by Martin Green
Cuervo y Sobrinos drums to its own beat. And that beat has a vibrant Latin vibe to it as the heritage of the brand is anchored in the spirit and style that made Havana one of the world’s cultural hotspots before the Cuban revolution.
Now headquartered in Switzerland, the Latin spirit is still present in each of Cuervo y Sobrinos’ watches, including its latest creation, the Historiador Doble Luna.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
High on details
This model is almost an old-fashioned complete calendar watch featuring day, date, and moon phase. The twist is in the word “almost” because as charming and historically important as complete calendar watches are, they usually tend to look pretty much the same.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
Not with Cuervo y Sobrinos, who gave the Historiador Doble Luna a delightful twist by showing the moon phase for both the southern and northern hemispheres simultaneously. This is accomplished in a double window at 6 o’clock with the two moon phases placed against a starry sky background. This brings unity to the dials and exudes a classic look without dwelling too much on the past.
Cuervo y Sobrinos highlights the moon phase display with a frame that rests on top of the clous de Paris (hobnail) pattern stamped into the dial. Further upward along the arc we also find windows for the day and date at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively. They are slightly small, and the gold letters against the anthracite-colored background are not the easiest to read, but I still haven’t determined whether this is a pro or a con for me.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
Their integration in the overall design is perfect as they are not overbearing, and their modest appearance plays an essential role in ensuring that the rich dial doesn’t look like too busy. Purists might argue that you buy a complete calendar watch to easily see the day, date, month, and perhaps moon phase – the latter is optional on a complete calendar. While these purists might have a point, I feel that buying a Cuervo y Sobrinos means that you are at least equally as interested in form as in function.
There will be no argument about being able to read the date: Cuervo y Sobrinos opted for a classic date hand where a curved, red half-moon points to the date inscribed on the flange. It is one of the four centrally mounted hands that move along the richly decorated dial.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
The hours are indicated by bold Roman numerals combined with arrow-shaped markers. Their gold tone contrasts nicely with the deep anthracite-colored dial, further adding to the character of the Historiador Doble Luna.
The flange with the date numerals draws your eye toward the center of the dial and makes the watch look slightly larger than it is. Here, it works together with the relatively slim bezel of the 40 mm timepiece.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna dial details
A well-proportioned proposition
That 40 mm diameter is also a key element of the Historiador Doble Luna. It gives Cuervo y Sobrinos enough room for all the elements and complications on the dial without making it look crowded, while also maintaining wearability and comfort. The luscious long lugs are a key element in the Historiador collection. With their curved shape, they both look fantastic and guide the strap around the wrist, increasing wearing comfort and good looks.
These lugs bring me back to the 1950s when more brands were willing to get a bit more extravagant with this aspect of watch design. Times that I wouldn’t mind seeing return on a larger scale. Cuervo y Sobrinos has always specialized in subtly calling back to these times on its watches.
Back of the Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
The 40 mm diameter also means that the back of the Historiador Doble Luna looks enticing. The watch is equipped with an ETA 2892-A2 base movement, upon which is fitted a complete calendar and double moon phase module made by Dubois Dépraz. With a 25.6 mm diameter, this movement is large enough to fill the case nicely.
The finishing is up to par, and the richly decorated oscillating weight is an attraction by itself. It also makes the Historiador Doble Luna the full package for collectors looking for a classic complication in a different and very stylish interpretation.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
For more information, please visit www.cuervoysobrinos.com/en/collections/watches-historiador.
Quick Facts Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Doble Luna
Case: 40 x 11.25 mm, stainless steel; 30 m water resistance
Movement: automatic Caliber CYS 6331 (based on ETA 2892-A2 with Dubois Dépraz module; 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency; power reserve 42 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; complete calendar with moon phase indication for both northern and southern hemispheres
Price: €5,500
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Very extraordinary.