Watch Paparazzi

Actor Abhishek Bachchan spotted wearing Corum

Abhishek Bachchan was recently photographed wearing the Corum Golden Bridge 25th Anniversary Edition Ref. 13150, a timepiece that references one of the most unconventional movement architectures ever industrialized. The sighting places one of Bollywood's most prominent surnames alongside a watch that has occupied a similarly distinctive corner of horological culture for over four decades.

The Corum Golden Bridge concept was introduced in 1980, designed by Vincent Calabrese, and it remains radical by any era's standards. The calibre — a baguette-format in-line movement — is mounted on a single central bridge running the full length of the case, with all components arranged symmetrically on either side of that spine. The result is a watch where the movement is the dial, fully exposed through the sapphire front and caseback. The Ref. 13150 Anniversary Edition reproduces the original's proportions in yellow gold, honoring the movement's debut year with period detail and restrained finishing appropriate for a commemorative reference.

For collectors, the Golden Bridge occupies a niche that rewards genuine mechanical curiosity. It is not a complication in the traditional sense, but the in-line linear construction demands considerable hand-finishing and precise regulation. Convincing facsimiles do not exist — the movement is proprietary, expensive to produce, and requires specialist servicing. The 25th Anniversary Edition carries additional documentary weight, marking a quarter-century of a concept that Geneva's establishment initially viewed with skepticism.

Abhishek Bachchan brings visible cultural weight to this particular choice. The actor, entrepreneur, and producer has maintained a career independent of the long shadow cast by his father Amitabh Bachchan, and his watch selections tend to reflect considered taste rather than conspicuous branding. The Corum Golden Bridge Ref. 13150 is precisely the kind of piece a collector wears to signal knowledge rather than spend.

On the secondary market, the Corum Golden Bridge 25th Anniversary Edition Ref. 13150 has last recorded auction results in the region of $8,000 USD, a figure that represents genuine value for a gold-cased, hand-finished piece with this level of movement architecture. Retail for comparable current Golden Bridge references sits considerably higher, making vintage examples of the 13150 an accessible entry point into a historically important Corum reference.