Corrigia01 48 mm: a German bronze diver designed for great depths
With its 48mm diameter, imposing bronze case, and water resistance up to 3,000 meters, the Corrigia01 is anything but discreet. This German dive watch belongs to a particular category: that of oversized mechanical dive watches whose construction prioritizes robustness, legibility, and an identity directly inspired by professional instruments. The Corrigia01 48mm collection is available in several dial colors and two types of finishes. The German brand combines this architecture with a Swiss La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement and a construction that allows for a choice between two casebacks, each with significantly different water resistance levels. It is priced from €8,500 to €8,900 depending on the version.
Corrigia, a German manufacturer with roots in leather craftsmanship
Corrigia's story doesn't begin directly with watchmaking. Founded in Karlsruhe in 2013, the German brand initially specialized in leather goods made using traditional artisanal methods. Its business then expanded to include watches. Production is now centralized in Jockgrim, Germany, where the company has its workshops, showroom, and logistics operations. Corrigia emphasizes small-batch production and largely artisanal manufacturing rather than mass industrial production. This leather goods heritage remains evident in the brand's aesthetic, which places significant emphasis on thick straps and deliberately bold finishes.
A 48mm dive watch
The first characteristic of the Corrigia01 is hard to ignore: its 48mm diameter and 15.5mm thickness. These dimensions clearly position it among the larger dive watches. They also reflect the military and instrumental aesthetic embraced by the collection. The lug width reaches 26 mm, with a construction designed to accommodate particularly thick straps, up to 6 mm according to the brand. The result is a watch with a considerable presence on the wrist. Those who prefer smaller diameters are clearly not its primary target audience.
CuSn8 bronze at the heart of its identity
For this collection, Corrigia uses CuSn8 bronze, with surfaces combining brushed and polished finishes depending on the version. The aesthetic appeal of bronze lies particularly in its evolution. Unlike stainless steel, it gradually develops a patina that alters its appearance. Two identical watches can therefore evolve differently depending on their use and environment. This material also evokes the maritime world. Copper alloys have a long history in nautical equipment, which partly explains the success of bronze in contemporary dive watchmaking. Corrigia also uses bronze for the crown, its protective cover, and various elements of the bezel.
A construction designed for protection
The Corrigia01 features a particularly robust design around the crown. The crown is screwed down and equipped with a double gasket. A substantial crown guard, secured by two screws, completes the system to reduce the risk of impact to this particularly exposed component of the case. The bracelet attachments also use a screw-down construction. The sapphire crystal is 4.7 mm thick, a dimension consistent with the watch's stated pressure resistance. The overall effect gives the Corrigia01 an appearance closer to a technical instrument than a versatile diver's watch designed to disappear under a shirt cuff.
Two casebacks and water resistance to 3,000 meters
This is probably the most interesting technical feature of the Corrigia01. The watch is offered with two caseback configurations. The "Style" caseback features three circular sapphire crystal openings that allow a view of part of the movement. With this configuration, Corrigia advertises a resistance to 30 bar, or 300 meters. The second, called "Pro," is a solid, screw-on steel case back. In this configuration, the brand advertises 300 bar and water resistance up to 3,000 meters. This difference is considerable and deserves to be emphasized: the 3,000-meter rating does not apply equally to both case backs. For everyday use, 300 meters already represents a capacity far exceeding the needs of most boat owners. The 3,000-meter rating is more of a demonstration of construction and pressure resistance than a depth that a diver could actually reach.
Discover the full profile of the Corrigia01 48 mm
A 120-click unidirectional bezel
The dive function relies in particular on a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel. This design allows you to track elapsed time while reducing the risk of accidental manipulation that artificially increases the remaining time. Corrigia offers a rather personal interpretation of this traditional element. Screw-down, polished circular markers are positioned at 0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes, while a luminescent dot identifies the 12 o'clock position in the dark. The overall design thus retains the classic function of a dive watch while strongly contributing to the visual identity of the Corrigia01.
Super-LumiNova and the pursuit of legibility
On a watch claiming military and underwater inspiration, nighttime legibility is logically a key feature. Corrigia uses Swiss Super-LumiNova Old Radium on the dials and hands. The brand states that the dials are filled manually in Switzerland using a multi-step process. The Old Radium finish provides a beige tint that enhances the watch's vintage character. It contrasts with the various dial colors offered in the collection. The Corrigia01 is currently available with black, blue, green, white, gray, olive, or brown dials, depending on the model and finish.
A swiss La Joux-Perret G100 movement
Beneath this German-made case lies a Swiss movement. The Corrigia uses the automatic caliber MLJP-G100 from Manufacture La Joux-Perret, located in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), has 24 jewels, and features bidirectional automatic winding. Its power reserve is advertised at 70 hours. This autonomy theoretically allows the watch to be worn for nearly three days without needing to be reset upon re-wearing. The choice of the G100 also positions the Corrigia01 above the many micro-brand dive watches that use more common Swiss or Japanese automatic movements.
A military aesthetic, without making it a standard issue watch
Corrigia explicitly uses the terms "military watch" and "dive watch" to present the Corrigia01. Its construction does indeed incorporate several features associated with tool watches: high legibility, substantial size, crown protection, a securely attached bracelet, and high pressure resistance. However, it's important to distinguish this military inspiration from a true standard issue watch. The information published by the brand doesn't establish that the Corrigia01 was developed according to military specifications or that it is officially used by a military unit. Its positioning, therefore, aligns more closely with that of a dive watch with a military aesthetic and design than with standard issue equipment. This distinction is important in the world of military watches, where a model's operational history and its appearance are two different things.
Seven variations on the same architecture
The Corrigia01 48mm collection currently features seven models in the brand's online store. These include dials in gray, olive, black, brown, green, blue, and white. Prices at the time of viewing range from €8,500 to €8,900 depending on the version. The differences primarily concern the dial treatment and certain finishes, while the overall striking architecture remains the same. Some versions, for example, use a sunburst finish, while the gray model features a treatment designed to create a deliberately patinated appearance.
Corrigia01: a diver's watch that embraces its proportions
With the Corrigia01, the German brand offers a radical interpretation of the mechanical dive watch. Its 48mm case, CuSn8 bronze, 4.7mm sapphire crystal, protected crown, and solid case back, which allows for a water resistance of up to 3,000 meters, constitute an unconventional spec sheet. The Swiss La Joux-Perret G100 caliber and its 70-hour power reserve complete this design. This oversized case is both its main distinguishing feature and its most divisive element. A 48mm watch will not suit all wrists and departs significantly from the current trend towards smaller diameters. However, the Corrigia01 does not aim to be a discreet diver's watch. It embodies an approach where the tool watch is deliberately massive, with an aesthetic borrowed from the military and maritime world.
More…
Vario 1918 Trench: the watch that returns to the origins of the men's military wristwatch
RESERVOIR Hydrosphere Blackfin: the dive watch inspired by a pressure gauge
RAID watches: the history of the timepieces of the elite unit of the French National Police
Seiko Jaws 50th anniversary: a horological tribute!
Get ready for the next dive! Receive our latest news and inspiration dedicated to military and dive watches.
Subscribe
Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
