With a history spanning over more of sixty years, Corum is still a relatively young brand. Their watches offers originality and a touch of the spectacular throughout the brand existence. Several collections have gained popularity over the years and established the brand as a confident player between the avant gard watch manufacturers. We would like to recommend the Golden Bridge, the Bubble or the Admiral’s Cup. Another Corum signature collection is the Corum Coin Watch. Started in 1964, the collection uses the US $20 Double Eagle Coin. Today we review the latest Corum watches featuring coin dial – The Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin”.
Corum Coin watches stand out through originality: the watch is built around a real coin. The first watches used a US$20 gold coin and now the brand goes with bespoke US$1 silver “Hobo” Coins.
Hobo nickels are actual U.S. Coins (usually Buffalo nickels but sometimes Jefferson) whose original image has been carved away and replaced with something more whimsical. These folk-art pieces are known as hobo nickels because hobos supposedly started carving them on long train rides during the Depression. Carver Howard Thomas Collection. We discovered Howard Thomas just as he switched from etching scrimshaw to hobos coins.We noticed that Thomas produced some amazing nudes on scrimshaw so we commissioned him to produce his first nudes on hobo coins for us along with some other beautiful designs. The Original Hobo Nickel Society was created in 1992 for collectors primarily interested in old original carved nickels. Nice old hobo nickels that were worth about $10 to $50 each in the 1980s shot up in value to about $100 to $1000 each by the mid-1990s (prices have come down since then except for the top-quality works). Type #1Hobo Nickel Coin 1897-P Morgan Dollar COIN. US$ 2.52 US$ 2.80.
Review: The Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin”
The Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin” is a tribute paid to the street artists of the Great Depression. Starting with 1913, the five cent nickel coins gained the name of “poor’s man coin”. The coin value was so low that talented vagrants (homeless people with no means of support – hobos) begun to rework them in an attempt of a profit. In time, this led to the name of “hobo coins”.
In the contemporary times, the genuine hobo coins became extremely rare and became highly appreciated by collectors. The Original Hobo Nickel Society was founded in 1992, with the main purpose to preserve this American Heritage. The Russian freelance artist Aleksey Saburov is part of the move. Living in New Your, he is involved in the historical revival of the move by engraving “hobo coins” using authentic early century five-cent coins.
Corum collaborates with Aleksey Saburov and give him the chance to express his unique works of art in the newest Coin Watch Collection. Using a special micro-engraving technique on the silver coins, Corum made the art into dials in a limited edition of the prominent collection named Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin”.
The Corum Heritage Hobo Coin Collection brings the originality once again to the Coin Collection. Using authentic one dollar silver coins, the artist engraves symbols of life and death keeping the original edge lettering engravings.
In the Hobo Coin Collection, each watch is unique. Aleksey Saburov let his creativity flourish. The watches are lovely. Before going into a more detailed description, please have a look at the hands-on and wrist shot video from Baselworld 2018.
The case, dial and hands
Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin” comes with a 43 mm gorgeous silver case. The entire case is designed and built as an extension of the coin dial. The case is coin edged having the pattern present also on the side of the slim and delicate lugs. The nicely polished silver has a warm shine and a very pleasant feel.
The watch’s height of 7.60mm gives an even more elegant note. The “Hobo Coin” is light and it wears delicately. The watch is fitted with a sublime crown crafted in silver and fitted with a gorgeous blue sapphire.
The entire Hobo Coin watch is designed as a large coin. A nice design feature is represented by the subtle hour’s indexes present on the bezel.
The slotted hobnail bezel is reminiscent of the outer side of the coins. At the same time, the indentations on the bezel serve as hour indexes or five minutes intervals’ indices.
Silver is a rather soft metal and imposes a more usage regime as compared to a steel piece. The case is rated to 10 meters water resistance which protects against accidental splashes and rain damage. The silver tends to gain a nice patina during the ageing process. The advantage is that it can be easily cleaned and polished with clean cloth.
The Russian artist Aleksey Saburov explore the life and death theme. The “memento mori” motifs using skulls and bones is a manifest of life. A statement that regardless what we do in life, the death will always wait for us patiently. And a reminder that death must be respected through a great life and celebrated as any other important event in one man’s life.
The dial is impressive. The lavish engravings of Aleksey Saburov explore “dark” themes in an attempt to celebrate life in all her aspects. His engravings keep alive the work and art of unknown artists of the Great Depression. His work explores the surface of the one dollar silver US coin. While taking care to ensure the design keeps the original coin text is intact, Mr Saburov maximises the area he engraves. The images are rich in detail and have a powerful graphical impact.
The work requires a painstaking precision. The evolution of the dial creation can be observed in this video filmed by our friend from Quill&Pad, Ian Skellern.
The dial functionality is very minimalistic. The time indication is realised using two slender black baton hands. The legibility is good, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly so. The bezel indexes help for the moments when one might have only a quick look at it.
The grandiose image of death is imposing expressed. The details are present over the entire dial surface.
The movement – Calibre CO 082
The “Hobo Coin ” watch is powered by the calibre CO 082. The 11 1/2”’ (25.60 mm) automatic movement is based on the well know and reliable ETA2892 or Soprod A10. The Corum documentation is not clear as to which is used. The movement offers a power reserve of 42 hours and has a balance oscillating at 28,800vph. The movement is fitted with 21 jewels and lacks the date disk.
We have no other information about the movement. And without the ability to open the case to examine it, are unable to comment on the movement finishing.
The case-back reveals the entire beauty of the one dollar coin.
The back side of the Hobo Coin is the reverse of the coin – the Liberty. On the back the reference number and the “Unique Piece engravings are visible . The back side of the lugs wear the silver hallmarks and the brand’s logo.
The watch is fitted with a blue jeans strap that fits perfectly the hobo theme.
Competitive landscape
The Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin” are special watches. Their uniqueness cannot be compared. Not even with the Coin Watch Automatic 50th AnnvieSilver watch released by corum in 2016. The watch features a full one dollar coin.
The “Hobo” watch is priced at CHF21,000. For the sake of conversation, one might think of the artistic importance and could compare it, perhaps, with other artisan manufactured watches.
Concluding thoughts
The “Hobo Coin” watch is an interesting proposal. Leaving away for a moment the artistic message, the work is magnificent. The micro-engravings are excellently executed. The watch is, clearly, a niche timepiece. Each is a unique creation. Even the theme is rather unusual. Nevertheless, the watch looks and wears great.
We salute the Corum’s initiative and involvement in keeping a tradition strong. The collaboration with the Aleksey Saburov was fruitful and the result is breathtaking.
Corum Heritage “Hobo Coin” is a light watch due to the silver lightness. The wear is comfortable and the blue jeans denim strap increase the watch’s special allure.
Corum “Hobo Coin” Specification and Price
The Corum “Hobo Coin” Ref. 6650-01 has a price of CHF21,000.
Movement
Calibre: CO 082
Type: Automatic
Dimensions: 11 1/2”’
Jewels: 21
Power reserve: 42 hours
Frequency: 4Hz / 28’800 vph
Functions: Hour and minute
Case
Material: Silver 925
Dimensions of the case: Ø 43.0mm, height 7.60mm
Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
Crown: Silver 925, 1 Round blue sapphires ~0.17 ct
Caseback: 925 silver coin
Hobo Coins Uk
Water resistance: 10 meters / 1 ATM
Strap
Material: Blue Jeans
Buckle: Pin buckle in silver.
A hobo nickel is a modified coin that typically bears a portrait or other image that integrates well with the original image on the coin. Techniques for carving these coins have changed over time, but the tools needed and materials required are typically inexpensive. The story behind these nickels goes that a traveling man without income could take a single nickel and turn it into a work of art and then exchange that art for more than the nickel was worth. Almost all hobo nickels bear faces of some kind, although some modify the non-face image on the nickel to create animals or other shapes. Some people collect hobo nickels, and a history of these items and their creators can be extracted from particular artistic conventions used by specific artists.
Coin engraving as an art form predates the emergence of the hobo nickel, but the physical qualities of nickels made this coin highly popular among engravers. Nickels are soft, large, and easy to work with, making this an ideal medium for engravers. Before hobo nickels, potty coins were the most popular engraving coins. Many of the techniques used on these coins carried forward into nickel carving.
The art found on a hobo nickel does depend in part on the art provided on the nickel. This means that as nickel designs changed over time, the art that was carved into those designs changed as well. Most nickels bear a profile portrait of some type because of the large face found on buffalo nickels. The features of this face are often altered in the carving process, changing the nose, ear, and beard. It is also possible to carve the buffalo side of a buffalo nickel, creating trains, camels, or other figures.
Although it is not uncommon to find a signed hobo nickel, some nickels are thought to be made by the same artist because they bear similar artistic qualities. Artists would often carve ears, noses, or beards in highly unique ways, making it easy to identify coins carved by the same artist. The identity of these carvers is not known, but by tracing their artwork it becomes possible to know something about their life.
Hobo Coins
Coin engraving is still a popular art form, and current coin engravers do still work with nickels. A modern hobo nickel is typically not used as an item for exchange, but rather purely as art. Some engravers add special materials to the nickels, such as gold or enamel. With special tools, additional designs and more details become possible.