Since relocating to Australia 7 years ago I have barely travelled overseas. In fact, the trips I have made to Singapore and Switzerland were purely business-related. Certainly, I would love to experience different cultures, cuisines and different landscapes. To a certain extent you can do all this in Australia for a fraction of the cost and without the need for a passport. This is definitely an advantage for me at the moment because I have several pressing work commitments. However, there are places like Hawaii, Japan, China that I would love to visit. Another famous city that has always appealed to me is Cuba’s vibrant capital Havana. As well as having an exciting nightlife they are also the home to cool watch brand Cuervo y Sobrinos.
When I visited the world watch fair in Baselworld a few years ago I was astonished at how much money brands spend on the event. Literally companies spent millions to create huge megastructure that resembled luxury boutiques. Even though Cuervo y Sobrinos also invested heavily in the event their approach was slightly different. In fact, they created an nightclub-like atmosphere with a bar and fantastic music. However, it certainly wasn’t style over substance because they also presented some phenomenal watches.
Recently Cuervo y Sobrinos unveiled a new watch called the Historiador Tradición (which is limited to 882 pieces) to commemorate the companies the 135th Anniversary. The timepiece is effectively a replica of a 1950’s classic and was featured in my recently released ‘Independent Watchmakers’ book. Aesthetically the brand has tried to be as sympathetic to the original as possible and personally I feel they have triumphed in this area. Details like the finely decorated cream dial with raised gold indexes and ‘Dauphine style’ hour/minute hands are delightful. With a polished steel case measuring 40mm x 10mm, it is much smaller than the watches I normally wear but it definitely felt very comfortable on the wrist. Certainly, if I was going to a ball or black-tie event the Historiador Tradición would be a perfect accessory choice.
To power the watch, Cuervo y Sobrinos has opted for a movement from Swiss company Selita, probably because of the restrictions Swatch imposed. The Calibre SW300 comprises 25-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Functionally the Historiador Tradición features hours, minutes, small seconds and date indication (located at 6 o’clock). The timepiece also is water-resistant to a depth of 30 metres and has a power reserve of 42-hours.
The Historiador Tradición has a high-quality leather strap with matching stainless steel buckle. Priced competitively at: CHF 3,500 (approximately $3,663).