Watches with dodecagonal (12-sided) cases are so rare that the moment you spot one, you can almost always assume it to belong to a watch from Corum’s Admiral collection. Needless to say, the Corum Admiral collection is Corum’s link to the ocean, inspiring a myriad of sea-fearing watches since 1960. In the more than six decades since its debut, it has grown to become one of the mainstays of this Swiss brand.
Fans of Corum will undoubtedly know that the Admiral collection used to be called Admirals Cup and borrowed its name from the international yachting regatta that for many years was known as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing. It was only in recent years that they decided to rename the collection as Admiral.
Besides its iconic 12-sided case shape, the Corum Admiral collection was also famous for having the 12 nautical pennants as indices. These patterns were actually inspired by the flags used by boats to signal to one another as a means of communication before the widespread use of radio equipment. And today, these historical pennants are immortalised forever on the dials of Corum’s Admiral collection.
The latest iteration of the Admiral collection comes in the form of the Admiral 42. This 42 mm case reference is the most versatile Admiral yet. The size sits perfectly on men’s wrists but also could be worn by women as an oversized piece. The new updates in the design of the Admiral 42 come in the form of the details within the dial and the finishing of the case.
The version presented here however is a limited-edition version and is one of the rare instances that a watch in the Corum Admiral collection comes with monochromatic hues. This full grey monochrome version is crafted in a sandblasted stainless-steel case, a gradient grey dial and matching nautical pennants in grey giving it an incredibly ethereal demeanour. The Admiral 42 Automatic will be powered by the CO 395 movement and will be a limited edition of only 100 pieces, exclusive to Cortina Watch.