The Lonsdale for CronotempVs Collectors x The Lounge by Watchonista Now Available for Pre-Order

What’s more, it is delivered in a versatile, accessory-packed presentation case decorated with an eye-catching smoke swirl motif conceived by celebrated watch designer Eric Giroud as part of his design side project, Somewhere.
 

Comprising three 82-piece limited editions, each named after shades of traditional cigar wrapper leaf – Candela, Claro, and Oscuro – the Londsdale can be pre-ordered today by visiting the CronotempVs Collectors online shop and committing to a 50-percent down payment on the €2,500 sale price, excluding taxes and shipping.

So, with Cuervo y Sobrinos on board, the next step was to work on the design of the Lonsdale, with Scaramanga and Gabella both intent on creating something in keeping with Cuervo y Sobrinos’ DNA.

Scaramanga says: “Thanks to the brand, as well as friends who are vintage watch collectors, we were aware of Cuervo y Sobrinos’ historical references that it had offered at its Havana boutique as it flourished between the 1930s and ‘50s. Two pieces, in particular, caught our eye because of their mid-century elegance: The ‘Tradition,’ for its eye-catching case, and another unnamed piece, for its clean, understated dial.”
 

He adds: “Marco and I asked Cuervo y Sobrinos if it would be possible to take the case and dial designs of these two references from yesteryear and recreate them in the form of a neo-vintage watch that transported us back to the heady times of 1950s Havana. Cuervo y Sobrinos liked the idea and shared our enthusiasm for reviving these seductive designs from the past.”

One of the first things that stands out about the Lonsdale is the distinctive form of its stainless-steel case, freshly developed – or indeed redeveloped – for this project. The lugs’ straight lateral lines fan out along the caseband, creating a slight tonneau profile. But step-like grooves cut into the sides at 3 and 9 o’clock – just like on the case of the Tradition back in the day – help to make the case look slimmer.
 

Not that the case is particularly large. The Tradition’s diameter would have been 34mm, but the Lonsdale’s is 40mm, that contemporary sweet spot that wears well on most wrists. Lug pin to lug pin, it measures 44.6mm. It is because of these lean proportions that this limited-edition is named after the premium cigar type of the same name; the Lonsdale cigar is quite slim, typically six to seven inches long, and with a 42- to 44-ring gauge.
 

Besides these updated dimensions, there are plenty of mid-20th-century details to admire about the case, starting with its fully polished surfaces. Likewise, the sapphire crystal is double domed in a box style, with the crystal’s protrusion accounting for 1.9mm of the watch’s overall 10.5mm height.

Meanwhile, an engraved “coin slot” on the caseback is a nod to the old-school system of opening up the back with a coin all those decades ago. In fact, the Lonsdale’s caseback is screwed down, with those screws concealed to produce an aesthetic that is faithful to the original.
 

As for the hand-stitched brown calfskin strap with a quick-release spring bar and polished stainless-steel pin buckle, owners will receive two long and two short strap pieces that can be combined to make an overall strap that matches large, medium, or small wrist sizes.

When owners receive their Lonsdale watch, the experience will be akin to receiving a box of limited-edition, premium smokes. That’s because the watch’s presentation case is fashioned in the style of a high-end cigar box.

Crafted from Spanish cedar – known for its ability to lock in moisture, thus helping cigars to age – the case has a leatherette cover decorated with an embossed and gilded smoke swirl pattern conceived by none other than Eric Giroud. This acclaimed watch designer has started a personal side project – Somewhere – dedicated to his designs for non-watch-related objects. His sinuous, modernist motif for the case of the Lonsdale is Somewhere’s first design commission.
 

Inside the case, a presentation tray houses the Lonsdale and three accessories fit for cigar lovers: a black cigar rest, a black and gilded cigar tube, and a NATO strap that resembles the silk ribbon used to bundle a wheel of quality cigars. The tray can be removed, allowing the presentation case to be repurposed as a portable vide-poche – or travel case – for storing, protecting, and transporting watch and cigar accessories, collectibles, or other personal effects.
 

Scaramanga concludes: “The Lonsdale reflects everything Marco and I – two passionate watch collectors and cigar smokers – are looking for from a cigar-inspired timepiece. From its design to its execution to the details and contents of the presentation case, every element ticks the boxes on our wish lists. We are delighted with the result!”