At 47mm, the Bubble X Aiiroh is an incitation to think big, and in colour. Its dial is indebted to “Street Rose”, a 2020 work in which French artist Aiiroh, who came to prominence as a graffiti artist, uses strips torn from street posters and newspaper headlines to make a collage in the form of rose petals, overlaid with a stylised cut-out rose in black.
Referencing the history of art…
While the Bubble X Aiiroh is very much a contemporary creation, both watchmaking and collage can trace their origins back hundreds of years. Popularised in the 1920s by the Dada artists, and Kurt Schwitters in particular, collage was already used for works of religious art in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, frequently encrusted with precious stones and gold. Richly gilded icons are a fine example.
Now icons have changed, and art is no longer tied to religious imagery. Aiiroh’s colourful works reference the “iconic” logos of brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, intent on playing with the references that are ingrained in his generation.
… and the history of watchmaking
When the Corum Bubble launched in 2000, it brought a breath of fresh air to a brand - at that time led by the visionary Severin Wunderman - that was already renowned for its creative take on watchmaking. Just a little crazy with its curves and impressive domed sapphire crystal, the Bubble was inspired by the landmark design of the Rolex Deep Sea Special, whose transparent dome protected the dial from extreme pressure underwater.
The Bubble rapidly emerged as one of Corum’s best-selling models. Initially presented as a 44mm diameter, it later expanded into 47mm and 52mm sizes. This amount of dial space lends itself admirably to all manner of variations and techniques, while the domed sapphire crystal acts like a magnifier, enlarging and distorting the extraordinary dials. Because of its experimental and openly transgressive nature, the Bubble became the ideal platform for collaborations with contemporary artists, including the Canadian Elisabetta Fantone and now Aiiroh.
Art and more art!
The techniques used to decorate the Bubble’s dial are similar to those used by Aiiroh for “Street Rose”. Set against a stark black background, a collage of rose petals bursts into life, in shades of turquoise, orange, lavender, purple, blue, red, yellow and green. A black aluminium cut-out of a stylised rose is then placed on top. Aiiroh has even created a special presentation box for this Bubble with a spray-paint design.
Two other artists and members of the same collective as Aiiroh also contributed to the Corum Bubble X Aiiroh. They are Namisen, a Japanese modernist artist, and Soyz Bank, a French visual artist. All three worked together on a piece of sculpted wall art. This original design, which riffs on Corum’s certificate of authenticity and the brand’s key logo, began as a two-dimensional painting which was then folded and cast in resin. A performance worthy of the Corum Bubble!
