Corum has no difficulty creating jewellery watches that catch the eye, but the balance between a classic display and potentially overwhelming gem power on this latest piece is a tribute to their sense of proportion. The Sublissima never loses control of its various elements, and it maintains a bearing that walks the line admirably.

The Corum Heritage Sublissima has a watch dial bearing only the most essential of displays, with only the hours and minutes hands to guide you. But the watch has other elements to bedazzle you. That is to say, there are 25 diamonds encrusted around the watch bezel, and that should be enough to take anyone’s mind off of things. There is also a mother-of-pearl watch face, with the Corum name written across it.

“The time is no less important to the Corum watchmakers of the Heritage Sublissima, but they chose to highlight it in different ways.”

The 25 diamonds completely encircle the watch face, and the Corum craftsmen had to strike a delicate balance here. The diamonds are so striking and so numerous that they could easily have ended up overwhelming the dial, and indeed the whole watch. 25 diamond settings might have made the whole timepiece feel crowded; instead, the diamonds serve the watch rather than the watch serving the diamonds. The gems accentuate the look of the whole, and as a result the Heritage Sublissima is beautiful without seeming gauche… as, indeed, befits the name.

The 38mm case of the Sublissima comes in either white gold or pink gold. The white gold provides a neutrality against which to base the gemstones; indeed, the purity of the color wheel may well add to the holistic appeal of the watch. But the pink gold may be more the favorite for those who like a bit of contrast in their timepieces.

This new Corum jewellery watch makes no claims to complication, but the beauty it contains is undeniable. The Heritage Sublissima showcases the raw beauty of the bounty of the Earth and Sea, rather than the mechanical constructions of Earth’s most persistent inhabitant Mankind. The mother-of-pearl dial, iridescent and unique, serves as the backdrop to the simple time display, while the diamonds clustered around the watch’s edge become the frame. Time is no less important to the Corum watchmakers of the Heritage Sublissima, but they chose to highlight it in different ways.