The Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe Dive Watch

The latest collection to join the Swiss brand with Cuban roots is the Buceador Caribe, a new line of dive watches with a pronounced personality and a generous splash of colour. Like other collections at Cuervo y Sobrinos, the byword is flamboyance. Established in 1882 in Havana, Cuba (you can read about the brand’s colourful history here), Cuervo y Sobrinos enjoys recreating the golden decade of the 1950s when international socialites and celebrities flocked to the exotic island playground. Three models with complex case constructions, water-resistance of 200 metres and attractive gradient dials inaugurate the new Buceador Caribe collection.

Diving Paradise

With its coastline of 5,745 km washed by the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the North Atlantic Ocean, Cuba is a prime destination for scuba divers with well-preserved coral reefs, mangroves and an abundance of marine life (including sharks and saltwater crocodiles).

The Buceador (the Spanish word for ‘diver’) is ready for underwater action and currently available in stainless steel and black DLC steel cases. Its container-type case, measuring 43mm in diameter with a height of 15.8mm, offers 200m water-resistance and reveals a complex sandwich-like construction. The case middle is octagonal and endowed with two crowns. The one on the right at the 2 o’clock position is released via the pusher at 4 o’clock to adjust the internal rotating bezel before a dive. The second crown, at 9 o’clock, is used to adjust the time indications and wind the mainspring. A prominent round bezel rises from the octagonal platform and hosts a sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment and a nicely bevelled edge. The brushed and polished finishings, which can best be appreciated on the two stainless steel models, highlight the dynamic architecture of the case. The dodecagonal caseback is sealed and depicts the image of a scuba diver.

Caribbean colours

Three dial colours, inspired by the crystal clear waters of Varadero, the pastel sands of Cayo Coco and Cuba’s unique black coral reefs, are currently available.

The Buceador Caribe (Ref. 2860.1AZ) features an attractive gradient blue dial with splashes of turquoise to evoke the stunning colours of the sea at Varadero. The all-important 15-minute timer is turquoise with yellow numerals at 05, 10 and 15 to contrast with the slightly darker blue colour of the bezel. The colour yellow is also used on the Buceador inscription on the dial and to outline the luminous tip of the central seconds hand. The turquoise-framed Arabic numerals and markers are filled with sand-coloured Super-LumiNova, as are the thick hour and minute hands and the tip of the central seconds hand. The date window at 6 o’clock features an octagonal steel frame, and the brand’s coat of arms is positioned just below the luminous dot on the dive bezel.  The Varadero model comes with a turquoise rubber strap with a yellow lining and an additional dark blue high gloss leather strap for life on dry land, both with stainless steel pin buckles.

The warm sands of Cayo Coco inspire the light brown gradient dial of the Buceador Caribe (Ref. 2860.1AR). The 15-minute section of the dive bezel is highlighted with red numerals to match the tip of the central seconds hand, which is also picked out in red along with the Buceador inscription on the dial. The indices are outlined in black and printed with Super-LumiNova. The three central hands are filled with sand-coloured Super-LumiNova. The Cayo Coco is matched with a matte brown rubber strap with a red lining and an additional light brown high gloss leather strap.

The third model, known as the Coral Negro (Ref. 2860.3N), comes in a black DLC stainless steel case and features a black gradient dial. The fumé effect is particularly evident on this dial because of the darker colour. Like the Cayo Coco, the dark dial features touches of red on the dive bezel, the seconds hand and the Buceador inscription above the date window. The Coral Negro also comes with two straps: a matte black rubber strap with a red lining and a second black high gloss leather strap.

Beneath the sealed caseback is the CYS 5104 calibre based on a Peseux 224 automatic with a 38h power reserve and decorative Côtes de Genève on the rotor.

As you would expect from a brand with collections named after Cuba’s famous cigars, the Buceador Caribe models are presented in a special humidor box with the additional strap.

Price

The blue Varadero model (Ref. 2860.1AZ) and the sandy brown Cayo Coco (Ref. 2860.1 AR) retail for EUR 2,800 (incl. taxes). The Coral Negro with the black DLC case (Ref. 2860.3N) is slightly more expensive and retails for EUR 3,000 (incl. taxes). As the website indicates, the delivery time is approximately four weeks.

More information at www.cuervoysobrinos.com.