ReviewThe Yin-And-Yang Magic Of The All-New Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph

An Overview

The Admiral collection by Corum is one of the brand’s long-standing pillars in its portfolio. First unveiled in 1960, just five short years after the brand’s creation, the Admiral’s Cup perfectly embodied a Swiss watchmaker’s idea of maritime-inspired watchmaking. Named after the eponymous Admiral’s Cup yachting regatta, which began in 1957, the watch was released as the first square-shaped water resistant watch. It retained the same silhouette until the early 1980s, after which Corum made the first significant change to the design of the Admiral’s Cup. This spelt the birth of the famous dodecagonal case shape. Interestingly enough, the iconic collection managed to outlive the regatta itself, which ended in 2003. Corum renamed the collection to the more concise ‘Admiral’, and continued modernising the watch with frequent updates to the design, including the upsizing of the case. And with that, we come to the most sporty and modern iterations yet—the latest AC-One 45 Chronograph timepieces, with their black-and-white ‘panda’ and ‘reverse panda’ dials. 

The new AC-One 45 Chronographs are available in contrasting panda (white with black sub-dials) and reverse-panda (black with white sub-dials) motifs with a tri-compax layout

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The case shape has been refined, and features a more angular dodecagonal bezel for a sophisticated appeal

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With a full grade-5 titanium construction, the AC-One 45 is ultra-lightweight and supremely durable

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Impressions

Corum first introduced the Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Chronograph in 2013, and ever since the release of that model, the timepiece has exhibited masculine characteristics, with a dose of inspiration from the world of sailing. The new model retains the same essence of its sporty predecessor, albeit with some welcome changes. Now with a sleeker and more contemporary design aesthetic, the AC-One 45 Chronograph has evolved to suit the tastes of the modern gentleman, turning this chronograph into a refreshing contender in the somewhat saturated market. 

The AC-One 45 Chronograph has evolved to suit the tastes of the modern gentleman, and is now a refreshing contender in a somewhat saturated market

The ‘Panda’ And ‘Reverse Panda’

The case

Although the case of the AC-One 45 mostly follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, there are some significant changes. Instead of the more rounded and smoother bezel of the outgoing model, the new one features an angular dodecagonal bezel. Corum has also included two titanium inserts between the bezel and case, giving us the option of customising it with different colours and materials. With a grade-5 titanium construction, the 45mm case is incredibly tough yet lightweight, just like a true sports watch should be. 

The dial

The most noticeable changes on the dial are, of course, the contrasting panda (white with black sub-dials) and reverse-panda (black with white sub-dials) motifs with a tri-compax layout. But apart from that, there are minor tweaks too—such as the ‘60’ hour marker at 12 o’clock, which has been replaced by the Corum key and emblem. The watch face comes with the ‘grenadier fendu’ (‘split pomegranate’) motif, which gives the face a pleasant visual depth. This unique pattern was worked on by a team of experienced designers back at the Corum manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, meaning that the dial is completely unique to the brand. The 12 nautical pennants, which are synonymous with the Admiral collection, remain on the flange as hour markers, albeit without the bright colours so as to allow the watch to look sleek and modern.

Corum has created an impressive luxury sports watch that caters to modern market needs, while still retaining the most iconic elements of its past

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The watch face comes with the ‘grenadier fendu’ ('split pomegranate’) motif, which gives the face a pleasant visual depth

₹12,25,000

Check Our Selling Price

Turn the watch over, and you can appreciate the finer details and exquisite finishing of the movement through the screwed-down, open-worked caseback

₹12,25,000

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Strap it on

The new Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph comes with a vulcanised rubber strap that features a triple-folding clasp, which replaces the old tongue buckle. 

A reliable movement

Powering this exquisite sports watch is the highly reliable calibre CO 116, a self-winding movement, with a chronograph and a date feature. It beats at 4Hz and offers a standard 42-hour power reserve. Turn the watch over and you can appreciate the intricate details and exquisite finishing of the movement through the screwed-down, open-worked caseback. 

A Final Word

The new Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph may not have undergone a major rework. However, thanks to the thoughtful and clever modifications given to the timepieces, they have transformed into some of the finest sport watches in the market today. Ultimately what Corum has created here are two impressive luxury sports watches that cater to  modern market needs, while still retaining the most iconic elements of the brand’s legendary past—and they have pulled this feat off with élan.