FeatureMeet The Nonconformists: The Corum Bubble

#AreYouBubble? This is a hashtag that has gone viral in the world of watches, and it’s a feat that not many can spin with their timepieces. Yet, in a nod to unconventional and fanciful representation of telling time, the Corum Bubble collection puts all conventions to rest by breaking serious design codes making way for fun, artsy and whimsical watch dials.

Among many other trends like smart technology and the social media frenzy, the Bubble is a creation of the 20th century that set the tone for a sea of change in haute horology, and also marks Corum’s renaissance. Born out of a fancy of the roving design genius, the late Severin Wunderman, a relentlessly creative entrepreneur and the then owner of Corum, the Bubble set the stage for big dials which soon became the trend du jour. Launched with an enormous and unprecedented 44mm case and a towering sapphire crystal, so tall that it distorted the dial; the Bubble was the perfect canvas for artistic expression. Think skeletons, clowns faces, roulette tables, the Mona Lisa, and many more exuberant depictions.

In A League Of Its Own

A nonconformist and disruptive watch brand that takes pride in being in a league of its own, Corum has consistently taken the watch orb by surprise by creating watches that break the rules (think: coin watches, baguette movements, and feather dials). They make timepieces that are a sublime blend of aesthetics and technical excellence. Who else with that pedigree could have imagined giving the time-honoured watchmaking crafts such as enamelling, gem-setting, engraving, and métiers d’art in general a break for pop-art and sport-inspired dials! Not only absorbing the creative faculties of the diverse fields, the Bubble watches transform into objets d’art that are truly one-of-a-kind, to say the least. While the edgy line was soon phased out, towards the end of Wunderman’s ownership of Corum, it was revived in 2015 as part of the Corum Heritage collection.

The Bubble Emerges Stronger

Rekindling their fascination for creative energies and artistic ideals, the Bubble once again dug deep into the creative pool to associate with the arts. Thus was born a new line with timepieces measuring not just 44mm in diameter, but a whopping 47mm. In addition, they also featured the very recognisable enormous sapphire crystal dome covering the dial. At 8mm high, crafting the enormous crystal of the Bubble is no mean feat. The task starts with cutting a block of crystal, grinding it into a bubble-like shape, and then polishing the crystal to flawless clarity.

What makes these timepieces truly unique is the sapphire crystal which acts as a lens, both magnifying and distorting the dial to reveal the works of art. The 2015 line featured timepieces with arresting optical art motifs in the Op Art series; the  Bubble All Black with a glossy black PVD coating, complemented by a matte black dial, and charcoal-coloured indices and hands; and third, the skeleton timepiece. While staying true to the original design codes, the revived collection also offered a rubber-ringed, spherical crown and short, curved lugs, keeping practicality in mind.

The Various Faces Of The Bubble

Since then, the brand has wowed watch lovers with bold and edgy versions of the Bubble that draw inspiration from various creative faculties. What more, besides many other edgy lines, such as the fanciful Bubble Gaming series — comprising the Bubble 8 Ball, Bubble Casino Chip, Bubble Dice, Bubble Joker and Bubble Roulette — and the Bubble Mother-of-Pearl, the Bubble Halloween, and the Bubble SuperLuminova, Bubble also prides itself on associations with renowned artists. Names such as Matteo Ceccarini, Matt Barnes, Juliette Jourdain, Booba, Dani Olivier and Elisabetta Fantone, Nelson De La Nuez, the King of Pop Art were some of those artists who were invited to re-imagine their own models and translate them onto Bubble watch dials.

The Bubble Game

Take your chance to win a game of roulette with the Bubble Roulette timepiece as your lucky charm. Part of the Bubble Gaming limited editions, a series of five timepieces dedicated to games of chance, this one is limited to only 88 pieces. The 47mm stainless steel case houses an automatic movement and is topped by a massive, domed sapphire crystal which brings alive the intricate roulette table, with its entire paraphernalia – the tiny frets and a ball at the tip of the seconds hand.  The three-dimensional dial in black is further accentuated by the black leather strap to make a suave statement.

Corum Bubble’s High Jewellery Avatar

Shining bright in all its glory, The Bubble High Jewellery Skeleton, a trio of wristwatches are splendid creations set with exquisite gemstones in bursts of colour. Rubies, blue sapphires and black sapphires distinguished by baguette-cut diamonds and gemstone hour markers, all set by hand, make this a very haute haute joaillerie timepiece. The sapphire crystal serves as the perfect window to marvel at the delicate details of the open-worked, ultra-thin movement.

The Artistic Face Of Bubble

Corum has reproduced the striking, artistic nude portraits by French photographer Dani Olivier on its iconic Bubble wristwatch in a pair of limited editions that bring photographic art to the wrist. An acclaimed Paris-based photographer, Dani Olivier specialises in ‘abstract and psychedelic nudes’ – human bodies covered in striations of coloured light. In a collaboration that began in 2015, Corum has miniaturised Olivier’s art, transferring two of his most distinctive photographs onto watch dials. Incredible as they are, Olivier’s portraits are real photographs, not the result of digital manipulation. Olivier accomplishes the effects by projecting light patterns onto nude bodies set against a jet-black background, creating completely surreal forms.

Using high-resolution printing, Corum has exactly reproduced two of Olivier’s photographs on the dials of its Bubble wristwatch. Like the original, full-size portraits, these miniaturised, wrist-borne works of art seem dreamlike, akin to a scene from a science fiction movie. But up close, the details of the human body are visible, a reminder of the corporeal foundations of Olivier’s work.

Care has been taken to ensure that the Bubble is a fitting canvas for Olivier’s art, with even the Corum key logo at three o’clock being applied in the same vivid colours as the portraits. And the rhodium-plated hands have been filled with matte black lacquer, allowing them to stand out enough to be legible, while not distracting from the artwork behind. And to match the deep black background of Olivier’s portraits, the signature, 47mm Bubble watch case has been coated in black PVD.

Explore all the other Corum Bubble watches here

So if you are looking to add a bubble of creativity to your watch collection, the trendsetting Bubble series is your best bet, as it marries sublime and quirky art with the traditional and sombre craft of watchmaking in free rein. Creating the watch dial as the perfect canvas, the Bubble timepieces are a unique synergy where the diverse worlds of music, art, sports, jewellery, and photography meet haute horlology. What better than expressing your own artistic ideals made possible by Corum!