Hands On Watch Review: Corum Romulus 44 Tourbillon

It isn’t every day that a journalist on a limited budget gets to spend a couple of weeks wearing a $170,000 watch – let alone an amazing looking watch. However, I got to do exactly that with the Corum Romulus 44mm Tourbillon recently and I have to say I really enjoyed that watch. Not because of its price tag – I’ve worn other more expensive watches before — but because I was pleasantly surprised by it. You see, I‘m a fan of the Golden Bridge collection and never fancied myself a Romulus person. Well, scrap that thought now.

The transparent crystal and case back of this beauty allows for clear viewing of the manual wind  CO 374 movement and all of its gloriously finished and assembled parts, including a flying tourbillon at 6:00. That flying tourbillon is mesmerizing because it features the constantly rotating Corum key logo in outlined format that adds wonderful appeal.

Ins and Outs of the Corum Romulus 44 Tourbillon

Thanks to sapphire disks inside the watch, and the movement being built on several levels, it has great depth and dimension.  It is such a beautiful caliber and so transparent that one can even view some of the 17 rubies within. All in all, it is very difficult to stop staring at it. But, once you do tear yourself away from the mechanics within, you are met with a boldly contrasting sporty-chic 44mm case and bezel in riveting blue on black that sort of rocks you back to reality.

The case, crafted in grade 5 titanium, features a black rubber bezel (yes, the bezel is rubber) with blue Roman numerals on it and a slightly fluted edge. The look, combined with the ribbed vulcanized rubber strap, brings the elegant haute horology piece into a new realm of sporty chic. While this watch is water resistant to 30 meters, I didn’t even want to get caught in the rain with it.

Impressions of the Corum Romulus 44 Tourbillon

Every time I would glance at the Corum Romulus Tourbillon, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the eclectic look of the watch. Nerd that I am, I kept reaching for a loup to indulge in the mechanics time and again. I often found myself thinking about how contemporary and wearable this timepiece is, despite having such an intricate and complex movement. In short, it is a beauty inside and out. I especially like that it has 90 hours of power reserve so that if I put it down for a few days (which I didn’t do at all), I wouldn’t have to reset it. I think my only disappointment with the watch is that I had to give it back. Am I converted from the Golden Bridge to the Romulus? Despite how much I love this watch (don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn it down if someone gave me one), I’m still a Golden Bridge girl.