Hands-On With The Cuervo Y Sobrinos Historiador Historic Endurance
If you know anything about Cuervo y Sobrinos, it’s probably that the brand has Cuban heritage. While currently located in Switzerland, the brand’s Caribbean roots give Cuervo y Sobrinos an interesting story to tell. On top of that, we see those roots perfectly integrated into the watches and the packaging. But the origins of the brand go even beyond Cuba. Ramón Fernández Cuervo, the brand’s founder, was originally from Asturias in northern Spain. Now the brand returns to its Iberian roots for the new Historiador Historic Endurance. The classic chronograph was designed for the Iberian Historic Endurance racing series and features a sleek racing-green dial. Time to find out more.
Cuervo y Sobrinos has been a partner of the Iberian Historic Endurance racing series for a number of years. The series focuses on the fun and sportsmanship of racing in classic cars. In this way, it’s as much about enjoyment and comradery as it is about competing. The Iberian Historic Endurance is described as an organization both of and for “gentleman drivers.” Just looking at the pictures of some competing classic cars makes it seem like a ton of fun. The series features great cars and famous drivers with races in Spain, Portugal, France, and Belgium.
The Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Historic Endurance
For the 2023 series, Cuervo y Sobrinos has produced the Historiador Historic Endurance. This chronograph is part of the brand’s Historiador collection and features a stylish racing-green dial. It joins the Historiador Gran Premio De Cuba as another classic racing chronograph. Could it even be better than my favorite Historiador Cronógrafo 1946? Its stylish looks were promising when I took it for a test drive.
The watch features a 50m-water-resistant stainless steel case that measures 40mm in diameter and 12.45mm thick. This means the new Historic Endurance is slightly thicker than the Chronógrafo 1946, which comes in at 12mm thick and 40mm in diameter as well. The case has the characteristic Historidor design with its outspoken lug style, rectangular chronograph pushers, and a nicely sized crown. The lugs make the watch instantly recognizable and hint back at iconic chronographs of the 1940s and ’50s. It’s an aesthetic that fans of the Cuervo y Sobrinos love, but it is certainly an acquired taste in the overall world of chronographs.
The racing-green dial makes the Historic Endurance a classy chronograph
As I explained in my review of the Chronógrafo 1946, I love the style of the case. It gives the face of the watch a tremendous amount of character. On top of that, the curved lugs also make the watch incredibly comfortable to wear. So, essentially, they offer great looks and comfort, which is all that many of us need from a watch. The case is paired with a racing-green dial with two silver-colored registers. On the periphery of the dial, you will find a black ring that holds the tachymeter scale. As on all of the brand’s chronographs, the word “tachymeter” here is translated into Spanish — taquimetro.
The beautiful green dial underneath the double-curved sapphire crystal features large Arabic-numeral hour markers with black outlines and white lume. The classic Cuervo y Sobrinos logo is proudly present on the upper half of the dial, while the lower half features the model name.
Zooming in, you will see the silver sub-dials feature circular graining and a black scale with matching numerals. A nice detail is the black arrow-tipped chronograph minute hand at 9 o’clock versus the leaf-shaped silver-colored small seconds hand at 3 o’clock. The difference in style and color offers a great dynamic and makes them easy to distinguish.
A watch with plenty of standout details
The small seconds hand echoes the leaf-shaped stainless steel hour and minute hands, and a white baton-style chronograph seconds hand sits above them. The hour and minute hands are filled with white lume, and the chronograph seconds hand perfectly matches the white hour markers. The dial also features a date window at 6 o’clock with a white outline. The date disc is white with the date printed in black. I love that the designers made the colors match the hour markers rather than the dial.
But curiosity does trigger the question of what it would have looked like with a green date disc with white printing. It’s a small detail, of course, but one with the potential to significantly change the look. But overall, I think the dial looks very balanced, and I love the color scheme that was chosen to celebrate the world of racing. The tone of racing green is very nice, and the silver sub-dials not only contrast the green well but also hint at race car wheels of the past.
The Cuervo y Sobrinos Caliber CYS 8129
If you turn the watch around, you are greeted by a screw-fastened steel and sapphire case back with a “Historic Endurance 76” graphic in red and white. To be honest, it’s a bit of a harsh break from the dark green on the dial side, so it surprised me a bit. But it makes sense as it is the Iberian Historic Endurance series logo. In addition, you will not see the logo or the color when you are wearing the watch, which is an approach that many enthusiasts appreciate.
Underneath the sapphire crystal, you will find the Cuervo y Sobrinos CYS 8129 movement. This automatic chronograph caliber is based on the ETA 2894, operates at 28,800vph, and provides a 42-hour power reserve. The oscillating weight bears the brand logo engraved for some extra decoration. On the case back you will also find the unique limited-edition number of the watch. Cuervo y Sobrinos will produce a total of 76 pieces of this special watch that will undoubtedly find their way to the drivers and fans of the Iberian Historic Endurance series.
Wearing the Historiador Historic Endurance
The watch comes fitted with a black racing-style perforated calf strap with green stitching. It completes the look perfectly and gives the watch a cool overall aesthetic. The strap comes with a stainless steel folding clasp with the CyS emblem engraved. It’s easy to size the strap to make it fit your wrist, and once on the wrist, the watch has a lot of presence. I was seriously impressed by the classy color combination. While it won’t necessarily make the watch stand out in a crowd, it will make it stand out to the wearer immediately.
But its standout qualities are not limited to the dark colors. They are also in the little details that make this such an interesting watch to wear. I already mentioned the different hands used for the sub-dials, and the nice details even extend to the green stitching of the strap and seeing the white central chronograph hover above the dark green backdrop. Plus, when the watch is on the wrist, it wears like a charm, and the chronograph is easy to use.
A firm upper pusher click starts and confidently stops the chronograph. It fits the overall great feel and build quality of the watch. Wearing the watch was an absolute joy as I was reminded of how much I like the classically styled chronographs that Cuervo y Sobrinos creates.
Final thoughts on the Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Historic Endurance
This brings me to a personal question: is this new Historiador Historic Endurance my new favorite Cuervo y Sobrinos chronograph? The answer to that is “no,” but it’s not because this is not a well-made and beautiful watch. By now, Cuervo y Sobrinos has released several very nice chronographs that I love, making it crowded at the top. My first-place pick is still the Cronógrafo 1946, while the second spot goes to the sold-out Nino Farina. But this new Historiador Historic Endurance is a great addition to the lineup.
I am sure that all 76 pieces of this watch will sell out over time. It is a charming piece that will win over the people who know, love, and participate in the Iberian Historic Endurance series as well as regular watch fans. The charming good looks have a lot going for them. The watch is available at CHF 3,900 before taxes and comes in the brand’s familiar humidor packaging.
The price aligns with the previously mentioned chronographs in the brand’s collection. When it comes to releasing some of the best-looking classic chronographs, Cuervo y Sobrinos is up there as one of my absolute favorites. This Historic Endurance just solidifies that opinion even more.
For more information, visit the official Cuervo y Sobrinos website. Let us know your thoughts on this vintage-inspired chronograph in the comments section.
