The one thing I’d take issue with is the suggestion that CyS today is an exercise in “cultural appropriation.” CyS never made any watches in Cuba and its adventures in watchmaking helped to project the island’s image overseas. The company today is very sensitive to this, from what I have observed, and tries to be true to that legacy. In addition, the current production arrangements are simply a continuation of how the company operated prior to its closure. The only – albeit significant – difference is that there is no functioning business today in Havana driving the brand. Perhaps this will change one day.

I understand that CyS will shortly release a 45-minute film on the story of the company. From what I’ve heard, the film will cover its entire history, from its founding in the 1880s to its ventures into watchmaking, to its demise and its re-emergence. Once we have an opportunity to listen to the first-hand accounts of Cuban historians, merchants and former employees of the company, it might become clear just how fond they still are of the CyS name and its legacy.