by Ian Skellern
The first movement of the Corum Golden Bridge was invented by A.H.C.I. co-founder Vincent Calabrese, who won a gold medal for it at the 1977 Geneva Salon des Inventions. Calabrese sold the rights to the movement to Corum, who launched its now iconic Golden Bridge in 1980. The automatic version with a rare linear sliding automatic weight was released in 2011.
While display backs and open dials are commonplace now, the Golden Bridge was one of the first watches not to just reveal its mechanics but to enthusiastically and joyously celebrate them.
Corum Golden Bridge Automatic movement deconstruction (photo courtesy The Naked Watchmaker)
Peter Speake, aka The Naked Watchmaker, recently deconstructed a Corum Golden Bridge Automatic to reveal all of its secrets.
Corum Golden Bridge Automatic (photo courtesy The Naked Watchmaker)
He notes that, “Although initially simple as a concept to align the gears, escapement, and balance wheel the execution is not a simple task. The winding and automatic system is specifically made for the caliber and to ensure the barrel is wound effectively the system is overengineered to optimize the movement of the wrist to wind the barrel. Assembling and adjusting the movement is also complex since parts of the escapement are hidden from sight, and the majority of wheels are held under a single bridge.”
Corum Golden Bridge Automatic deconstruction (photo courtesy The Naked Watchmaker)
I highly recommend checking out The Naked Watchmaker’s comprehensive photos and comments on the Corum Golden Bridge Automatic at www.thenakedwatchmaker.com/deconstruction-corum-golden-bridge-automatic.
For more information on the Golden Bridge, please visit www.corum-watches.com/collections/golden-bridge.
Quick Facts Golden Bridge Automatic Titanium
Case: 37.2 x 51.8 x 13.7 mm, grade 5 titanium
Movement: automatic Caliber CO313, baguette-shaped, variable inertia balance, 18-karat gold bridge, platinum oscillating mass, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, 40-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes
Price: CHF 41,000
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Great examination of an inspired piece of engineering. Seems like something that Cartier might have made something with, had Corum not bought the design; speaking of which, Calabrese seems to currently offer various models that use the same principle of illusory autonomy that Cartier’s Astromysterieux does – paricularly the ‘Esprit’ which is gorgeous.