A new "Admiral" that creates a monochrome world

CORUM | Corum

A New "Admiral" Creates a Monochrome World | CORUM

A new "ADMIRAL LEGEND 42" has arrived in Corum's flagship collection, clad in the traditional Japanese ink color. The Admiral is known for its colorful international signal flags used for the indexes, but this new model seals them away, unified in a single ink color. This new creation, which dramatically changes its previous image, is quite captivating.

Text by KOIZUMI Yoko

An Ambitious Work That Captures Various "Sumi" Tones in Its Parts

The limited edition "ADMIRAL LEGEND 42" has arrived in Corum's flagship collection.

The Admiral's Cup, commonly known as "Admiral," was named after the offshore yacht race "Admiral's Cup" and born in 1960. Although its design was renewed in 1983, it adopted the innovative idea of using international signal flags to represent the hours. By making the bezel and case dodecagonal, it created a unique style that is instantly recognizable as an "Admiral" in both its dial and form. This basic design continues to this day, growing into Corum's flagship collection.

When you hear "Admiral," perhaps many people over 50 harbor a certain sense of longing?

About 35 years ago, the "Admiral" had a globally hit model known by the nickname "Gun Blue." This was the world's first model to feature a gunmetal blue PVD coating on its case, bezel, and bracelet. In addition to the international signal flag indexes and case form, its color was also novel and groundbreaking. It was an aspirational model that made many people's hearts tremble with "Cool!"

At that time in Japan, it was also a period when surfing boom and marine sports were gaining significant attention. The popularity of this model likely led many to learn about the requirement to hoist international signal flags on vessels at sea, the different rules at sea compared to land, and the various competitions using yachts. The Admiral was also a symbol that conveyed the European culture of marine sports.

The "SUMI" theme gave birth to the "ADMIRAL LEGEND 42," sealing away one of the Admiral's characteristic colors.

The dial, indexes, hands, case, and strap are all unified in an ink color, but because they are made of different materials, the ink color's hue varies. It is precisely because of the single color that the differences in hue become prominent. The powerful case form and 42mm diameter might seem overpowering, but the monochrome color and matte finish of the case give it a streamlined appearance, making it suitable for suits.

While polygonal case forms are not uncommon today, the Admiral was an early adopter of polygonal models, and after a quarter of a century, its style has not faded but rather shines. When the base is excellent, any arrangement can lead to coolness. Such a curveball is most welcome.

From this model, I received the impression that it declares, "The Admiral is by no means a nostalgic model." The Admiral continues to be a "symbol." In 2019, the 26th year since the birth of the new Admiral, I look forward to seeing what kind of world it will show us in the future.