Corum Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber Limited Edition Watches Hands-On

I think Corum hit on a great idea with these limited edition Admiral's Cup Challenger 44 watches. The basic idea is simple, to create bold, friendly looking versions of the Admiral's Cup watch, just do it in as much brightly colored rubber as you can. These watches are each two toned and very enjoyable to wear. The steel cases are rubber coated, the strap is rubber, and the bezel is in rubber. Another key element in the design is that they are just two tones with really good contrast. It is like a toy-version of a high-end watch... but certainly not a toy.

The watches are available as limited edition pieces. If all goes well, Corum plans on making new colors available each year. For 2011 the available limited edition pieces are in red, blue, and white. Little nod to the US flag? Maybe! Each of the watches will be limited to just 100 pieces.

The watch case is mostly rubber (obviously metal underneath) and 44mm wide. The crown and crown guard are coated in vulcanized rubber. The most non-slip watch ever! The style of the watch really fits the twelve-sided Admiral's Cup case well. The dials are typical Admiral's Cup, and as legible and eye-pleasing as ever. I like that Corum resisted the urge to include an additional color on the dial.

Inside the watch is a corum COSC Chronometer certified CO753 automatic chronograph movement. You can see it through the display caseback with a matching colored automatic rotor - that was a nice touch. My favorite piece is the red one. Obviously this is Corum playing around with the Admiral's Cup line which is their now iconic sport watch. You can see these as fashion pieces, but I see them more as just playful watches. When you don't want to be super serious about luxury. The fact that they are limited editions means that Corum doesn't want to go overboard with the concept, but wants to give buyers who find these appealing a chance to skew their typical perception of the Admiral's Cup timepiece. Price for each is $8,150.