The moon conjures up images of graveyards and spirits as much as romance and mystery. It’s a bewitching orb that plays peek-a-boo in the night sky. That’s why watchmakers love to incorporate a moonphase complication into watches. But usually the moon, a very feminine symbol, only resides in men’s watches. You know what I mean. Even though a woman’s watch might have a moonphase, the movement was originally made for a man’s watch and then stuck into a smaller case usually dressed up in some gemstones. I don’t like to be an afterthought, do you?
Corum decided that just wasn’t fair. Women deserved to have a moonphase made especially for them. Meet the Admiral’s cup Legend 38 Mystery Moon. It’s quite a bulky name for such a sleek and practical watch. The date represents the eye of the sun with rays reaching out to warm the earth whose sky twinkles with stars and the light of the moon. It’s such a whimsical yet elegant way to show the relationship between our planet and its sun and satellite. The greatest part is that the sun seems to chase the moon as the mother-of-pearl dial rotates round once every 31 days, a playful element that adds life to the dial. The watch, which is water resistant to 30 meters, straps onto the wrist with a white or black satin strap with a folding clasp engraved with Corum’s key logo.
Ladies, the Mystery Moon is driven by some serious mechanics: automatic Caliber CO384. You won’t open the hood and find a wimpy battery making a quartz movement tick. Though the engine is a pretty basic ETA 2892, it’s got a patented module created by imaginative watchmaker Laurent Besse that jumps the date, modulates the moon and turns the dial.
Corum recently made the strategic move to invite Besse to join the company full time in 2011 after his company Les Artisans Horlogers Sàrl went bankrupt. The alliance didn’t come out of nowhere because Corum had worked with Besse on a tourbillon. You know more cool things are coming down the pike because Besse has some impressive credentials: among others, he was head of R&D at Zenith and the man who made MB&F’s HM4 Thunderbolt fly.
The 38 Mystery Moon comes in Corum’s Admiral’s Cup Legend pillar, a case style that has defined the brand since the 1960’s when they first introduced the Admiral’s Cup watch. It was a square, waterproof case with a sailboat engraved on the back. Corum got serious about their commitment to sailing when they officially sponsored the Champagne Mumm Admiral’s Cup at Cowes England, so the 38 Mystery Moon has some street cred.
Once you take a look at the package, the 38 Mystery Moon has it going on. It’s a pretty face, one that’s quite stunning and stands apart from the crowd. But, more than just sitting on your wrist looking good, this watch also has brains. It’s clever and beautiful, and it’s made just for us.
Retail price for steel: $14,500
Retail price for rose gold: $31,600