The Davidoff Winston Churchill cigar range has launched in Europe at the same time as the brand’s flagship store re-opening, 24 March, in Geneva.

 

The original Davidoff ‘mother store’ on Rue de Rive 2 has been revamped in accordance with the new globally standardised design concept ‘Davidoff of Geneva – since 1911’, and reopened its doors after several weeks of renovation with the new line, created in honour of Great Britain’s stoic wartime Prime Minister.

 

One of the world’s most iconic cigar aficionados, Sir Winston Churchill was a man who was ‘the very embodiment of ‘Time Beautifully Filled’’, says the brand, a man whose many facets added up to a personality which set him apart.

 

With the aim of crafting a new range of exceptional cigars as uniquely diverse as the man who inspired them, the Davidoff Master Blenders have accomplished a blend of complex character with a rich mixture of fine qualities, drawing on and harmonising the tobaccos of Nicaragua, Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

 

The strength of the blend is medium to full body with a wide palette of exciting flavours and aromas. The cigars are adorned with an oily wrapper with a slight reddish hue and come presented in an elegant white wooden box printed with the unmistakable silhouette of Sir Winston Churchill.

“We feel sure that Sir Winston would have enjoyed sharing one of these exceptional cigars which surely do justice to one of the most celebrated cigar lovers in history: The Aristocrat, The Artist, The Commander, The Raconteur, The Statesman, The Traveller – these are cigars of character,” says Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO of Oettinger Davidoff AG.

 

Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston’s great-grandson comments, “A great cigar was Churchill’s favourite travelling companion and, whether he was being Statesman, Commander, or dinner party guest, he was rarely without one.

 

“As a descendent of American pioneers, through his mother Jennie Jerome of New York, and of aristocratic British military figures – the Dukes of Marlborough – through his father, he knew the significance of history and the value of time. And he always had time for a cigar.”

 

On the flagship store re-launch Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard says, “We are proud to celebrate the re-opening of our mother store here in Geneva in this particular year, which marks the 140th anniversary of Oettinger Davidoff AG.

 

“What makes the opening all the more special is that this shop, founded in 1911, is the true mother place of the ‘Davidoff of Geneva’ Experience which significantly shaped our company. Now is also the perfect time to honour Dr. Ernst Schneider and Zino Davidoff.

 

“In 1970, Dr. Ernst Schneider took over Zino Davidoff’s shop, and the transaction between these two visionaries founded the starting point for our global brand.”

 

“The challenge in re-designing this unique cigar shop was to preserve its history but to continue our mission to delight and surprise our consumers worldwide by delivering unique brands and unrivalled retail experiences,” explains Thomas Mathys, Store Manager of the Geneva Davidoff Flagship.

 

The store boasts around 100 sqm, which includes a 30 sqm walk-in humidor and a retail and accessories section covering some 70 sqm. The humidor has been designed with a ceiling covered in real tobacco leaves, emulating a cigar production factory in the Dominican Republic.

 

The exclusive interior design combines lush woods and natural materials in earthy tones, reminiscent of the colour of the cigars. Accentuated with shades of copper and adorned with a ‘Light Forest’ chandelier by Studio Ontwerpduo at the entrance – a reminder of the tropics of the Dominican Republic – this flagship store has been transformed into an elegant, contemporary and warm retail space.

 

Additionally, it is the first store in the world to display a holographic box. The first film will feature the Winston Churchill campaign.

Having already launched in the US in February 2015, the Davidoff Winston Churchill cigars are now available at Davidoff Depositaires and Flagship Stores worldwide from March.