Davidoff
Zino Davidoff was no typical tobacconist. He began to run a store in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1911. By the 1930s, it was renowned as a haven of quality and craftsmanship due to Zino’s determination to create the finest experience. To ensure the cigars could be kept in the best condition, he created the first desktop humidor, inspired by what he saw during his travels around Latin America. His premises, meanwhile, were adored by cigar aficionados, including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles. Today, the Davidoff brand maintains that legacy of perfection and luxury at an international level, crafting cigars to elevate any occasion.
“Our promise to our customers is to fill their time beautifully,” says Edward Simon, Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer. “We believe that taking time for leisure and reflection are the most precious things of all, and we see our cigars as a catalyst that will allow you to find a moment to pause and reflect.”
Davidoff Cigars is the core brand of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, whose history can be traced back to 1875 when businessman Max Oettinger opened his first store in Basel, Switzerland, thus commencing the wholesale distribution of tobacco products. Dr Ernst Schneider, who ran the Max Oettinger company as of 1961, was a regular visitor to the Davidoff store in Geneva. He saw the potential, and Ernst and Zino went into partnership with the vision of making Davidoff Cigars an international brand synonymous with elegance, expertise and panache.
As with fine wine or classic cars, industries dedicated to life’s purest pleasures require a commitment to the principles of excellence. Davidoff Cigars is no exception: the company has a “crop to shop” philosophy, expertly steering and maintaining control over every aspect of the production process. This includes growing tobacco crops from carefully selected seeds, harvesting, treating the leaves, rolling the cigars and managing distribution and retail. Each cigar is the product of countless hours of training and craftsmanship; harvesters identify, by eye, the perfect time to pick each leaf, while the rollers need ten years’ experience before they can work on the cigars.
Tobacco is grown in the Dominican Republic for the brand’s signature White Band Collection, while Black Band cigars are made with tobacco from the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, including Nicaragua and Brazil. Additional lines include the annual limited-edition cigars commemorating the Chinese New Year, and the Winston Churchill Collection, made exclusively in collaboration with the Churchill estate.
Inspired by the luxury goods market, Davidoff cigars are available only from certain retailers across the world. “Country by country, we choose the best retailers to represent the brand, with zero compromise on quality and the promise of a truly premium, luxurious experience,” says Edward. “This selective approach to distribution combines with our unwavering commitment to quality and passion to create the best and most sophisticated moments of indulgence.”
As well as producing more than 300 different cigars, Davidoff manufactures specialist humidors to ensure that cigars are kept in ideal climatic conditions. The brand is also introducing the pleasure of cigars to a wider audience through seminars, masterclasses and pairing events for those who want to learn about the unspoken rules and etiquette around cigars, exploring and understanding this world in a friendly environment. This characterises the Davidoff approach, which combines a love for the product with a touch of class: Swiss precision with Caribbean passion.