Cuervo y Sobrinos - Legacy of "bygone time"
In less than fifty years the combination of high quality creations (made in Switzerland) and the Latin spirit of the brand won over the Americas. Various fine watch brands (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Longines) associated their names with Cuervo y Sobrinos (a more prestigious name at that time) to co-produce watches based on Havana time - a legacy of "bygone time". The boutique quickly became so successful that in the 1890s Cuervo y Sobrinos decided to expand its production network, opening branches in three crucial European cities.
While most European luxury product creators expanded their international business to other continents, Cuervo y Sobrinos was one of the first overseas brands to take the opposite path, successfully working on the Continent: in Pforzheim, Germany, where La Casa selected its precious stones; in Rue Mezlay in Paris, where its finest jewels were made, and later, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, where its timepieces were created.
For its select clientele, a visit to La Casa in the heart of Havana was a must on every trip, just like visits to the great jewelers on Place Vendôme in Paris or Fifth Avenue in New York. In the 1940s, the heyday of the brand, prized Cuervo y Sobrinos products weren't simply premium watches but reflected a lifestyle and a way of thinking. After having its name among top watch brands for more than fifty years, the company's business slumped after the political uprisings in the country. The Cuervo family left Cuba for Europe and for nearly forty years the brand lay dormant.