The Mystery Behind Davidoff Cigars And Cologne: Are They Related?

The Davidoff brand is synonymous with luxury, class, and quality. The company was founded by Zino Davidoff, who was born in Ukraine in 1906 to a family of tobacco merchants. After moving to Geneva, Switzerland, as a child, Zino went on to travel through South America, learning about the tobacco market and settling in Cuba, where he became an expert in cigar tobacco. He returned to Geneva and began to expand his family's tobacco shop, which thrived post-World War II as Switzerland became a destination for wealthy European tobacco consumers. In addition to tobacco, the Davidoff brand has expanded into other luxury goods, including fragrances, watches, leather goods, eyewear, coffee, and cognac. The first Davidoff fragrance, Davidoff Classic, was launched in 1984, followed by the brand's most famous scent, Davidoff Cool Water, in 1988. Davidoff cigars, on the other hand, have become renowned for their distinct flavours and high-quality construction, with the White Label Series being the first Dominican cigars produced by the brand.

Davidoff: a 'lifestyle' brand

The name Davidoff has become synonymous with luxury, class, and quality. The brand has positioned itself as one of the premier luxury goods companies in the world, with its products ranging from tobacco to clothing and cologne.

The Davidoff story began in Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire. Founder Zino Davidoff was born in 1906 into a family of tobacco merchants in Kiev. The family moved to Geneva when he was five years old, and it was there that Zino joined the family tobacco business. He studied how to grow and cure tobacco leaves on Cuban plantations and learned the secrets of cigar rolling. During World War II, he took advantage of Switzerland's neutrality to trade with all countries.

In 1968, Zino Davidoff founded the Davidoff Cigars brand in Geneva. The company soon became known for its commitment to elegance and craftsmanship, with the Davidoff White Label seen as the quintessential premium cigar. In the late 1960s, the Cuban government-owned cigar company, Cubatabaco, partnered with Davidoff to create an exclusive line of Cuban cigars for Davidoff stores. This included the still-popular No. 1 and No. 2 cigars.

In 1980, Zino Davidoff Group was founded, spinning off from the tobacco-product company Davidoff to focus exclusively on non-tobacco luxury goods. The company began to sell the rights to use the Davidoff name, resulting in a range of products such as Davidoff fragrances produced by Coty Prestige, Davidoff cognac produced by Hine, Davidoff glasses by Menrad, and Davidoff coffee by Tchibo.

The first Davidoff fragrance, Davidoff Classic, was launched in 1984, followed by another scent named after its creator, Zino, in 1986. However, it was the brand's most renowned fragrance, Cool Water, launched in 1988, that cemented Davidoff's success in the fragrance industry. Created by Pierre Bourdon, Cool Water was one of the first fragrances for men to pioneer the aquatic theme and offer a fresh and masculine scent.

In addition to cigars and fragrances, Davidoff has expanded its product line to include clothing, accessories, watches, eyewear, and even luxury goods such as leather goods and writing instruments. The company has also ventured into food and beverage, with Davidoff cognac and Davidoff coffee.

Today, Davidoff continues to be an iconic lifestyle brand, known for its commitment to quality and craftsmanship across a diverse range of products. The brand has successfully diversified its offerings while maintaining its reputation for luxury and elegance.

Davidoff's first fragrance

In 1984, six years after the launch of the Davidoff Cigars brand, the company launched its first fragrance, Davidoff Classic. Perfumer Edouard Flechier created a manly and strong fougère fragrance that hints at cigars, humidors, and a smoking room for gentlemen, without using tobacco at all. The top notes of this fragrance were artemisia, lime, basil, and lemon; the middle notes were carnation, orris, cumin, and rose; and the base notes were leather, patchouli, oak moss, and castoreum.

The brand's motto, "real luxury is to feel the beauty and pleasure of every moment", was registered in 1980. After that, the brand began to sell the rights to use its name. As a result, Davidoff fragrances are now produced by Coty Prestige, Davidoff cognac is produced by Hines, Davidoff glasses are created by Menrad, and Davidoff coffee is made by Tchibo. Davidoff markets its watches, ties, pens, leather goods, and cigars independently.

The first Davidoff fragrance was released for distribution by Lancaster, which was later acquired by Benckiser, and then became part of Coty in 1992. The vintage version of the fragrance must have the name of the Lancaster Group, and the word Davidoff should be written in cursive letters. This logo is also half a century old and was written by Zino Davidoff himself by hand as a personal guarantee of quality.

In 2010, Coty announced that Davidoff Original, Zino, Relax, and Good Life would be withdrawn from production. However, bottles with the signature of Davidoff can still be found.

Davidoff's cigar history

The history of Davidoff cigars began in Geneva in 1968, but the story starts much earlier. Zino Davidoff, born Zinoviy (Zussele-Meer) Gilelevich Davydov in what is now Ukraine, was born into the tobacco business. He joined his father's tobacco trade as a young man, learning how to grow and cure tobacco leaves on Cuban plantations, as well as the art of cigar rolling. During World War II, he took advantage of Switzerland's neutrality to trade tobacco with all countries.

In 1911, Zino's family fled Kiev to escape the Czarist Russian pogroms, settling in Geneva, where his father, Henri, opened a small tobacco shop. This shop became a meeting place for exiled enemies of the Czar, including a young man named Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, who would later be known as Vladimir Lenin.

As a young man, Zino chose to travel the world instead of attending university. He went to Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba, where he fell in love with tobacco and learned about the growing, cultivation, and aging processes of the finest Cuban cigars. He returned to Europe in 1930 and began expanding his father's tobacco business into the world of cigars, introducing the use of humidors to preserve the integrity of the cigars sold in his father's shop.

Zino's relationships with Cuban cigar manufacturers grew into a profitable enterprise, and he was put in charge of a large Cuban cigar warehouse in Paris before the German invasion of France. This gave him a monopoly over Havana cigars in the European market, and the popularity of Cubans quickly grew, with many cigar lovers travelling to Geneva to purchase them at the Davidoff shop.

After World War II, Zino presented a shrewd strategy to his Cuban suppliers, who wanted to expand their European presence. He suggested naming cigars after the legendary "Grand Cru" wines of Bordeaux, connecting these cigars to the pedigrees of renowned wine-making estates in the consumers' eyes. This strategy was incredibly successful, and even the Cuban Revolution in 1959 could not disturb the robust demand for fine Havana cigars in Europe.

In the 1960s, a publisher approached Zino to write a book about his extensive cigar knowledge. "The Connoisseur's Book of the Cigar" was released in 1967, reflecting Zino's unquestioned affinity for fine cigars.

By the end of the decade, Zino's Cuban suppliers offered to create a signature line of Davidoff cigars to commemorate his contributions to the industry. In 1970, the first Davidoff-named cigars premiered: "Davidoff No. 1," "Davidoff No. 2," and the "Ambassadrice." At the height of his success, Zino sold his business to the Oettinger family of Basel, Switzerland, but he continued to serve as a brand ambassador until his death in 1994.

In the late 1980s, Zino became dissatisfied with the quality and consistency of Cuban cigars, and in 1989, he publicly burned thousands of them, infuriating the Cuban government and severing their ties with him. Despite this, Cuban Davidoff cigars remain highly sought-after and command large sums at auctions.

By the early 1990s, all Davidoff production had shifted to the Dominican Republic, where master cigar-maker Hendrik (Henke) Kelner guided the brand through the following decades and into the U.S. market. Today, Davidoff cigars are known for their exquisite and balanced flavour profiles, handcrafted gems that stand as the purest of pure luxury.

Davidoff's other products

The Davidoff brand is known for its cigars and fragrances, but it offers a wide range of other products as well. The Zino Davidoff Group was established in 1980 to market non-tobacco luxury goods under the Davidoff name. These include:

• Watches
• Leather goods
• Pens
• Eyewear
• Coffee
• Cognac

The brand has also expanded into other product lines, including:

• Humidors: For example, the Monolith Humidor, which can hold up to 120 Toro cigars and is carved from a single piece of Moca Cream limestone.
• Accessories: Such as belts and other items made from Italian leather.
• Pipes and pipe tobacco: In 1972, Davidoff released its first pipe tobaccos, and it continues to sell a range of pipes and tobacco products.

The Davidoff brand has been diversified to promote its tobacco products and advertise the brand in the face of restrictions on direct tobacco promotion.

Davidoff's Swiss roots

The Davidoff brand is steeped in Swiss heritage, with roots stretching back to the early 20th century. The story begins with Zino Davidoff, born Zinoviy (Zussele-Meer) Gilelevich Davydov in 1906 in Novhorod-Siverskyi, now part of Ukraine. In 1911, Zino's family fled to Geneva, Switzerland, to escape the Czarist Russia pogroms.

Zino's father, Henri Davidoff, opened a small tobacco shop in Geneva shortly after their arrival. This shop became a haven for exiled enemies of the Czar, including a notable visitor, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, who later changed his name to Vladimir Lenin. The young Zino was struck by the fact that this intriguing customer was never charged for his cigarettes. Over the decades, the Davidoff shop welcomed many statesmen and historical figures.

After choosing to travel the world instead of attending university, Zino gained a deep insight into tobacco cultivation and production in countries like Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil. He returned to Geneva in 1930 and began expanding his father's tobacco business, introducing the use of humidors to preserve the integrity of the cigars sold in the shop.

By the end of World War II, Zino Davidoff decided to acquire a licence to produce his own cigars. He named the various formats of this Château series after famous Bordeaux vineyard estates, such as "Château Latour" in 1946. In 1967, Cubatabaco, Cuba's state tobacco monopoly, approached Zino about creating a line of cigars bearing the "Davidoff" name. The first cigars with the Davidoff moniker were released in 1968, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the brand.

The Davidoff brand has since diversified beyond cigars, cigarettes, and smoker's accessories. The Zino Davidoff Group was established in 1980 to market non-tobacco luxury goods, including fragrances, eyewear, coffee, and cognac. The brand has continued to expand its offerings, maintaining its Swiss roots while gaining global recognition.

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