Corum
Founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by René Bannwart and his uncle Gaston Ries, Corum quickly distinguished itself through its bold approach to watchmaking. Drawing on the experience he had gained at several prestigious watchmakers, René Bannwart envisioned a manufacture where creativity, innovation, and mechanical excellence would carry equal importance.
From the very beginning, Corum established a distinctive identity with creations that challenged traditional watchmaking conventions. The brand attracted attention as early as 1956 with its original timepieces before making a lasting impression with the Coin Watch (1964), featuring a dial crafted from a genuine U.S. coin. It continued along this path with the Peacock Feather Watch (1970) and, in 1976, the Rolls-Royce watch, the result of the first-ever watchmaking partnership with a prestigious automobile manufacturer.
In 1960, Corum introduced the Admiral's Cup, which would become one of the brand's signature collections. Originally housed in a square case, it evolved during the 1980s into its now-iconic design: a dodecagonal case featuring the twelve international nautical pennants as hour markers.
The manufacture further cemented its reputation as an innovator in 1980 with the Golden Bridge, powered by a spectacular linear baguette movement fully visible at the center of the case. A genuine technical and aesthetic achievement, this creation remains one of Corum's defining signatures to this day.
In 2000, entrepreneur Severin Wunderman became the brand's owner and president. He was joined in 2005 by Antonio Calce, who was appointed CEO two years later. René Bannwart, the company's historic founder, passed away in 2010 at the age of 95.
In 2025, as Corum celebrated its 70th anniversary, the brand opened a new chapter in its history by returning to Swiss ownership. It was acquired through a management buyout led by its current CEO, Haso Mehmedovic, who joined Corum as a watchmaker in 2011 before rising through the ranks to lead the company. Backed by a group of Swiss investors from the luxury and financial sectors, he aims to reconnect the brand with its creative DNA while further strengthening its iconic collections.
