Zino Davidoff
A man destined to create great cigars.
The story begins in Kyiv in 1906, where Zino Davidoff was born. As the heir of a long line of tobacconists, he was naturally predestined to work in the tobacco industry. Although his future seemed to be quite obvious, fate decided otherwise. The Davidoff family fled to Geneva in 1911 because of certain political factions in Ukraine. Zino was 5 years old when his father, Henri, set up his own retail cigar shop on Rue du Marché in Geneva. Davidoff of Geneva was born!
When in Geneva, Zino studied at Calvin College before traveling to Latin America. At the age of twenty, he continued his classes in Argentina, Brazil and especially Cuba, where he spent several years learning the cigar. "A discovery, a wonder", he would later say.
On his return to Switzerland in 1930, he opened a specialized department in his father's small shop. Zino created new blends and invented new ways of preserving tobacco and cigars. He is also believed to be the first cigar merchant on the Old Continent to be equipped with a cigar humidor. All of this contributed to his solid reputation.
As the World War II approached the shores of Lake Geneva, Zino maintained his business. France feared for its stock of cigars against the invading forces and asked Davidoff of Geneva for help. This war was an exceptional growth opportunity for Zino who took over the shop. It allowed him to build up a giant stock of Cuban cigars, so that Europeans could enjoy them later in peacetime.
At the same time, his rise to notability and a glamorous aura of his brand was provided by his masterstroke in the marketing of the famous Châteaux series. The latter was originally produced in the Hoyo de Monterrey factory. Each vitola was named after one of Bordeaux grand crus: Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Lafite, Château Haut-Brion and Château Yquem. Davidoff became a brand linked to Epicureanism, synonymous with good life and high social status, particularly in Europe.
Later, in 1967, after having invented the humidor, Davidoff obtained the authorization from Cubatabaco to create cigars of his name. Thus the Hoyo de Monterrey Château series was renamed to Davidoff Château. Production was transferred to the famous El Laguito factory, which had been commissioned just a year before, in 1966, to produce Cohiba cigars. These changes allowed the introduction of new blends (the original recipe documents of which you can see on the photo). There were also new vitolas created, such as The Davidoff No.1, Davidoff No.2 and Davidoff Ambassadrice. These vitolas actually correspond to those recently introduced by the eponymous factory: Laguito No.1, Laguito No.2 and Laguito No.3. Later came the Davidoff Château Mouton Rothschild and Davidoff Dom Pérignon.
These cigars were commercially successful and Zino's store had become a new cosmopolitan hotspot where celebrities from all over the world could be found. This craze enabled Davidoff to open stores in the four corners of the globe, from Hong Kong to London and New York. Davidoff of Geneva had become "Davidoff of the world"!
However, at the end of the 1980s, relations with Cuba became more complicated. Zino Davidoff abandoned Cuban tobacco for that of the Dominican Republic. He invoked a lack of quality as the main reason for his departure from Cuba. Moreover, he publicly burned thousands of Cuban Davidoff cigars that were not good enough for the man who thought that "quality is not a luxury". The truth, however, remains somewhat confused and controversial.
Davidoff praised the cigar until his death in 1994. Davidoff Cigars embody the life of Zino Davidoff: his brilliant savoir-vivre permeated every aspect of cigar making and the pleasure they provide. A visionary in every respect, Zino was a man who made sure that time, like each of his cigars, was always beautifully filled.
To learn more about Davidoff cigars and the history of the brand, we are delighted to invite you to our Art and Culture area, where you will find exclusive pieces - the original recipe documents for the different Cuban Davidoff cigars.
(Pieces from our private collection)
For more information, contact us on +41 22 552 2799