Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Corum · Bubble
Corum Bubble 41 mm Mother-of-pearl Ceramic
Reference 38394OR.74
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Corum
- Collection
- Bubble
- Model
- Corum Bubble 41 mm Mother-of-pearl Ceramic
- Reference number
- 38394OR.74
- Year / era
- 1998 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Minute repeater
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Mother-of-pearl
- Strap / bracelet
- Oyster bracelet
- Water resistance
- 50 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 41 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 50 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 20D — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
- Number of jewels
- 33 jewels
- Complications
- Minute repeater
- Functions
- Chronograph, tachymeter, date
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1998 – 2010
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Corum Bubble 41 mm Mother-of-pearl Ceramic sits within Corum's Bubble line, introduced in 1998. It carries the house codes established since 1955 — ceramic case, mother-of-pearl dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Corum
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1955
- Founder
- René Bannwart
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Premium
- Major collections
- Admiral, Bubble, Golden Bridge, Coin Watch
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- Spring Drive · Automatic, Swiss lever escapement · Automatic chronograph · High-beat automatic
- Notable watches
- Corum Admiral 39 mm Salmon Carbon (1959) · Corum Admiral 42 mm Green Platinum (2000) · Corum Admiral 36 mm Blue Sapphire (1989) · Corum Admiral 37 mm Blue 18k (1957)
Brand history
Corum has spent more than 71 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Admiral, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
René Bannwart established Corum in 1955, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Corum calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1955
René Bannwart founds Corum in Switzerland.
1969
The quartz era forces Corum to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Corum enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Corum continues to produce Admiral, Bubble, Golden Bridge and other icons in limited numbers.