Havana 1882

The pearl of the Caribbean. From late 19th century on, Havana was a Mecca for intellectuals, business people and socialites as well as adventurers and sailors. Cuba, an island where the air of time has another scent: a fragrance in which knowledge and joie de vivre go hand in hand, creating the freedom to be. But Havana was also synonymous with elegance, class, glamour, luxury and a unique and inimitable lifestyle. And it was in this spirit and to honor these values that Armando Rio y Cuervo and his brother skillfully and devotedly ran the jewelry shop and watch-making atelier of their uncle Ramòn, whence the name Cuervo y Sobrinos (Cuervo and nephews, “sobrinos” in Spanish). In the spring of 1882 the family inaugurated their boutique, “La Casa” on Havana’s fashionable Avenida Quinta.

A great many international celebrities from the worlds of literature, science, film and politics frequented the famous boutique each time they visited the island. As attested to by the guest book and photographs found only recently in the basement of the old shop, Hemingway, Caruso, Gable, Churchill and even Einstein were part of Cuervo y Sobrinos’ faithful clientele. All different in their skills and passions, they shared a common characteristic: demonstrating their individuality in belonging to another time. Havana time, synonym for escape from the humdrum, elegance, refinement and luxury: “El tiempo lento”.