Corum Casts A Spell With The Big Bubble Magical Voodoo Watch
Since reviving the beloved Bubble in 2015, Corum has played with a number of artistic, thematic dials and inked partnerships with hip contemporary artists. One of this year's introductions reproduces an eerie image of the voodoo loa spirit Baron Samedi by photographer Matt Barnes.
Barnes, who has been fascinated with voodoo since playing the video game "Gabriel Knight" as a kid, travelled to New Orleans a few years ago to shoot the voodoo icon in a cemetery under ominous clouds. Outfitted in an elaborate costume accessorized with a live snake and outrageous makeup, actor Rick LaCour assumed the guise of the vice-loving mythical master of the dark arts, brandishing his typical cigar.
The profane spirit has a reputation for debauchery and an insatiable appetite for tobacco and rum. He is also associated with sex and resurrection, as he alone accepts the dying into the realm of the dead.
Corum reproduces one of Barnes' Baron Samedi images under the sapphire-crystal dome of the oversize 52mm Big Bubble Magical Voodoo ($6,000) in titanium with a vulcanized rubber strap. The hands are mysteriously hidden underneath the dial, indicating hours and minutes with dots around the perimeter so as not to obscure the Baron's watchful gaze. Only 88 pieces have been produced.
Skulls motifs have been popular in watches for the last few years, making a carpe diem statement that naturally pairs with the passing of time. With Barnes, Corum takes the theme in a mysterious and artful direction to create what may be the ultimate bad-boy watch.
