CUERVO Y SOBRINOS - Super Jumbo
"Dato" Chronograph
Habana
1950s
The watch brand “ESKA” is a phonetic abbreviation (of the initials) of the founder Silvan Kocher: S_ilvan & K_ocher = ’ES” & “KA” | ESKA.
This ESKA from the 1950s is an original from Cuba, which was traded by Cuervo y Sobrinos at the time - the dial is one of the rarest examples that is signed twice (ESKA & Cuervo y Sobrinos); an absolute collector's treasure in fantastic condition.
The case is still unpolished & the inside caseback of this 100% original watch is as well double signed by ESKA & Cuervo y Sobrinos on the outside and bears the correct and original stamp “S. Kocher & Co.” on the inside.
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ESKA | The founder of the watch brand ESKA, Mr. Silvan Kocher Senior, was born in 1867. His family came from the village of Selzach in German-speaking Switzerland. In earlier centuries, members of the Kocher family worked in agriculture as fishermen and also as farmers.
1918 | In March 1918, immediately after the end of the First World War, Silvan Kocher Senior and his eldest son Erwin founded the “S. Kocher & Co.” watch factory.
1929 | Two subsidiaries are founded by Silvan Kocher's sons. One company was opened by Edgar Kocher in Sao Paolo, Brazil, the other by Walter Kocher in New York, USA. In both North and South America, “S. Kocher & Co.” occupied a dominant position and the watches manufactured by ESKA were very well known and sought after.
1937 | Due to its success, the company was looking for more space and Silvan Kocher moved his company from Selzach to Grenchen, where he built a new factory.
1943 | At this time, S. Kocher & Co. employed over 100 watchmakers. The company survived the Second World War well and celebrated its 25th anniversary.
1940 - 1950 | A few years after the celebration, in 1947, Silvan Senior died. His four sons then continued to run the company: Erwin, Silvan Junior, Walter and Edgar. Erwin and Silvan Junior took over the company in Switzerland. Their brother Walter took care of the business in the USA and was based in the Rockefeller Center in New York. The youngest brother Edgar managed the company in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with various branches, including in Rio de Janeiro.
1960 - 1970 | The USA and Brazil business expanded and the company continued to develop its markets, particularly in the USA, Central America and South America. Asia and Australia were also new key regions for the ESKA watch brand. Silvan Kocher Junior was not only very active in his family business, but also in watch associations. For many years, he chaired the Federation of Swiss-German Watch Manufacturers (Fédération Horlogère FH, membre du comitée). Silvain Kocher Junior died in 1968.
1980 - 1987 | The company later diversified its business: in addition to its original roots in watchmaking, it was active in various markets. In 1987, the company finally ceased operations.
Since 2019 | The success story of ESKA, this remarkable watch brand, continues. One hundred years after ESKA was founded, the brand has been revived – two French watchmakers & enthusiasts, Christophe & Sinicha, have reworked Eska's famous diving watch from the 1960s, the “Amphibian” model, and launched it on the market. They want to and will revive Eska's prestigious past.
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Cuervo y Sobrinos | Founded in 1882, the company and brand can look back on an amazing history marked by many important milestones. Ramón Fernández Cuervo, an immigrant from northern Spain (Asturias), opened his first jewelry store on Calle de la Amistad in Havana in 1862. This store was a precursor to Cuervo y Sobrinos which was founded in 1882. Baldomero, Don Teodomiro, Don Jose Maria, Don Armando, Don Placido and Don Lisardo, the so-called " newphews", joined Ramón Fernández Cuervo in the new business. At that time, the company's store was located at Calle del Teniente Rey 13. The business flourished and the growing business required more space, so in 1897 the store moved to Calle de la Muralla 37. In 1907 Ramón Fernández y Cuervo died. His nephew, D. Armando Fernández y Río, took over the management of the store. In 1917, Cuervo y Sobrinos opened a new store on Calle San Rafael y Aguila. In 1920, Cuervo y Sobrinos decided to expand its business and opened European branches, in Pforzheim (Germany) for the purchase and selection of exclusive gems and in Paris on Rue Mezlay (France) for the manufacture and trade of jewelry. In the heart of Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, the company established its own manufactory and set up its headquarters. In the 1940s, the company's esteemed reputation spread and its brand name became one of the most recognized in the Americas.
Then, the wild 50's - Havana was the most luxurious city in the Caribbean and one of the most modern and dynamic places in the American continent. The boutique became a must-see for some of Havana's most famous visitors. Caruso, Churchill, Einstein, Gable, Hemingway and Neruda were just some of the distinguished visitors to the Cuervo y Sobrinos boutique. In Havana, at the beginning of the last century, time had another rhythm, the called "slow time" which, instead of saying, represented a way of life, a real philosophy.
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This masterpiece is serviced from our master watchmakers in year 2025 and covered with our 1-year guarantee for you.
A collectors dream of an ESKA double signed Cuervo y Sobrinos dresswatch from the 1950s. The superimposed rose gold hands harmonize in perfection with the rose gold indices on the dial. Moreover, it is a Stardust dial that sparkles & shimmers in the sunlight.
The cognac colored, heavy leather strap with white stitching goes superbly with this Cuban original - it shows slight signs of storage and traces from trying on the watch, but is unworn and ready to enrich your wrist with history.
You can't make it to Cuba for a drink & salsa cubana?
Well then, Cuba is coming to you.
Automatic movement
Diameter 35 mm without crown
Technical indications | Keeping time -16 sec/day
Serviced in 2025
Differential taxation according to § 25a UStG. No taxes included. | Differenzbesteuerung nach § 25a UStG. Kunstgegenstände und Sammlungsstücke, Sonderregelung.
* From 1965 to 1996, Boutique Cuervo y Sobrinos was nationalized by the government. This caused the company to suffer a period of decline. It continued to produce military watches for the Cuban army. The brand became dormant shortly after and did not produce watches during this period. Nevertheless, the company's earlier models attracted a lot of interest from watch collectors. In 1997, Luca Musumeci & Marzio Villa revived the Cuervo y Sobrinos name and the beginning of a new era began.
