The New Cuervo y Sobrinos Chronograph Emilio Carranza

Cuervo y Sobrinos is a rarity in the watch world as the only Swiss brand with Cuban roots. Founded in 1882 by an Asturian immigrant, Ramón Cuervo, the brand flaunts its Latin origins with a flamboyant design style that captures its heyday in the 1950s. The latest chronograph is dedicated to Emilio Carranza, a Mexican pilot and pioneer of early 20^th-century aviation.

Two years ago, Cuervo y Sobrinos launched a trilogy of Vuelo timepieces in memory of Emilio Carranza. Remembered as the “Lindbergh of Mexico”, in 1928, the Mexican Air Force pilot attempted to fly the first non-stop transnational goodwill flight from Mexico’s capital to Washington, D.C. However, due to fog, he had to land in North Carolina but made it to Washington the next day and was received with honours in New York.

The new chronograph trumps the earlier edition with its large 44mm diameter case coupled with a thickness of 13.8mm. Fitted with the distinctive and prominently flared lugs of Historiador models, these have been hollowed out, revealing the screws attaching them to the case. The rectangular pushers also feature a recessed area, and a tachymeter scale is engraved on the external part of the bezel. A double-curved sapphire crystal protects the dial, and the caseback is screwed, sealed, and engraved with an image of Emilio Carranza and a vintage aeroplane.

Inspired by 1920s cockpit instruments, the dial has a black background, and large Arabic indices treated with vintage beige-coloured Super-LumiNova, matching the cathedral-style hour and minute hands. The two snailed chronograph counters are aligned vertically with 30-minute elapsed times at noon and a 12-hour totaliser at 6 o’clock with a date window. The small seconds at 9 o’clock features a propeller-style hand with the outline of a 1920s aeroplane in the background.

Hidden beneath the caseback is an ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic cam-operated chronograph movement. Robust and reliable, the movement beats at 28,800vph and delivers a 48-hour power reserve.

The chronograph is paired with a vintage-style distressed leather strap and a steel pin buckle. It retails for EUR 4,500 (incl. tax). More information at cuervoysobrinos.com.