1938 Longines Cuervo Y Sobrinos Chronograph
GUEST:
I found it in a cardboard box that contained the uh remaining items from my great-grandfather's estate. I am a watch enthusiast, so I was immediately drawn to it. I don't really know how my grandfather got it. I reached out to the uh Longines registry with the serial number and they said that it uh was manufactured in 1938 and uh sent to its dealer in Cuba. My great-grandfather worked in the paper manufacturing industry and his territory that he serviced was the Southeast of the U.S.
APPRAISER:
Do you think he ever went down to Cuba? Was that, is that a possibility?
GUEST:
Uh it, it’s certainly is a possibility. During the '30s, Cuba was kind of a hotspot to visit, so it's, it's very possible.
APPRAISER:
Well, it is a chronograph watch, but it's also a single-button chronograph watch, which is quite unusual. Uh a monopusher, or monopoussoir, as they say in French. The dial is also co-branded. Cuervo y Sobrinos was the Longines dealer in Cuba. I don't know the story behind the dealers themselves. Um I couldn't find much information on that. They were probably the best jewelry store in Cuba.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And it was started by a gentleman named Ramón Fernandez Cuervo. He co-founded it with his nephew. They started the company in about 1882. This watch is 1938. They were actually the exclusive importers of Longines for the country of Cuba. They had some very famous clients, Cuervo y Sobrinos. Uh amongst them was Ernest Hemingway, Albert Einstein, and Winston Churchill was, was one of their customers. I love the fact that it's co-branded, and below Longines, it says Cuervo y Sobrinos. The dial, as far as a collector is concerned, is incredible. It's in fabulous condition.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Different color telemeters on here. You have the uh, the silver and the matte, it’s, it's just fantastic. There was originally a solid bar on there.
GUEST:
Ah.
APPRAISER:
That was cut off. And probably there were some spring bars that were put on there that somehow got lost. I want to say it's never been polished, which is really a great thing.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
Collectors like watches, as you've learned watching ROADSHOW, things that are untouched. Your case is untouched. The only thing was the, the spring bars being cut, which, honestly, does not change the value at all in the piece. You have any idea what you think the value is?
GUEST:
I would say maybe $10,000. That would be my kind of realistic ballpark guess.
APPRAISER:
It's, it's not a bad estimate to, thinking about what a, what a chronograph would be worth. If this face had been repainted, I, I don't even think it's a $5,000 watch.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
But it has this original dial, and it's absolutely incredible. And believe it or not, there's a lot of collectors that love the fact that it actually is co-branded, that Cuervo y Sobrinos name on the dial.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It's just the mystique, Cuba and, you know.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
I'm going to put an auction estimate. It will bring between $30,000 to $50,000 at auction.
GUEST:
(exhales) Wow, that is incredible. I would not have thought it would have been anywhere near that.
APPRAISER:
Great find to find it in a box.
GUEST:
It was at the bottom of a cardboard box.
APPRAISER:
Love it.
GUEST:
Incredible.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.