Though Corum has done some interesting work with their Bridge collection throughout the years, it is the Admiral’s Cup that marks the brand’s strongest and most recognizable design language. For 2016, Corum has released the Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto and Admiral Legend 42 Chronograph watches that serve as a great counterpart to some of their more unusual pieces like the Bubble watch that was reintroduced last year. We’ve got four interesting watches to cover here, so let’s get started.

First, we have two models of the Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto. Right off the bat, you’ll notice the iconic twelve-sided bezels on these stainless steel pieces that measure in at 42mm. You have your choice of either a deep blue or white dial, and the sapphire crystal over it is double anti-reflective-treated. With an overall water resistance rating of 50m for the case, we would have hoped for a little more from a watch aimed at people who like to be around water.

The dial is graced with a colorful array of nautical flags that bring a nice flare to the table and blend nicely into the theme of the watch – and at 3 o’clock, an inconspicuous date window hidden is in one of the flags. The Rhodium-coated dauphine hands are skeletonized and treated with Super-LumiNova while a small seconds is at work right above 6 o’clock. The back of the case receives a sapphire crystal to show off the movement here as well. The Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto watches are powered by the CO 395 that offers a 42-hour power reserve. The CO 395 is really a base ETA 2895, and Corum has engraved the rotor on this occasion.

The Corum Admiral Legend 42 Chronographs maintain the 42mm sizing, but consist of one stainless steel model while introducing another similar version outfitted with an 18k red gold bezel, crown, and pushers for added class. The stainless steel model offers a rich blue dial while the red gold is paired with a simple black backdrop with each showcasing time, date, and chronograph counters. The date window for these variants is not integrated into the dial as well as the three-hand versions so you can’t miss it nestled in between 4 and 5 o’clock. The chronographs drop the water resistance rating to 30m and maintain a sapphire crystal case back. The movement shown off is the CO 984 that beats at 4Hz (28,000vph) with a power reserve of 42 hours.

The Corum Admiral Legend 42 Chronographs certainly stand out as classy and elegant but it is the simplicity of the Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto models that really catch my eye. Corum finds its stride when sticking to a nautical motif, and these models illustrate that point perfectly. While definitely not as intricate or refined as something like the Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck, the Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto offers a solid alternative for someone with an affinity for sea-themed watches and who doesn’t mind a little extra color in the palette.

The Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon watch features a 47mm 18k rose gold case, and further accentuating its dimensions is its large bubble-shaped crown, also made out of 18k rose gold. Certainly, the Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon is no little watch, and it’s bound to draw a lot of attention. If wrist attendance is exactly what you seek, this watch will probably send it in spades. Unfortunately, regardless of the watch’s beefy dimensions, water resistance is 30 meters, so be skeptical of liquids.The Bubble watch is so known due to its high domed sapphire crystal, and it isn’t necessarily only a gimmick. Most watches have horizontal sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating since they wish to prevent distortion. To get Corum’s Bubble view, the opposite is true because the distortion that is due to its big domed sapphire crystal is the thing that makes the Corum Bubble unique. The big hollowed and vacant eyes together with the charcoal black dial along with also the distortion from domed crystal makes a gothic look that’s rarely seen in different watches. And to me, it’s personality, with much more menacing and appealing looks than, say, the skull designs employed by HYT in their Skull Bad Boy watch or from Bell & Ross within their BR01 Burning Skull “Tattoo” watch (hands-on here).Though legibility may be somewhat influenced by the distortions caused by the heavily domed crystal, Corum addresses that by giving the Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon large leaf-shaped palms painted with white Super-LumiNova.

The Corum Watches Zurich Admiral Legend 42 Auto watches are paired with either a rich blue or handsome brown alligator leather strap. The Corum Admiral Legend 42 Chronograph in stainless steel also receives a blue alligator leather strap while the rose gold edition receives a black one exclusively. Pricing for the Corum Admiral Legend 42 Auto is $3,600. The stainless steel Corum Admiral Legend 42 Chronograph is priced at $4,950 with the steel, and in red gold at $9,900. corum.com