The grand opening of Corum’s first Concept Store, the Corum Watch Club, took place on Thursday, May 11. Set in the bustling city of Bangkok, the store celebrates almost 30 years of partnership with Baechtold Jewelry & Watches and will be overseen by second-generation family member, Tevin Baechtold.
Founded by Dr. Soipetch Resanond Baechtold and Mr. Philip Baechtold, Baechtold Jewelry & Watches has been by Corum’s side as their leading brand since the 1980s, and as an exclusive partnership since 1993. Throughout the 30 years, Baechtold has worked with every era of Corum, beginning with the founding Bannwart family. Tevin Baechtold, together with Corum’s Vice President, Mr. Boon Chong Soon, worked on an exciting new project to launch in Thailand, in honor of their long-standing partnership, with Corum granting Baechtold the courtesy of conceptualizing the first-ever Corum Watch Club.
More of an unconventional clubhouse than a traditional retail store, this will be a welcoming community for customers and collectors alike, with no membership required. The goal is not only to relax and enjoy seeing the latest novelties but a place to learn more about the brand through special exhibitions and events, along with a tranquil environment to savor a drink and a cigar.
The décor of the modern concept store takes advantage of wood sourced locally in Thailand mixed with contemporary white surfaces. A balcony offers spectacular views of the city from the 2nd floor of the Gaysorn Shopping Center in Ratchaprasong District, known as a lifestyle destination for Thais, and tourists alike. The location was chosen for its preponderance of luxury hotels, shops, restaurants, and spas, as well as its proximity to the city’s 8 most famous spiritual shrines.
To celebrate the brand and its creativity, the Corum Watch Club will have timepieces on display from private collectors as well as historical pieces from the Corum museum. The goal is to help new collectors learn about the brand, its creativity, and innovative techniques. Additionally, there are also plans to include some special limited editions created specifically for Thailand’s passionate connoisseurs, as well as Corum’s recently released jewellery collection, that due to its limited availability, will be rarely seen elsewhere.
Corum’s Vice President, Boon Chong Soon, said “For several years, we have been exploring how we could provide a space for Corum collectors and fans in key markets. Thailand has always been a strong market for Corum, especially with the support of the Baechtold family. Now with the second generation of leadership, we feel that it is also a chance for Corum to rejuvenate its place in this loyal market. Not only will this space be a place for our current collectors and fans, but by providing a space to hang out and being the place to be, we feel that a new generation of Corum watch lovers will now have a place to discover the brand and learn about the history behind the Maison”.
The Corum Watch Club is located in Gaysorn Tower. Gaysorn is the leading department store in Bangkok, which can be easily accessed by car or Skytrain, and is open daily from 11:00 – 19:00.
Available pictures (download section below)
Image courtesy of CORUMImage courtesy of CORUMBoon Chong SOON & Tevin BAECHTOLD / Image courtesy of CORUMImage courtesy of CORUMImage courtesy of CORUM
In a major move designed not only to celebrate its 65th birthday, but also to revisit its roots and position itself for a strong future, Corum unveils an exciting full-brand revamp and launches its “Risk is the Reward” campaign.
Relatively young in the centuries-old watchmaking world, Corum was born 65 years ago in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Since its inception, Corum has regularly been on the cutting-edge of design and aesthetics – introducing powerful collections that were always ahead of their time. Last year, the brand made a strategic decision to relaunch using its rich history of innovation to propel it forward. After revisiting its incredibly creative past, the brand revitalizes the very essence of its avant-garde DNA in a visionary and modern manner.
Corum’s new “Risk is the Reward” campaign underscores everything the brand has accomplished in its 65 years. Identifying risk more as an opportunity for success than as a peril or fear, Corum has always been a risk taker when it comes to unveiling incredibly daring product collections that became icons, including the first sports theme model, Admirals, Haute Couture with the Feather Watch, truly “Time Is Money” with the Coin, and of course the Golden Bridge with a watch in its purest form. The new campaign reinforces Corum’s unparalleled willingness to take chances and do things that others have not done before. After all, it is precisely this philosophy and way of thinking that has propelled the brand forward decade after decade.
The all-encompassing “Risk is the Reward” campaign concept is about approaching life with a daring and adventurous spirit. As such, Corum has aligned itself with ambassadors who are also risk takers in their fields. They are people who embody the philosophies of Corum: of thinking outside the proverbial box and against all odds in order to move forward, of being more original and intrepid than anyone else, and of remaining true to themselves no matter what. Among those ambassadors are Miralem Pjanic, footballer for Juventus Turin who fled his homeland with his family to safety during the Bosnian War and then pursued his dreams, and Chinese actor Hu Bing, an aspiring yachtsman who had to retire in his early 20’s due to injury. He then entered the world of acting, pushing himself assiduously to embody characters that leave a vivid and lasting impression.
The campaign is the first step of an amazing new adventure for the brand. Not content, though, with shout-outs to the anniversaries, Corum is creating a new Avant Garde style with the Lab 02, and is re-developing its collections to showcase the philosophy of the brand. Those fantastic new watches will be launched progressively over the next 12 months.
The adventurous and provocative nature of Corum is captured in the new campaign, which will have digital, social media and print outreach. The print ad for the Admiral line, for instance, showcases a bird’s eye view of the crashing ocean waters as a yacht maneuvers in a race, while the Golden Bridge ad depicts a spectacular view of another architectural icon, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which was declared one of the wonders of the modern world – much like the status of the Golden Bridge watch in the modern horological world. For the magnificent, high-tech Damascus steel LAB 01 collection, a stunning black-and-white zebra-motif from nature provides the brilliant visual. Even the evocative Miss Golden Bridge with snow-set diamonds appears with a moody blue snowflake backdrop.
A true non-conformist, Corum demonstrates its pioneering spirit in a host of other ways, as well. It is the only company that does not have a CEO at the helm, but instead has a three-person management team (a quorum) reporting to the owner. This process enables it to move more swiftly and inventively when it comes to decision making, such as with the “Risk is the Reward” campaign and its highly creative soft launch. For this, Corum took another risk no other brand has taken. It reached out to noted journalists, collectors and designers, and interviewed them on video for social media about their feelings for the brand and its watches. A novel method — with real people talking real feelings — it makes the brand highly approachable and genuine.
After all, the “Risk is the Reward” concept is designed to let today’s customers see that Corum, a brand that may be under the radar compared to older, more established brands, is worth taking the risk on. Customers are buying into the brand’s rich history of being distinctive, and the majority of today’s young buyers are looking to differentiate themselves, make their own statements, and be leaders in time – just like Corum.
