Cuervo y Sobrinos is a Swiss luxury watch brand that proudly boasts its historic connection with Latin creativity. Cuervo y Sobrinos was established in 1882 in Havana.
Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, Havana, the capital city of Cuba has been known Latin glamour, hedonism, luxury, cigar smoke filled casinos, elegance and exoticism. In 1862, Ramon Fernandos Cuervo, an immigrant from northern Spain, founded a jewellery store Calle de la Amistad in Havana.
The Cuervo family started by importing Swiss watches before developing their own Swiss made collection which became must have stylish timepieces. Many famous people of the 20th century visited the Cuervo y Sobrinos Havana boutique including Hemingway, Churchill, Pablo Neruda, Einstein and Caruso.
Armando Rio y Cuervo and his brothers ran their jewelry and watchmaking business founded by their uncle Ramon which is why the brand has Sobrinos (nephews) in the name. The boutique known as ‘La Casa’ was on the prestigious Avenida Quinta.
The company prospered and in a short time, “La Casa” became the jeweler and watch shop in the Cuban capital. Its reputation crossed borders and the name became known in Europe and North America. In order to satisfy the growing demand and ensure consistent quality three sites were opened in Europe. First one in Pforzheim, Germany, where the precious stones were selected and next in Rue Melzy, Paris where the stones were cut and polished. Lastly, a production facility was opened at La Chaux-de-Fonds, the cradle of Swiss watchmaking.
The brand became known for representing a unique and glamorous Latin lifestyle and the Cuervo y Sobrinos sales reached their peak at the end of the 50’s. Due to a changing political situation part of the Cuervo family left and the brand lay dormant till it was bought by Europeans in the early 2000’s.
The brand was relaunched in the early 2000’s and collectors continued showing interest in the Swiss made brand with a Latin soul. In 2018, Cuervo y Sobrinos came under new ownership with shareholders and the management team having a wealth of experience in the watchmaking industry. The brand’s current CEO is Massimo Rossi .
As the Managing Director, Massimo Rossi had been in charge of the brand’s successful development from 2004-2014 and knows the international watch market inside out. In Sep 2008, he was appointed as CEO of the brand.
The brand’s Creative Director is Mario Girardi, who has a truly solid background in the watchmaking industry. All partners share the same passion for quality watchmaking. Their vision is to develop a dynamic and innovative brand that stands for Latin heritage, creativity and luxury. Watches will always remain the core business.
The headquarters and atelier are still located on the shore of the Capolago Lake in the canton of Ticino.
The key values running though the brand are tradition, quality, joie de vivre, and exoticism. The value of tradition can be traced back to 1882, the year the brand was established. The products are ‘Swiss made’ which is a guarantee of the highest quality when it comes to watchmaking. The design philosophy is to combine elegance and Latin creativity to communicate a certain joie de vivre, hedonism and exoticism.
This is very much part of the unique heritage which can be traced back to the city’s glorious past, when the Cuban capital was the center of an extraordinary international social scene that was elegant, refined and glamorous. These values associated with Swiss savoir-faire give Cuervo y Sobrinos a unique and inimitable positioning that gives it the tagline ‘Swiss manufacture, Latin Heritage’.
The highly skilled designers get their inspiration from models in collections around the world or from the brand’s extensive archives. The original spirit of the brand is very much inspired by Art Deco, a combination of refined details and discreet elegance. Different experts are brought together under one roof in Le Noirmont and they look after all the stages from design to assembly. Cuervo y Sobrinos keeps abreast of all the latest technological breakthroughs ensuring clients have the most reliable and technologically advanced products.
Since the early 2000’s Cuervo has successfully positioned itself as the new vintage watch brand. The historical models the Esplendido, Prominente and Historiador have been created in the spirit of the brand driven by an Art Deco aesthetic that is elegant, discrete and yet stylish. Besides the historical collections Cuervo y Sobrinos proposes contemporary and innovative timepieces like the Vuelo and the Pirata.
[View Cuervo y Sobrinos Watches Gallery]
Website: https://www.cuervoysobrinos.com/