Capturing the luster of Havana - in Switzerland

I thought you might be interested in the story of a Cuban/Swiss high-end watchmaker trying to leverage the historic associations of affluence and Cuba (pre-Castro) to grow a brand that has been in existence since 1882.

Originally located on Havana’s Quinta Avienda (Fifth Avenue), this family watch business flourished under the expert guidance of Armando Rio y Cuervo and successive generations of Cuervo family watchmakers. The boutique and its superb product were coveted by the international clientele that flocked to the Pearl of the Caribbean for romance and relaxation. So elegant were the products sold by this store, and so beautiful were its watches—many of which were co-branded with some of the world’s most prestigious brands—that Cuervo y Sobrinos quickly became known beyond the Caribbean. Stores opened in Germany, Paris and Switzerland. The guest books read like a Who’s Who of the times, filled with names such as Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, Enrico Caruso, Winston Churchill, and Clark Gable. People all over the world associated the Cuervo y Sobrinos brand with fine watches and a fine lifestyle.

If you will be involved in any features of high-end men’s watches, I wanted to make you aware of Cuervo Y Sobrinos, a high-end Swiss watchmaker whose roots and heritage are in Cuba (see below). Their Cuban heritage has made them very popular in Spain. To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the brand, they are releasing new, limited edition versions of some of their most popular watches; one of the most limited is priced at over $100,000 (I’d be happy to send you specific information on each).

For decades, the family continued to operate its business and to create its own watches. In the late 1950s, however, with Cuba in turmoil, the family was forced to flee the island in the night, abandoning the boutique and the brand. The revival of Cuervo y Sobrinos began in the late 1990s when Marzio Villa (a European distributor of luxury brands) rescued the name from Cuba and restored the brand to its former glory. He traveled to Havana where he and his group were able to enter the old store and to recover a case of watch movements and sketches.

Based on this treasure trove and other historical findings, the current Cuervo y Sobrinos line captures the original spirit and essence of the brand. The timepieces are created in the brand’s workshops in Lugano, Switzerland, and are crafted in old-world tradition using only the finest materials and Swiss automatic movements. Today, just five years old, the new Cuervo y Sobrinos thrives.