Since Corum’s original Admiral’s Cup debuted in the 1960s as the quintessential timepiece for avid regatta fans and sailors, the model has become both a flagship (pun intended) of that Swiss watch brand and the foundation of an extensive and versatile modern collection, dubbed simply Admiral. The latest and most avant-garde evolution arrived at Watches & Wonders 2021, bringing together a skeletonized flying tourbillon caliber and a distinctive carbon-and-gold bi-material case construction.

Limited to just 48 pieces and referred to by Corum as the year’s “stand-out star,” the Admiral 45 Automatic Openworked Flyoing Tourbillon Carbon & Gold ushers a new case material into the manufacturer’s portfolio, made from fluctuating layers of ultra-light carbon and interspersed with areas of 18k gold glitter. The process used to create the case, which measures 45 mm in diameter and features the Admiral collection’s hallmark dodecagonal bezel, renders each one subtly unique from all the rest. The 5N rose gold crown, embedded between black-toned crown guards, helps render the case water-resistant to 100 meters.
The black and gold details continue on the openworked dial, which is essentially a panoramic view of the movement, Corum’s in-house, automatic Caliber CO 298, equipped with a 3-Hz flying tourbillon escapement at the 6 o’clock position. Two gold-toned Dauphine hands display the hour and minute on black penn...