Corum had long been under the umbrella of a Hong Kong company, but in April 2025, then-Sales Director Haso Mehmedovic undertook an MBO with the support of Swiss investors. As the new CEO, he is devoting himself to rebranding the company.
Photograph by Yu Mitamura
Interview and writing by Hosoda Yuto (this magazine)
Text by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
Bringing Corum back to its rightful place
Born in 1993, he earned his CFC at a vocational school in Le Locle and joined Corum as a watchmaker in 2011. He served as manager in the quality control, product, and sales departments before becoming brand manager. In 25, he worked with two Swiss investors he knew to buy Corum from City Champ Watch & Jewelry Group Limited, and became CEO and Chairman of the Board.
What is the 32-year-old CEO aiming for, who has proclaimed that the company will have a "100% Swiss governance system"? The key to this lies in the words "reconstruction" and "return," which were frequently found in the press releases issued when he took office.
"Corum has been in a very difficult situation over the past few years. However, my two partner investors and I shared a strong desire to revive Corum once again, and so we decided to proceed with the MBO. Corum has a wonderful DNA and heritage left by its founder, Rene Vanwald. We want to use this to return to the roots of the Swiss brand and restore its rightful place in the world."
Since the MBO, Mehmedovic has continued to emphasize his "original position." What position does he refer to specifically?
"To me, Corum is a bold, creative, unique, and high-end brand. First of all, we need to regain this image. Then, by refining this image to suit the current era, we will return to our rightful place. And in the long term - not five or ten years from now, but 50 years from now - I want to elevate Corum to one of the top 10 brands in the watch industry."
Dante Alighieri was a Florentine poet known for his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy." This coin watch features a commemorative silver coin (500 lire) issued in 1965 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of his birth. Based on the Sellita SW300, the case is just 7.55mm thick. Automatic winding (Cal. CO 082). 25 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve: approximately 42 hours. Stainless steel case (36mm diameter, 7.55mm thick). Water resistant to 1 bar. Limited to 700 pieces worldwide. 2,530,000 yen (tax included).
Currently, Corum has high-end models such as the Golden Bridge, but it also seems to have a mix of mid-range products. Will the latter be streamlined as the brand aims to achieve the aforementioned brand image?
"At present, I cannot give any specific details about streamlining existing collections or creating new collections. However, it is true that the price range is too wide, from watches in the 4000 Swiss franc range to those over 100,000 Swiss francs. I believe that streamlining the extremely large number of collections and SKUs to some extent is the right direction. On top of that, I would like to invest in product quality, finish, and customer experience, and increase the value of each and every watch."
Since joining Corum as a watchmaker at the age of 18, he has served as a manager in various fields, including QC, product, and sales, and is confident that he knows the brand better than anyone else, both inside and out. If such talent can turn the company around in the long term, Corum may one day become the center of attention in the watch industry.
