Today Corum Watches has announced its strategic return to Swiss ownership. Following a management buyout backed by a group of seasoned Swiss investors, the iconic brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds will now be led by CEO Haso Mehmedovic as it rebuilds a solid foundation for the future. Its previous owners, the Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group, will no longer be involved in the business.

Mehmedovic will assume the role of CEO and Chairman of Corum with effect from 1^st May, Labor Day, which is so very apt considering the Herculean task that lay ahead of him and his team from this point forward. The 32-year-old Swiss national had spent his entire career at Corum. A total of 13 years — and counting.

Mehmedovic is just 32 years old, and he has spent his entire career with Corum.

Aided by his knowledge of watchmaking and his passion for the brand, Mehmedovic has one goal and that is to bring Corum back onto the path of luxury haute horlogerie.

He says, “We would like to come back to the Golden Age of Corum. We are so grateful to have so many iconic products but we’ve also lost focus along the way. This is why we need a management change.”

The iconic Corum Golden Bridge is unrivalled in the Swiss watch industry.

A Bold Reset

Since 2013 till April 2025, Corum has been managed by the Hong Kong listed company, Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group. Throughout this period, the company went through three CEO changes as it pushed for high volume production. Clearly this was not the right strategy for Corum. So, driven by his loyalty and dedication to the brand, Mehmedovic was compelled to push for reform.

“Day by day, I saw the situation becoming more difficult,” he recalls. “I knew that I have to save the brand. So I contacted Citychamp with whom I have a very good relationship. After several months of negotiation, we finally came to an agreement, which is great news for Corum and for the Swiss watch industry.”

Corum manufacture, La Chaux-de-Fonds, since 1955

Mehmedovic is a trained watchmaker. After graduating from watchmaking school in Le Locle in 2011, he immediately applied to work at Corum. “It is a brand that has always inspired me,” he says. Beginning as a watchmaker he gradually filled other roles within the company, first as production quality manager then onto commercial roles.

As the International Sales Manager of Corum, Medmedovic has been working closely with the company’s key distribution partners all over the world. In many ways, he is the perfect spokesperson for Corum, by virtue of having in-depth horological knowledge, strong passion for the brand, and keen understanding of the global marketplace.

The Path Ahead

Moving forward, Corum’s distribution network will only grow stronger. Says Medmedovic, “Our investors collectively have a tremendous network, not only for distribution points but also in Switzerland. In the Swiss Jura. We can rally key partners and suppliers to bring energy and creativity very very quickly.”

But first, Mehmedovic wants to re-establish Corum among the horological stalwarts of La Chaux-de-Fonds. To do that, he needs to build up the manufacturing capabilities of the brand, which has sadly diminished in recent years.

He elaborates, “The idea is to bring back on a long-term the full extent of manufacturing. T0, T1, T2, T3… At least for certain lines. To bring back the pride and DNA of Corum, we must bring watchmakers back to the organization.”

Iconic Corum movements such as the Golden Bridge will continue to be the star pillar. Exceptional timepieces such as the Coin Watch will remain in the catalog. Obviously key collections like the Admiral and the Romulus will evolve as the company evolves. Not forgetting the effervescent Bubble which would be a wonderful entry product.

The Golden Bridge movement was created by Vincent Calabrese and immediately embraced by Corum

If current buying trends and consumer tastes prevail, many of Corum’s highly original creations such as all the beautiful shaped watches it’s made between the 50s and the 90s would be hugely popular among watch enthusiasts today.

The Corum Coin Watch is a cult favorite of many

Another cult classic, the Corum Bubble

“We’ve gathered a lot of information about the different references we’ve sold over the years. So we are not just chasing the trends of the moment,” says Mehmedovic. “We are going to target and put the right energy at the right moment because we have so many iconic products that we cannot push out everything we have in one shot. We need to spread our resources and build a vision over the next three years, minimum.”

Corum has made countless highly creative timepieces over the decades

“The idea is to bring back on a long-term the full extent of manufacturing. T0, T1, T2, T3… At least for certain lines. To bring back the pride and DNA of Corum, we must bring watchmakers back to the organization.”

The Strategy Right Now

Indeed the road ahead is crucial for Corum. Mehmedovic and his team will have to plan very carefully in order to make the right decisions for the brand. Phasing out the use of or the over-reliance on industrial quality movements is a great first step. And without revealing too much, Mehmedovic shares that Corum will be working with key suppliers in the Jura. “We will be working with some of the big players,” he says. “And a new team as well.”

But that was all he could reveal for now. Mehmedovic projects to make the next big reveal by Fall, as the company readies itself for Watches & Wonders 2026. Yes, Corum will once again take its place among the best and brightest of the luxury watch industry.

High watchmaking by Corum, the Admiral’s Cup Acoustica.

“This is my goal from day one. We need to be at Watches & Wonders, next to the big players, because Corum is a big name. Corum is one of the most iconic brands worldwide, so we have to be there. For me there is no other solution. That much is clear.”

He adds, “I’m proud to lead this new chapter alongside a talented, committed team grounded in the values of Swiss watchmaking, and we share a long-term vision. We’ve reached a constructive agreement with Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited, who – while protecting their own interests – showed genuine goodwill and a sincere desire to see Corum regain the place it deserves. A place it should never have left.”