Death to Gravity with the Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon Skull

At Baselworld 2015, an icon made its triumphant return; the Corum Bubble – a watch that first came on the market in 2000, with a unique bulb shape, large and thick, full of distortions and which would go on to play a major role in the brand’s recent history. It seems that what is now the main cool factor of these older versions, meaning the countless and all unexpected limited to unique editions, is back – see this version for illustration. Today, the Corum Bubble sends a fatal message to gravity, with the unique piece Flying Tourbillon Skull.

This new Corum Bubble is based on the larger model, meaning a 47mm case – don’t be scared by the diameter, it actually wears much smaller than what the specs say. It is dressed in shiny rose gold, and shares the same attributes as the other watches of the collection. It is secured to the wrist by a black rubber strap.

The main attraction of the Corum Bubble, which also explains its name, is the massive (really massive), highly domed sapphire crystal on top of the dial, which might be at least 6 or 7mm thick and creates a rounded bulb on top of the watch. Not only does this feature contribute to the unique look of the watch but it also creates something that most brand try to avoid: distortions on the dial, something that is used here to play with the perception of the time.

The Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon Skull, a unique piece, features a dial with a large, stylized skull head made in gold-plated brass, to match the case. It is placed on a black background for contrast. The hollow eyes of this skull stare at the wearer while the flying tourbillon sits at 6, within the wide-open jaw.

The Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon Skull uses an automatic movement, with 72 hours of power reserve and a modern 4Hz frequency. Winding of the barrel is done via a micro-rotor – actually the movement is shared with this watch from another brand… Nothing bad about that, it is a very good movement.

Specifications of the Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon Skull

• Case: 47mm diameter x 18.55mm thickness – 5N 18K rose gold, polished and brushed – highly domed sapphire on top, sapphire case back – 30m water resistant
• Movement: Calibre CO 016 – automatic winding via micro-rotor – 72H power reserve – 28,800vph – hours, minutes, flying tourbillon
• Strap: black rubber strap, 5N 18K rose gold pin-buckle
• Pièce Unique – Price on request