Swiss
The new Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 (ref. 395.101.55/0001 AK12) automatic timekeeper brings you the joy of owning a beautifully designed timekeeper, which is now available in a more compact, elegant body that seems to be more suitable for what is essentially a dress watch.
The rose gold case, that shed some weight and is now only 42 mm in diameter, has preserved the signature dodecagonal shape with a pair of rugged-looking crown guards.
The sporty case that features the intelligent interplay of polished and brushed surfaces hides inside the CO 395 automatic movement with exclusive Corum finishing. Using the good old ETA 2895-A2 blank caliber as a base, the watch ensures years (and probably decades) of hassle-free operation if you don’t forget to service it at recommended intervals and not abuse on a daily basis (although something tells me that a watch that costs more than $20k will not see much abuse anyway.)
Still, the choice of a caliber somehow diminishes the value of the watch in my eyes (and probably in the eyes of a person whom you may want to resell the watch when the time comes for it to go.) At this price, I expect it to be equipped with something of higher pedigree than this fairly inexpensive, mass-produced movement. After all, there is a number of established manufactures that make superb calibers with classic design and unrivalled reliability, although the profit margin wouldn’t be as thick as in this particular case. Well, maybe that was the idea, who knows.
The watch’s dial may look like it is made of carbon fiber, but it is a blackened metal with gorgeous barleycorn guilloche motif that not only makes the dial more readable, but also gives it an extra sense of depth.
Its rose gold open-worked hour and minute hands are generously covered with Superluminova as is the compass-hand shaped subsidiary seconds indicator at 6 o’clock. Perhaps, small dots of lume in front of the applied hour markers would make the watch even more readable at night, but I understand why Corum’s designers decided to pass on the idea: there really was a risk that extra readability would have robbed the classic-styled watch of its elegance and refined beauty.
As you can see below, the date ring, which is partly visible through the aperture at 3 o’clock, has the small Arabic numerals printed in gold on a black background. To my taste, this is a very nice touch that shows respect for the customer and attention to even slightest details.
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
See also: Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 46 Chrono Dive
Photos: Corum
Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 automatic watch specification
Price: $21,000 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber CO395 (base ETA 2895-A2,) 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Decorated in-house
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case material: Rose gold
Bezel material: Rose gold
Case shape: Dodecagonal
Bezel shape: Dodecagonal
Case size: 42.00 mm
Lug width: No data
Case height: 9.50 mm
Dial: Black (officially called ‘Charcoal Grey’,) guilloche pattern
Numerals: Arabic (applied “60” at 12 o’clock)
Hands: Rose gold, luminous
Hour markers: Rose gold, applied
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Black alligator leather strap with 18-carat rose gold buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective, dodecagonal
Case back: Sapphire