luminous (black Superluminova on the hour and minute hands; orange on small seconds and 30-min chronograph indicator)
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Leather strap with textile-look finish and orange hand-stitching, width 22/20 mm; Titanium tongue buckle engraved with CORUM logo
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire