The Corum watch company was established in 1955 in Switzerland Gaston Ries and his nephew, Rene Bannwart.  The goal of the pair was to launch a line of innovative and unique watches.  Corum’s name originated from the Latin word “Quorum,” referring to the minimum legal number of people required to make decisions within a society. Its striking logo is the image of a vertical key featured on each dial, which is directly tied to the brand's first slogan, "The key to perfect time."  Only a year after the brand was launched, several Corum watch models hit the market to great success.  

 

The Corum Legacy

 

Since its inception, Corum watches have helped the company evolve into an esteemed brand of classic timepieces.  Its philosophy is based on a combination of the highest quality, artistic creativity, and technical innovation.  Over the course of the last 50 years, it has continued to set trends across the watchmaking community.  Less than a decade ago, in 2000, Corum watches made a move to help continue its tradition of excellence and luxury.  Severin Wunderman, an experienced watchmaker, took over ownership of Corum.  Four years later, in 2004, Wunderman’s son Michael took over the presidency of the company.  

 

The Corum Collection: Past and Present

 

Throughout the company’s history, Corum has been responsible for crafting a number of innovative and unique watches.  One of the first Corum watch designs was the Charge d’ Affaires, which was actually designed by Rene Bannwart in 1956.  This particular model was created for businessmen and featured a mechanical movement along with an alarm system.  The goal of Bannwart was to include an alarm system to help businessman keep track of different appointments in their schedule.  One of Corum’s first watch models that was designed specifically for women was the Chinese Hat, which was created in 1957.  The watch was given its name because of the watch’s case – which is shaped like the famous hat style that is worn in China.  The Golden Book model was launched in 1960, along with the first model of the Admiral’s Cup Carree, which has continued to be among Corum’s popular watch models.  The Golden Book is an extremely unique watch whose face was created to resemble an actual book.  In keeping with that design, the Golden Book had a cover that opened to reveal the face of the watch itself.  To finish the look, there was a tassled bookmarker that actually was enclosed in the “book” part of the watch.  There were actually two different editions, one of which included actual engraved quotes on the face of the watch.  The Corum watch company has continued its tradition of luxury, which is reflected in the models that are currently on the market.  The Admiral’s Cup line is still among the most popular of Corum’s watch collections.  There are several designs that are featured in this particular Corum watch collection, including the Admiral’s Cup Competition 48 and the Admiral’s Cup Competition 40.  Other current Corum watch collections include the Golden Bridge, Tourbillon and Classical, Coin Watch, Artisan Timepieces, and Corum Bubble.  

 

Corum at Wingate’s

 

Wingate’s is proud to offer a selection of innovative Corum watches for men including the Capeland and Hampton Milleis.