# Cuervo Y Sobrinos



## allaction (Jan 15, 2008)

I stumbled over this brand the other day. They seem to originate from Cuba, but are now a Swiss watch firm. Anyone know if they use ETA movements or there own? I am not seriously thinking of buying one as am stocked up at the minute!


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## delays (Jan 20, 2009)

allaction said:


> I stumbled over this brand the other day. They seem to originate from Cuba, but are now a Swiss watch firm. Anyone know if they use ETA movements or there own? I am not seriously thinking of buying one as am stocked up at the minute!


I really like them. Especially the "Torpedo Pirate" - wonderful-looking watch.

As far as I know, they used bought-in movements until 2005, when they developed their own.

However, these movements are modified versions of the bought-in stuff, for example, the Torpedo Pirate is fitted with what they call a CYS 3050, which is based on the Valjoux 7750.

Unique designs, though, and pretty exclusive.


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

"Cuervo Y Sobrinos" = "Raven and Nephews"


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## allaction (Jan 15, 2008)

Might be on my list in the distant future!!


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## Toshi (Aug 31, 2007)

Jura watches in London are an AD, and I've had a play with a few when I was in there around 3 months ago. I like them - especially the Robusto Buceador - but I probably wouldn't spend my own money on one.

I'm also not a fan of the marketing rubbish they spout -

"The culture of â€œslow timeâ€ originated in the heat of the tropics and requires gentle movements, refinement in details and a complete life style that puts the single individual at the centre of daily life. Time is a precious asset; it should be sipped, lived and enjoyed with its perfumes and atmospheres moment by moment. Time in Havana seems almost to expand, to lose the frenzy of things to be done, to become the pleasure of ordinary daily acts. This culture has been and is the matrix, the foundation and the very nature of Cuervo y Sobrinos from 1882 till today." :huh:

Don't you just love marketing? :lol:


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

I agree with Rich's sentiments, those I have seen seem to be well made with some nice retro designs bust most are too ostentatious for my liking. The current company has nothing to do with the pre-Castro Cuba jewellers of the same name who sold some double branded watches and produced their own branded Swiss watches between the first and second world wars.

The current watches are Swiss made, the company was founded in the late 1990's and was originally based in Madrid. The founders ended up selling the company to the Italian CEO in 2003 and the company is now based in Lugarno. I do get very irritated by claims like "since 1882" there are a number of watch companies who do this and the modern reincarnation has little or nothing to do with the original brand name.

They are still quite small and are estimating a production of around 8000 watches this year mainly sold in Spain, Japan and USA.


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## klaus (Feb 18, 2009)

Cuervo y Sobrinos was not a producer, but a re-saler.

He was located in the most wealthy and elegant avenue in Havana.

He was the official importer for the most important label in the world: Patek Philippe, Vacheron, Longines, Rolex and so on. They put their own name over those producers' dials.

In january 1959 during the cuban revolution the owners escaped to Florida. They continued their activity, but with much less success, having lost everything or almost everything.

In recent times the name has been bought by a new owner who is not located in Cuba, but in Europe. Not the same, but they have produced some models with original new old stock movements and new models inspired to the old cuban style. Good level quality timepieces that have never seen Cuba.

Beware of fakes both of the recent and of the old cuban production!!


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## Foggy (Feb 25, 2003)

Here's my Cuban era Longines chrono. The dial has seen better days but you can still see the Cuervo signature. All in all a pretty rare watch.










Cheers

Foggy


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## andy s (Jan 25, 2009)

Toshi said:


> Jura watches in London are an AD, and I've had a play with a few when I was in there around 3 months ago. I like them - especially the Robusto Buceador - but I probably wouldn't spend my own money on one.
> 
> I'm also not a fan of the marketing rubbish they spout -
> 
> ...


sounds like it runs slow. regards Andy


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## delays (Jan 20, 2009)

Foggy said:


> Here's my Cuban era Longines chrono. The dial has seen better days but you can still see the Cuervo signature. All in all a pretty rare watch.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That looks so ridiculously cool.



Love it.


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## allaction (Jan 15, 2008)

Nice one Foggy, that's a beauty.


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## Parabola (Aug 1, 2007)

Toshi said:


> Don't you just love marketing? :lol:


:lol: Search youtube for Bill Hicks and Marketing


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

klaus said:


> Cuervo y Sobrinos was not a producer, but a re-saler.
> 
> He was located in the most wealthy and elegant avenue in Havana.
> 
> ...


Klaus I did read that they produced (although not manufacture!) their own branded watches in the 1930's and even had a couple of shops in Europe for a while; although I agree that most of them were co-branded like Foggy's wonderful Longines.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Foggy said:


> Here's my Cuban era Longines chrono. The dial has seen better days but you can still see the Cuervo signature. All in all a pretty rare watch.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great piece Foggy and a real rarity! Thanks for posting.


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## bobjames (Mar 26, 2008)

i own 2 vintage chronos pre revolution produced and sold at thier store in cuba, the movements were not in house, they used early Landeron and venus movements, they are great, highly colletcable in the US less well know in the UK. Great watches and a good maker. I will take some pics of my vintage and post them.


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## tranber70 (Mar 24, 2007)

This Cuervas brand has absolutely no interest. It's a pure marketing creation, without historical feedback, surfing on the gold period of watches.

There is even not any design creation, as their watches are a compilation of old models, they have no precise style, except "vintage". IMHO, they will not survive to the crisis.

Bertrand


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

Out of interest I did a search on these watches as on of my local jewellers in Bury stock them. I know this is an old post, but just gonna add a few tid-bits I found out.

The modern brand of Cuervo y Sobrino's was indeed founded in the 1990's, but is not entirely unrelated to the original 1930's-1950's as people assume. The current owner - a Spanish racing driver - apparently bought a few empty properties in Cuba, one being the former workshop of the original brand. In a locked safe were prototype watches and several drawings of models designed by Cuervo himself before he was run out of Cuba by the Castro regime. He immediately fell in love with the brand, researched its history and bought the rights in order to restore it to its former glory. 90% of the current models are very close replica's of the original range, just with up to date swiss movements inside.

How true ALL of this is, I'm unsure. The shop manageress was adamant in the details though.

Sounds like quite a romantic story to an interesting brand. Still wouldn't part with Â£2000 of my hard-earned though.


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## oubaas56 (Nov 23, 2008)

Nice watches. "Time is a precious asset; it should be sipped, lived and enjoyed with its perfumes and atmospheres moment by moment"

That really rings true. My missus had a heart attack in the early hours of Saturday morning. Puts a lot of things into perspective.


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

oubaas56 said:


> Nice watches. "Time is a precious asset; it should be sipped, lived and enjoyed with its perfumes and atmospheres moment by moment"
> 
> That really rings true. My missus had a heart attack in the early hours of Saturday morning. Puts a lot of things into perspective.


That sucks, sorry to hear that oubaas. I know there is no such thing when it comes to the ticker, but hope it was a 'mild' one and she's back on her feet soon.

After that, take some time to kick back and relax


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