ReviewReview of the Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides: A historical timepiece with a unique complication
A tool dedicated to sea-going professionals, let's decode one of the rarest complications in the world of fine watchmaking
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It is a well-known fact that the Admiral’s Cup is among the most popular and sought-after collections from Corum. Since its introduction in the market which was back in 1960, the Admiral’s Cup collection has steadily paved the way for Corum’s immense success in the world of fine watchmaking. Pegged as the core of the Corum universe, the Admiral’s Cup, with time, has evolved and enriched into a modern iconic timepiece. And the legendary Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides is one such example.
The Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides reaffirms the brand’s immense love for nautical engineering. The watch houses a unique complication that calculates the movement of tides, making it an exceptional tool for sea-going professionals in their naval endeavours. It is a handy safety measure to equip oneself with when venturing out into the sea or coastal areas.
Discover the watch:
Already an icon amongst sea-lovers, the Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides is back after 21 years, with a brand new avatar. While redesigned and reworked in aesthetic, the spirit of the watch remains the same. At the heart of the watch, you will still find the same movement (CO 277 caliber) that was there when the model was first launched in 1993. Featuring an automatic mechanical movement that indicates the time, strength and height of the tides along with the strength of the currents, the watch is extremely unique. It is one of the rarest complications to find in the vast world of luxury watchmaking.
A revolutionary movement from 1993:
As mentioned before, while the Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides is a new edition, the spirit and heart of the watch remain the same as they were 21 years ago. The watch is still powered by the elusive CO 277 caliber movement which was developed in collaboration with the Astronomic Observatory of Geneva and the SHOM (Hydrographic and Oceanographic Services of the French National Navy). A revolutionary movement that took more than three long years to create, the CO 277 caliber is the only movement in the world that features a tides indicator. It follows a twice-daily lunar cycle with a difference of about 12 hrs 25 mins approximately between each other.
The CO 277 caliber movement basically operates as a moon phase watch, wherein, the caliber calibrates the proximity of the moon with the earth and the sun which invariably controls the strength of the tide. Apart from its nautical indicators, the movement also incorporates the hour, minutes, seconds and date functions. Beating at the rate of 28,800 vph (vibrations per hour), the CO 277 caliber clocks in a power reserve of 42 hours.
The dial: Displaying an attractive sporty elegance with a high legibility ratio
Offering an attractive aesthetic appeal with technically innovative functions, the brass dial of the Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides is clean, clear and flawlessly designed. The perfectly balanced subdials at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock along with the date display indicator at 3 o’clock, are set with a high legibility ratio which aids in reading the dial clearly and swiftly.
The subdial at 12 o’clock is made up of two parts. The inner part of the subdial houses a moonphase indicator while the outer part specifies the strength of the tide, also known as a coefficient. What is a coefficient? It is a tabular system that outlines the “size” or “magnitude” of the prospective tide. For example, if the moon is full or black, the strength/coefficient of the tide would range between 95-120, which is at its peak. This high range would drop down to a lower tidal strength/tide coefficient between 20-45 gradually during the first and the last moon quarters.
The subdial at 6 o’clock is made up of two concentric circles wherein the outer circle is home to a 24-hour indicator marked by a centrally located rhodium-coated pointer. The inner concentric circle houses two white pointers that indicate the exact hour of the succeeding two tides in the next 24 hours.
Finally, the third subdial at 9 o’clock, shows the current tidal strength to help sea-professionals determine whether the tide is rising or ebbing. You can check the intensity of the tide with the help of the pointer. If the pointer is horizontal on the red line, then it is assumed that the intensity/ height of the tide is high. Likewise, if the pointer/hand moves towards the high and low tides indicator, the seafarer is assured that the tide intensity is declining. The strength of the current is minimum when the pointer or hand is in perfect alignment with the vertical white line. Furthermore, the highly legible subdials are set against the backdrop of Corum’s signature “split pomegranate” motif, officially called the “Grenadier fendu” finishing.
The inner bezel ring is decorated with the iconic applied hourly nautical pennants and the indexes are rhodium-coated with white SuperLuminova. This minute detail provides more character and depth to the elegantly designed dial. The skeletonised, dauphine-shaped hour and minute hands are rhodium-coated and filled with SuperLuminova, while the baton-shaped seconds hand features the iconic Corum key.
Titanium Grade 5 Case with Corum’s iconic dodecagonal bezel and an open caseback:
The Titanium Grade 5 case is complete with the brand’s signature dodecagonal bezel, while the logo-engraved crown is partially covered by a crown protector in the same red/blue colour as that of the dial. Despite having a case dimension of 45mm, which usually falls on the larger spectrum of dial sizes, it is remarkably light on the wrist thanks to the choice of material (titanium). The layered structure of the case features PVD- treated titanium inserts that resonate the red/blue colour of the dial.
With a water resistance of up to 300 meters and the crystal built out of sapphire with anti-reflective treatment, the Corum Admiral’s AC-One 45 Tides is the perfect (and necessary) companion for all your sea-faring endeavours. The case back also features a titanium grade 5, open back cover in glare-proof sapphire crystal. This allows the wearer to witness the beating heart (revolutionary CO277 caliber movement) of the watch without any interruptions.
Strap options:
The iconic Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides watch is available in two striking colour variations: historical Corum blue and bright red. The Titanium Grade 5 case is attached to a vulcanised rubber strap secured by a folding clasp, echoing the same colour of the respective watch.
Prices and Availability:
The Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Tides starts from Rs. 624,000, which is a balanced price for a complication so rare to come by, especially considering the value that accompanies the watch. The Tides is available in India exclusively at Ethos Watch Boutiques.
What did you think of the watch? Let us know in the comments section below!