FeatureCorum Golden Bridge: How The In-Line Baguette Movement Became The Hero Of The Watch
Find out how the Corum Golden Bridge watches took a movement that many had tried, and presented the first and only in-line baguette movement, truly making it the hero of the collection
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Did you know that some of the world’s most fascinating inventions were the result of happy accidents? Yes, from potato chips and plastic, to penicillin and pacemakers, serendipitous inventions have changed the world time and again. Necessity isn’t always the mother of invention. Sometimes genius arrives not by choice but by chance. The watch world witnessed its most noteworthy chance for change when Vincent Calabrese accidentally got the idea to invent a movement that would be the star or focal point of the watch. In 1977, this small idea or thought led to the invention of the first, and the only in-line baguette movement in the market today. This in-line baguette movement and its successors have powered the entire Corum Golden Bridge collection.
Today, The Watch Guide takes you on a walk through the history of the Corum Golden Bridge collection, from the inception to some of the latest watches.
Discover the entire Golden Bridge collection at Ethos
Movements That Failed Where Corum’s In-Line Baguette Movement Succeeded
The Berner’s dictionary defines the basic baguette movement as ‘an elongated rectangular movement, the length of which is at least three times as great as the breadth (fashionable between 1920 and 1930)’. Among the most famous was the tiny calibre 101 from Jaeger-LeCoultre that was launched in 1929. Another famous baguette movement was the calibre 210 developed again by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1938, and used largely in clocks. It was designed by rearranging the parts of the round movement and putting it in a line to make it more attractive. However, while many brands have tried to develop the a solid in-line baguette movement, many were discouraged by the technical constraints they faced. Longines even developed a few baguette movements in the 30s, but they didn’t stand the test of time, due to a lack of development and expenses involved.
Gradually, brands stopped developing baguette movements because it was more practical to produce multi-purpose round calibres. It was only in 1980 when Corum collaborated with Vincent Calabrese and launched the Golden Bridge collection that true in-line baguette movements finally took centre stage.
The Berner’s dictionary defines the movement as ‘an elongated rectangular movement, the length of which is at least three times as great as the breadth (fashionable between 1920 and 1930)’
The Story Behind The Watch That Made Its Movement The Hero
As mentioned before, Vincent Calabrese was the man behind the iconic baguette or linear movement. The movement was conceived literally by accident when Vincent Calabrese, a young and self-taught watchmaker and restorer was asked to repair a Breguet minute repeater watch that had been damaged by being run over by a car. During that time the cost of repairing the entire movement was between CHF 800 and 1,000, while the cost of repairing the case was CHF 2,000.
“Upon quoting to him the restoration fees, he decided only to repair the case,” remembers Calabrese. “The customer told me, ‘No one sees the movement anyway, so there is no need for any repair’,” says the 70-year-old. “His words stung my ears and it led me to produce a timepiece where the movement, and not the case or design is the star. Like what we say these days, it is the ‘inner beauty’ that counts!”
An incident like that had a huge impact on the young maverick’s life. He then decided to spend the next few years developing and creating a movement that would defy all traditions and preconceived notions of how a mechanical movement should or could be designed and engineered. Vincent’s aim was to focus on ‘inner beauty’ and showcase the watchmaker’s art in the simplest shape possible. The Italian-born watchmaker struck gold when he had the brilliant idea of stripping the movement bare and simplifying the system. This ensured that he achieved the desired shape and design of the movement without compromising on its technical attributes.
However, there were a number of technical challenges that needed to be worked around. From creating a baguette in-line movement that required miniaturising the components to avoiding the need to use two crowns, the movement definitely needed a lot of work and perseverance. However, despite the challenges faced, Vincent Calabrese persevered and presented his patented 45-component movement in 1977 at the Geneva International Inventors’ Show and went on to win a gold medal.
Corum And The Inception Of The Golden Bridge
After winning a gold medal for his creation, Calabrese approached a few watch brands for collaboration but was turned down. He then reached out to René Bannwart, the founder of Corum. Bannwart needed no persuasion. He was a man known for his taste in the arts and also had a history of setting up the creative design department at Omega before founding the company with his uncle. He immediately saw the potential of Vincent’s creation and the deal was done in a few hours. Bannwart immediately acquired the patent and three years later, Corum unveiled the Golden Bridge, when celebrating their 25th anniversary at the 1980 Baselworld fair.
Discover the entire Golden Bridge collection at Ethos
A Brief Timeline Of The Incredible Journey Of The Corum Golden Bridge
1980: The Beginning
While the Golden Bridge certainly did not cater to everyone’s taste, the movement definitely made news and got people talking. An immediate hit with connoisseurs across the globe, every collector of fine watches wanted their hands on the ‘prodigiously slender world-famous revolution’. It set up Corum as the ultimate authentic watch manufacturer. Thirty years later, the uniquely designed movement has continuously endured as the collection’s USP. Calabrese too, gradually, moved on to adapting the movement to any letter of the alphabet, except the letter ‘I’, which became the official initial of the Corum Golden Bridge collection.
2005: A Second Coming Of The Golden Bridge
At the turn of the millennium and with time, the growth of the Corum Golden Bridge collection lost some momentum, especially with the introduction of the young and vibrant Corum Bubble collection. However, under the aegis of the new Corum boss, Antonio Calce, who believed that ‘if you have a nugget like that, it’s your duty to give it its proper value’, the brand rejuvenated the collection. Celebrating Corum’s 5oth anniversary, the brand launched a reinterpretation of the iconic watch with a contemporary spin in 2005.
2009: The Great Ti-Bridge Is Unveiled
The launch of the Ti-Bridge from Corum had the world of watches stop and take notice of the immense and inexhaustible creativity that was just waiting to be released from the Corum headquarters. In 2009, the brand also introduced a new in-house mechanical movement, the CO 007 Caliber, a powerful and technically superior movement first used in the The Ti-Bridge. It was an incredibly creative year for Corum, with the Ti-Bridge becoming quite the sensation.
The new calibre was definitely inspired by the legendary Golden Bridge calibre, albeit with a new twist. While it retains the shape of the Golden Bridge, the dimensions, components, materials used and technical specifications are completely different. A major difference is the placement of the movement. While in the Golden Bridge collection, all movements were placed vertically inside the case, the Ti-Bridge places the linear movement horizontally. The launch of the Ti-Bridge from Corum enabled the world to take notice of the immense inexhaustible creativity just waiting to be released at the Corum headquarters.
Read more about the Corum Ti-Bridge here
2011: The In-Line Baguette Movement Goes Automatic
Since its inception in 1980, the Corum Golden Bridge was only available in a manual-winding version, which again did not cater to a vast majority of watch lovers. However, in 2011, the brand launched the legendary baguette movement in an automatic version. The self-winding system, Caliber CO313, which took almost four years to develop and design, featured an automatic linear-winding baguette movement that used a platinum oscillating weight. With the introduction of this version, Corum scaled new heights and further established their dedication towards providing the finest piece of craftsmanship to their consumers.
2014: Golden Bridge Automatic In Titanium And Ceramic
For Baselworld 2014, the Golden Bridge was revealed in titanium. It brought forward an important and much-needed alliance between gold and titanium, especially for this collection. The use of titanium allows the watch a certain depth that is further enhanced by the incredible and clever design of the dial. The 18-carat red gold main bridge that runs down the centre of the case works in perfect accordance with the grade 5 titanium used, separating this particular watch from Golden Bridge releases seen before it.
2016: Launch Of The Corum Golden Bridge Round
Corum is a brand that never holds back. It continuously strives to experiment and perfect every single watch of their many collections, over and over again. The Golden Bridge collection made news in 2016 when Corum launched the very first Golden Bridge baguette movement in a round and elegant case. Designed by the famous Italian designer, Dino Modolo, it was a smart move from the brand as this version was sure to garner a higher likeability ratio and bring together a wider customer base. Additionally, the Round Golden Bridge features a miniature suspension structure of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco that increases the aesthetic appeal of the watch. It represents a bridge that unites cultures and civilisations and drives home the idea of the world coming together in this age of technology and social media.
Read our full review of the Golden Bridge Round here
2017: The Release Of The Corum Golden Bridge Rectangle
After the immense success of the Golden Bridge Round in 2016, Corum released a brand new version of the Golden Bridge for Baselworld 2017 – the Corum Golden Bridge Rectangle. Like its predecessor, the watch has been designed by the Italian jewellery designer, Dino Modolo, and features the suspended linear ‘baguette’ manual-winding movement that houses the signature engraving and finishing on the 18-carat gold bridge plate of the movement. What has changed is the shape of the case from a popular round case to an Art Deco inspired rectangular case. At first, the structures on the sides look very similar to its predecessor. However, taking a closer look, you will notice that the 18-carat gold structures are actually Roman numerals and rivets, which reflects extremely clever design. The 2017 release clearly shows the brand’s commitment to continuing the Golden Bridge collection and not holding back anytime soon.
2017: The Latest Golden Bridge – The Stream Bridge Automatic
After round and rectangular editions, the Corum Golden Bridge collection has come a full circle now with the latest Stream Bridge Automatic edition. While it features a superior baguette movement, as any of its predecessors do, the watch comes in a case that is reminiscent of some of the oldest Golden Bridge watches. In the form of a flat cylinder, the largely glass case of the watch also features decorative micro-structures in rose gold that also reflect inspirations from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
And with this latest stunning piece of horological mastery from Corum, any watch enthusiast would be left longing to know what Corum will do next with their fascinating and stunning Golden Bridge. With their innovative approach towards the collection, yet never losing sight of maintaining the movement as its hero, we can be sure that the Golden Bridge will keep baffling us.
Discover the entire Corum Golden Bridge collection at Ethos Watch Boutiques
What did you think of the watch that made its movement the hero? Let us know in the comments section below.
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