Following the relaunch of Davidoff Winston Churchill Cigars
in 2015, Davidoff has unveiled a contemporary accessory line inspired by the UK
leader’s long-serving role as a statesman.
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| Davidoff's London humidor design |
“The aim was to craft a new range of contemporary Davidoff
Winston Churchill accessories inspired by a key facet of the man himself – his
statesmanship,” said Charles Awad, Senior Vice President – Chief Marketing
Officer, Oettinger Davidoff AG. “Sir Winston Churchill’s leadership role in
British politics for over 55 years, as well as his well-known fondness for fine
cigars and Scotch whisky, were a great source of inspiration for Davidoff’s
teams of designers and craftsmen. The attractive designs of this new range, as
well as Davidoff’s unparalleled technical expertise, will make the cigar ritual
and the enjoyment of today’s discerning aficionado.”
The Ambassador and Primos humidors in the Davidoff Winston
Churchill accessories line aim to reflect Churchill’s wit and daring spirit.
Brightly coloured, they are described as “unmissable and full of character”.
The London humidor design shows the UK capital’s urban
landscape within a Winston Churchill profile on beige tulip wood. The Union
Jack design is available in blue birch wood and reflects the statesman in a
piece of marquetry made of a darker shade of tulip wood.
With a capacity for between 70 and 90 cigars, the sleek,
linear Ambassador is designed for a large assortment. The interior contains a
tray, a removable basket and dividers. Holding between 25 and 35 cigars, the
smaller Primos is designed as a second, compact humidor. The Ambassador and
Primos humidors are both available in two graphical styles as well as in the
Union Jack and London designs.
The Winston Churchill humidors are made by a French atelier
that is part of the Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant),
known for its traditional expertise. Both humidors are handmade.
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| Davidoff's Union Jack humidor design (pictures: Oettinger Davidoff AG) |
Inspired by Churchill’s affection for cigars and whisky, a
new crystal glass has been fitted with two notches on the side of the glass to
hold your cigar – described as a first in the cigar world. This feature leaves
you a free hand to greet someone, or post a social media picture. Churchill’s
silhouette is discreetly sandblasted at the bottom of the glass. These are
available in a set of two, handcrafted in Western Europe by glass blowers in a
small atelier with 120 years of glass-making experience.
In addition, a new porcelain ashtray features a Union Jack
pattern and is crafted in the French porcelain capital, Limoges, by an atelier
that is part of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant. The ashtray is a limited
and numbered edition, and only 115 pieces have been produced globally. Each
ashtray is numbered by hand.
The new Davidoff Winston Churchill accessories line will be
launching in August 2017.
Oettinger Davidoff emphasises Asia
Oettinger Davidoff AG has reported further expansion of its
global market position in an increasingly challenging environment in 2016.
Total sales in the fiscal year 2016 climbed on a comparable
basis by 8.2% to CHF 595 million (US$612 million), with an “outstanding” growth
of 20% for the core brand Davidoff.
2016 saw the completion of the new Camacho factory in
Honduras, as well as the acquisition of a majority stake in Bluebell Cigars
Asia and a minority stake in China's Sparkle Roll Cigars Co.
Said CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard: “2016 was a challenging
year for the cigar industry as new and costly anti-tobacco legislation was
introduced in both the EU and the US. While we are extremely pleased with the
continued double-digit growth of Davidoff and our global market share gains, we
did not achieve all our goals for 2016.”
Hoejsgaard said that regulatory requirements would further
challenge the industry in the current year in Europe and in the US. In 2016,
additional legal limitations prevailed in the cigar industry.
In Asia, Oettinger Davidoff emphasised its focus on the
region by founding Davidoff of Geneva Asia, following the acquisition of the
majority stake in Bluebell Cigars Asia. And with the acquisition of a minority
in Sparkle Roll Cigars China, the company has invested in “the greatest
potential market of the future”.
Hoejsgaard said he foresaw different growth patterns for the
prime markets Europe, the US and Asia. “We expect a challenging and difficult
2017 as new restrictions in our core markets US and Europe take hold and
retailers hold back and await clarity. We are confident that we can continue to
gain market share through our strong innovation and global retail footprint.”
