Cuervo y Sobrinos - The Lonsdale for CronotempVs x The Lounge

Named after the premium cigar type of the same name, the Lonsdale by Cuervo y Sobrinos comes in 3 versions: Candela, Claro and Oscuro. Price € 2,500

The result of the collaboration between Cuervo y Sobrinos with the CronotempVs Collectors international watch collectors club and the luxury lifestyle platform The Lounge by Watchonista, the Lonsdale is a time-only timepiece characterised by a vintage look that is directly inspired by classic Cuervo y Sobrinos references spawned during Havana’s mid-20th century heyday. It takes its name from a premium cigar type.

The Lonsdale is presented in three variations, each of them available in 82-piece, small-batch limited editions and named after shades of traditional cigar wrapper leaves: Candela, with a silvered and green dial; Claro, with a champagne dial; and Oscuro, with a brown dial. 

The dial plate features a smart vertical brushing, the central hours and minutes are indicated via Alpha hands, and the hour numerals are in a retro, sans serif typeface. Next to the recessed, concentrically decorated small seconds are the words “Unicos Importadores” in reference to Cuervo y Sobrinos’ former status as sole importers of luxury watches in Cuba.

Completing the indications is a printed railroad track around the dial periphery for displaying minutes. The hour-minute hands, numerals, and dots at 6 and 12 o’clock are treated with Super-LumiNova that glows in green in darker environments.

The Lonsdale comes in a 40 mm stainless steel case with polished surfaces and distinctive step-like grooves cut into the sides at 3 and 9 o’clock. The double domed sapphire crystal in a protruding box-style accounts for 1.9 mm of the watch’s overall 10.5 mm height. 

On the caseback, an engraved “coin slot” acts as a nod to the erstwhile system for opening up the back eight decades ago. The Lonsdale’s caseback is actually screwed down, but the screws are concealed in order to remain aesthetically faithful to the original. Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 5 ATM (approximately 50 metres / 165 feet).

The “Uno de 82” engraving remarks the exclusivity of these limited editions. 

The movement of choice is a highly reliable self-winding CYS 5158 calibre (base Sellita SW 261-1) beating at 28,800 vibrations per hours with a 38-hour power reserve.

The Lonsdale is matched to a hand-stitched brown calfskin strap with quick-release spring bars and a polished stainless-steel pin buckle. 

The presentation case is crafted from Spanish cedar and fashioned in the style of a high-end cigar box. Inside it, owners will find not only the Lonsdale watch but also three accessories for cigar fans: a cigar rest, a cigar case, and a NATO watch strap to fit the Lonsdale. Connoisseurs will note the strap’s resemblance to the silk ribbon used to bundle high-end cigars. The case contents are presented on a tray that can be taken out, allowing the case to transform into a travel case.

Limited to 246 examples – 82 pieces for each of the three dials – the Lonsdale can be ordered by visiting the CronotempVs Collectors online shop. The price is Euro 2,500 excluding taxes and shipping. cuervoysobrinos.com