Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Racing-Infused Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Nino Farina II
The brand honours history and captivates the senses with intricate aesthetics and thoughtful symbolism.
Cuervo y Sobrinos, the Havana-rooted watch brand, continues to pay tribute to the world’s first official Formula One World Champion, Emilio Giuseppe “Nino” Farina, with the launch of the second limited edition timepiece. Following the success of the initial 2023 release, the Historiador Nino Farina 42mm chronograph, which sold out rapidly with its distinctive pastel blue and brown dial, the new offering, Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Nino Farina II, brings forth a fresh aesthetic, a different movement, and is expressly designed for the modern audience.
Regardless of the audience, the enduring legacy of Emilio Giuseppe “Nino” Farina remains widely appreciated. Born in 1906 into a family of coachbuilders in Turin, Nino Farina showed a love for automobiles at an early age, reportedly driving a car at nine years old. His passion for autos and motor racing grew, leading him to compete in his first solo race at 19. Beyond his racing prowess, Farina excelled academically, earning a law degree from the University of Turin. However, his true calling was car racing, and in the 1930s, he joined the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo team. In 1950, Nino Farina achieved the pinnacle of his racing career by winning the first official Formula 1 World Championship at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo 158, a.k.a “Alfetta”.
In celebration of Nino Farina’s spirit, Cuervo y Sobrinos presents the second edition of the commemorative chronograph in the signature Historiador stainless steel case with large and deeply angled lugs, inspired by the brand’s watches from the past and measuring 40mm x 12.45mm. In contrast to the first Nino Farina watch with piston-style chronograph pushers and an unusual crown protector, the Nino Farina II opts for rectangular pushers, and the crown sits unprotected. The double-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating protects the dial, and the screwed see-through case back with sapphire crystal bears Nino Farina’s signature, name, and title – Primero Campeon Mundial, a tribute to his historic win in 1950.
The silver dial of the Historiador Nino Farina II by Cuervo y Sobrinos is adorned with subtle yet striking details. Light blue accents grace the sloped flange, tracing the tachymeter scale encircling the outer edge and embellishing the recessed and snailed chronograph counters – the 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock and the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. The choice of blue finds significance in Nino Farina’s racing legacy, mirroring the colour of his racing suit and resonating with the colour seen on Alfa Romeo’s badge. The recessed silver sub-dial at 3 o’clock, also snailed, serves as the running seconds indicator.
The baton-shaped central chronograph seconds hand boasts a vibrant green hue, harmonizing with the highlighted portion of the tachymeter scale. This green hue pays homage to the quadrifoglio, the iconic green emblem adorning vintage Alfa Romeo race cars since 1923, originally symbolizing good luck. Complementing the theme, the chrono counters feature small red triangle-shaped hands, reminiscent of the winning Alfetta’s exterior colour. The running seconds hand is leaf-shaped, in harmony with the nickel leaf-shaped and Super-Luminova-treated hour and minutes hands. The large lume-treated white Arabic numerals adorn the dial, except for the 6 o’clock position, which accommodates the date window; some numerals are only slightly concealed by the overlapping subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, which doesn’t spoil the overall dial design.
Powering the Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Nino Farina II is the automatic winding CYS 8129 calibre, based on ETA 2894, operating at 28,800 vibrations/hour with a 48-hour power reserve. The movement is visible through the exhibition case back, adorned with a CyS-decorated oscillating rotor. The timepiece is complemented by a brown perforated calf “driving style” strap with light blue stitching, secured with a stainless steel folding buckle featuring the engraved CyS emblem.
The Historiador Nino Farina II is a limited edition of 158 pieces delivered – in typical Cuervo y Sobrinos style – in a humidor box. The price is EUR 4,000. For more, please visit cuervoysobrinos.com.
