Corum, a manufacturer of high-end watches, has crafted this year's WSOP bracelets for function as well as form, taking a page from their watchmaking experience to craft bracelets that are wearable as well as beautiful. "The old bracelets are great because they mean something, but they look like a heavyweight boxer's championship belt," said Stacie Orloff, president of Corum USA. "We took our inspiration from our watches. We wanted to create something elegant that players would want to wear all the time."
Corum has a contract with the WSOP to create the bracelets through 2011, and this year all event winners receive a Corum watch as well as a bracelet. 53 of the bracelets are identical, with three standouts. The Main Event bracelet (pictured) is in white gold, with 120 diamonds on the face. The $50K HORSE bracelet has 91 rare black diamonds on the face, to set it apart from the other yellow Gold Bracelets. The bracelet for the women's event is smaller and more delicate than the men's bracelets, but it is at least a bracelet this year, not a watch as has been done in the past.
Players have responded favorably to the new bracelet design, and have suggested that next year Corum pre-engrave the back of the bracelet with the event name and number. Phil Hellmuth, who typically gives away his WSOP bracelets to friends and family members, told Orloff that he liked the new design so much that he would be keeping #11, which he won this year.