Combining its Cuban roots reflected in the watch design with traditional Swiss manufacturing, Cuervo y Sobrinos is a brand unlike any other. Warm, original, slightly flamboyant, with a typical Latin American vibe, the brand cannot be accused of lacking consensus. These watches have a real personality, and the brand's latest models are not looking to change that. Indeed, just in time for summer, Cuervo y Sobrinos has recently introduced a new collection of aquatic models with a generous splash of color and a design that is nothing like your typical Submariner imitator. Today we will take a closer look at the new Buceador Caribe collection.
Cuervo y Sobrinos
The CyS company is unique in many ways, starting with its origin. Indeed, it is the only Swiss brand with Cuban roots. Founded in Havana in 1882, the brand was revived in the late 1990s and has carved its niche with models that heavily rely on vintage design. The watches created by the brand play on the Golden Age of Havana, the 1950s, when the island was an exotic playground for VIPs from around the world.
The story began in Cuba in 1862 when Spanish immigrant Don Ramon Cuervo opened a jewelry and watch repair workshop in Havana. Twenty years later, the business expanded with the owner's nephews and turned into Cuervo y Sobrinos. As the most luxurious establishment on the island and the leading Cuban luxury brand, Cuervo y Sobrinos specialized in selling prestigious imported watches and even established its own manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1928 to meet demand. By the 1950s, Havana had become a luxury playground for the rich and famous, and Cuervo y Sobrinos was trusted by Rolex, Longines, Patek Philippe and other prestigious Swiss brands, becoming their retailer. The Cuban revolution and Fidel Castro's rise to power put an end to the parties. The Cuervo family fled Cuba; the brand was nationalized in 1965 and even produced watches for the Cuban army.
In 1997, Luca Musumeci and Marzio Villa revived the brand and introduced a line of retro-style watches named after Cuban cigars at the Baselworld fair in 2002. In 2018, the company was acquired by a group of investors. Massimo Rossi is the CEO, and the company's headquarters is located in Capolago, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The brand's original spirit - strong Cuban identity, vintage style, and Swiss craftsmanship - remains untouched.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe
Considering the brand's history and spirit, it is easy to imagine that when deciding to create a model aimed at divers, or at least a watch for water recreation and sunbathing, CyS was not going to become another Submariner or Seamaster imitator. The sports watch had to be different, it had to have a certain flamboyance and individuality. And unsurprisingly, they possess all these positive features. It is quite possible that these are some of the most original and refreshing sports watches we have seen recently, but also those that will not appeal to everyone. But that's okay; Cuervo y Sobrinos does not want to be unanimous.
Looking at the new Buceador Caribe collection (which means "Caribbean Diver"), you immediately feel the brand's DNA, but with a sporty and sturdier character than most of the watches we have covered on WatchTested, which were part of the elegant Historiador collection, immediately recognizable by its lugs. The Buceador Caribe model is undoubtedly bold, bright, and quite unique.
Starting with the case and the overall architecture of the watch, Cuervo y Sobrinos opted for a container-type construction rather than a classic watch style with an external bezel. The case is made of stainless steel with or without DLC coating and features a smooth bezel. Its diameter is an impressive 43 mm, and the height is 15.8 mm. However, let me make two comments. First, it has a highly domed crystal on top, which increases the height, making the central part of the case thinner than expected. Second, 43 mm is not small, but the lugs are very short, and the watch does not wear too large on the wrist.
The design of the Buceador Caribe collection is original: a combination of a round beveled and polished bezel with a central case of an octagonal profile with lugs beautifully fitting into this shape. There is a pleasant robustness in this case, both visually and in terms of construction. Thanks to the screw-down case back and crown, the watch has a respectable water resistance of 200 m.
As you probably noticed, the Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe watches are equipped with two crowns and an intriguing button on the side of the case. The crown at the “9 o'clock” position is used for winding the movement and setting the time; the crown at the “2 o'clock” position serves to operate the internal rotating bezel but works in tandem with the buttons. In compressor-type watches, the additional crown either does not screw down, and there is a risk of accidentally shifting the internal bezel, or it screws down, making its use underwater rather risky. CyS's solution is a button that, when pressed, allows the internal rotating bezel to be adjusted so that the user can keep track of dive time.
The most original part of the Buceador Caribe is the dial. First, all three versions are colorful and fresh - especially the light blue version. Each is named after the waters surrounding Cuba's coast and reflects the local environment. Varadero's seas are blue, Cayo Coco's sands are pastel, and Coral Negro means the black corals of the region. All models have the same base, that is, bold and oversized hour and minute hands combined with bold markers and Arabic numerals for the hours. Additionally, all dials have a gradient effect, where the color gradually darkens towards the edges of the dial in accordance with the color of the internal bezel. The date window is positioned at “6 o'clock” and framed by a metallic element reminiscent of the case shape.
As mentioned, the collection opens with three models:
- Buceador Caribe Varadero: the most sea-oriented model, with a stainless steel case, gradient blue dial accented with turquoise, 15-minute turquoise timer with yellow numerals, yellow accents on the watch name and seconds hand, white markers in turquoise frames, turquoise rubber strap with a yellow lining, and an additional dark blue glossy leather strap.
- Buceador Caribe Cayo Coco: the more “land-oriented” watch, with a stainless steel case, gradient light brown sand-colored dial, dive bezel highlighted with red numerals matching the tip of the central seconds hand, markers outlined in black and filled with white Super-LumiNova, matte brown rubber strap with a red lining, and an additional light brown glossy leather strap.
- Buceador Caribe Coral Negro: the most modern version of the three, with a stainless steel case with black DLC coating, black-gray gradient dial with a smoky effect, red accents on the diver's bezel, seconds hand, and Buceador inscription, black matte rubber strap with a red lining, and a second black glossy leather strap.
Under the screw-down case back is a classic Swiss movement, caliber CYS 5104, based on the Peseux 224. As an alternative to the ETA 2824, it has almost identical characteristics: the same dimensions (25.60 mm x 4.6 mm), 4 Hz frequency, and a 38-hour power reserve. There is nothing special about this movement, it will do its job well and be easy to maintain.
Final Thoughts
There is something strangely attractive about this new Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe collection. It looks unique, stands out from the crowd, and has a lot of personality, which is not often found in the dive watch category. Of course, it will not be universally loved, but that is always a side effect when you do something bold. Personally, I really like the summer look of the Varadero edition with its turquoise color scheme. And I'm sure the sand-colored Cayo Coco model will find its audience.
More objectively, the watches are excellently executed and feel rock-solid. And the combination of the button and crown to operate the internal rotating bezel is a genuinely nice touch.
Availability and Price
The three models of the Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe collection are released as part of the permanent collection and are not limited in production. They are now available on the brand's website and in retail. The steel models are priced at 2,800 euros, and the DLC-coated version at 3,000 euros.
For more details and to place an order, visit www.cuervoysobrinos.com.
SPECIFICATIONS – CUERVO Y SOBRINOS BUCEADOR CARIBE
Case: 43 mm diameter x 15.8 mm height – stainless steel or stainless steel with black DLC coating – button at 4 o'clock unlocks crown at 2 o'clock for internal rotating bezel adjustment – crown at 9 o'clock for time-setting and mainspring winding – domed sapphire crystal – solid steel case back, screw-down – water resistance 200 m
Dial: turquoise gradient Varadero; sand-brown gradient Cayo Coco; black gradient Coral Negro – printed indices with sand-colored Super-LumiNova – hour, minute, and central second hands with Super-LumiNova – internal rotating bezel with 15-minute section highlighted in contrast color – date window at 6 o'clock – CyS crest at 12 o'clock
Movement: caliber CYS 5104, base Peseux 224 – automatic – 25.60 mm x 4.6 mm – 28 jewels – 28,800 vibrations/hour – 38-hour power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, and date
Strap:
Varadero: matte turquoise rubber with yellow lining and additional dark blue glossy leather strap
Cayo Coco: matte brown rubber with red lining, additional brown glossy leather strap
Coral Negro: black matte rubber strap with red lining, additional black glossy leather strap
Reference:
Varadero 2860.1AZ
Cayo Coco 2860.1AR
Coral Negro 2860.3N (steel with black DLC)
Price: 2,800 euros in steel, 3,000 euros in DLC steel