Now that’s something big from the Swiss-based brand with its roots going straight to the Caribbean. No, they didn’t introduce a tourbillon with parts made of silicon or some other fancy material from the asteroid 25143 Itokawa brought here by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa. However, this gorgeous Cuervo Y Sobrinos Historiador Flameante (ref. 3130) explicitly states that CyS has a great potential when it comes to “simple” dress watches.
Let’s face it: in its Swiss-based incarnation, Cuervo Y Sobrinos never produced a truly stunning timekeeper. Their designs were mediocre at best and also secondary to timekeepers made by first-tier watchmakers like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe.
Yet, their latest watches, including this beauty, show that something has finally changed in the design department and the brand is finally ready to churn out luxury time measuring devices that can attract a customer not only with their “Swiss Made” inscriptions but also with well-though proportions and an outstanding finish of the face and the movement.
As the name implies, this Cuervo Y Sobrinos Historiador Flameante, for example, has its dial guilloched not with the usual barleycorn pattern, but features a much more elaborate motif that looks like frozen flames of fire with rose gold-toned elements (including an applied CyS logo) hovering just above them.
The nicely shaped hands, too, look original and even have tiny patches of Superluminova of them that will probably make it easier to read time in total darkness (not that sure about twilight though).
Since the watch pays homage to the vintage Cuervo Y Sobrinos from the 1950s, it is powered by an archaic hand-wound movement: the good old ETA Peseux 7001 caliber (the one that we have seen in their Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Pequenos Segundos 130° Aniversario that was presented last year at Baselworld 2012) that now features an even more refined decor with sunburst pattern on gears, blued and polished screws and the gorgeous Cotes de Geneve stripes on the bridges.
In fact, the Swiss watchmaker is so proud with the job, that it even put a “Testimony of Style Since 1882” inscription on the ring that makes the movement fit better inside the 40 mm case.
Crafted from 18-karat rose gold, the body features a razor-sharp bezel, which is nicely contrasted with two pairs of slightly oversized, mirror-polished lugs in their traditional style. Your mileage may vary, but, from where I stand, this one is the most beautiful offering from CyS for many, many years.
The Historiador Flameante was first revealed earlier this week at Baselworld 2013.
See also: Cuervo y Sobrinos Prominente 130° Aniversario Automatic
Photos: Cuervo Y Sobrinos
Cuervo Y Sobrinos Historiador Flameante (ref. 3130) specification
Movement: Hand-wound, caliber ETA Peseux 7001, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 17 jewels
Movement frequency: 21,600 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Movement decoration: “Testimony of Style since 1882” inscription; Cotes de Geneve on the bridges
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Case: Rose gold
Shape: Round
Size: 40.00 mm
Dial: White, “flame” guilloche pattern
Numerals: Gold-toned, applied
Hour markers: Gold-toned, applied
Hands: Gold-toned, luminous
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Light brown alligator leather strap with 18-karat rose gold buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective, cambered
Back: Transparent