This limited-edition Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time (ref. 283.101.55/0001 PX34) looks pretty standard for the brand. The signature dodecagonal bezel and case, the usual nautical flags that stand for the normal hour markers: all these things we have already seen many times before (not that there is something wrong with them, of course). Yet, its meticulously decorated dial with its highly unusual geometric pattern that at the same time looks both chaotic and orderly makes it extremely eye-catching. The thing, however, is that the dial is not decorated at all.
Yes, the strange geometric pattern that you see on the dial is how an average Gibeon meteorite looks like when you cut it open at just the right angle that makes its crystal structure truly shine and exposing the metal plate to a solution of nitric acid. Composed of an iron-nickel alloy with a noticeable amount of cobalt, the meteorites belong to the class of so-called “octahedrites” (you can take a look at them on Wikipedia: there are pretty nice photos of these space wanderers).
Thanks to their remarkable stability (they almost never crumble during cutting), the meteorites are popular among jewelers and knife makers. As you can see on the photos, the material has a non-glossy surface that provides enough contrast for the rose gold elements of the dial makes it a perfect background for gold hands and hour markers.
Powered by what they call Corum caliber CO283 (I honestly have no idea whether it is an in-house job or some ETA movement with a third-party add-on module), the watch features a rather unusual layout with a second time-zone indicator with its own hour and minute hands placed at 12 hours and counter-weighted by a small second display at 6 o’clock that definitely looks cool, but has some legibility problems.
All hands are covered with white Superluminova and are easy to read both in broad daylight and in darkness. Alas, the GMT display is not equipped with a day/night indicator, which makes it a little difficult to read time in the second time zone.
On the other hand, a watch of this price tag is usually bought as a jewelry item, not a survival tool for a prepper, so I can easily forgive this beautiful timekeeper for this little drawback. After all, I have a world timer on my smartphone, my computer, and even my browser that tells me the current time in whole seven time zones of my interesting those including Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Berlin.
Of course, if you are looking for a dress watch with a nice complication, the Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time is probably not the best choice: although just 42 millimeters in width, it is still too massive for an inconspicuous timekeeper. However, if you are into a sporty timepiece that also looks great with a formal suit, you should consider this one. Just be quick, since the watch is limited to just 75 pieces and will probably become a rarity before you know it.
See also: Breitling for Bentley B05 Unitime Chronograph
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4.5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Photos: Corum
Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time 283.101.55/0001 PX34 specification
Price: $25,000 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Corum caliber CO283, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 30
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 72 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, second time zone
Case: 18-karat rose gold
Shape: Dodecagonal
Case size: 42.00 mm
Dial: Grey, Gibeon meteorite
Hour markers: Rose gold
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black leather strap
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire