Cigars and watches: exhilarating puffs
There's an epicurean complicity between buyers of striking mechanical watches and smokers of Havana cigars, and Zenith has fanned the flames with its El Primero 1969 Cohiba. Here's an overview of the situation.
By Joel Grandjean
Editor-in-Chief
Breathe in, breathe out... Just breathe!
Smoking kills. At a time when France is selling brandless cigarette packets that display blood-streaked cautionary images, it would seem that watchmaking is playing the rebel.
For several years now, a wind of rebellion has been blowing over the watchmaking industry. It would seem it is trying to follow in the steps of a certain Jura canton in Switzerland which has not banned the vile habit from public places. And so, between drags, some mavericks have been testing here and there the natural link between appealing watches and cigars. Could it be a coincidence? What with Zenith having recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cohiba in Cuba with the launch of a smoky El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Cohiba Edition, it is time to recapitulate some other subversive actions.
A wind of rebellion: Hayek, Purnell, Hautlence and… Rebellion
The late Nicolas Hayek used to publish an official image of himself basking in smoky delight, haloed by opaque puffs. Was he trying to test imminent prohibition or was he paying a tribute to his – now rare – Swatch Cigar? In any case, it would seem that his son, Nick Hayek Junior, has decided to add the smoking paternal figure to his list of rebellious actions – as those who partake in the general meetings of the Swatch Group can attest.
The image was used by many fun-loving CEOs from the watchmaking scene. Thus, Jonathan Purnell did not hesitate to publish pictures of himself with a large cigar between his fingers in his brand’s (Cecil Purnell) communications. But shouldn't the cigar have somewhat made it more difficult for him to wind his tourbillon timepieces? Or take Guillaume Têtu, co-founder of Hautlence (anagram of Neuchâtel) and ambassador of a niche complicated watchmaking. When a such photo of him was released in the media he explained: "It was taken by Dominic Khoo, a watchmaking fan from Singapore. After he visited our workshop in Neuchâtel, he immortalised my Cohiba CigloVI. I was introduced to this art by Mijat, owner of M-Design, designer of our HLS range, including the HLS00, a cigar-colored version".
After a watch presentation or a meal, it is not rare to see a watchmaking director bypassing the codes of lung-respecting decorum to indulge in this guilty pleasure. One example of this is Calim Bouhadra, Junior vice-president of Rebellion Timepieces, who indulged at Baselworld 2016. That was after successfully introducing to the press as well as potential clients the amazing and transparent Magnum 540 Sapphire Tourbillon, the most complex case ever made in this material.
Cigar cutters and urban design
Antoine Preziuso is another rebel who undertook the task of finding a solution to a recurrent problem for chain smokers – finding a cigar cutter when needed. Hence, he added a cutter to his Robusto Cigar Cutter from the Precious Hours collection, which was revealed when turning over the watch. Alternatively, and as if in order to add pleasure to an already pleasant situation, the visible gear trains could be admired at work. Immediately after that piece he created the Che Guevara model.
The Genevan brand Jean Mairet & Gillman also created a watch equipped with a cigar-cutter function, but in this case placed on the dial. Urban designer Pierre Koukjian, co-founder of deLaCour and great explorer of exclusive materials, fixed a cigar leaf on the dial of his iconic Bi-Chrono. Its veins and smooth skin were tamed with the secret technique of gluing and petrification. "The appeal is in the leaf and not the smoke, as is assumed", he admitted while showing me that one of his other masterstrokes was to introduce tar on one of the dials of his Bichrono S3. Yet, this time it was not the tar of smoke-damaged lungs but that found on the asphalt of F1 circuits. In any case, his daring attitude and genius strokes are today focused on HEDERA, the new brand that he is launching.
Hublot's smoking watch saga
With the King Power Arturo Fuente, Hublot introduced a cigar manufacturer from the Dominican Republic into the watchmaking universe. Known as the "most prized cigar", the Fuente Fuente Opus X was the star of a special limited-edition timepiece. The story behind it goes as follows: Carlos Fuente discovered an area near Santiago that reminded him of the famous "Pinar del rio" valley, historical cradle of legendary Cuban cigars. There he grew tobacco leaves. An agricultural prowess, the tobbaco came from the Château de la Fuente and was unique as it had an exceptional rich aroma.
In 1992, the first Dominican puros –cigars made with leaves of the same origin – came from the Tabacalera Fuente. To allow the nine tobacco leaves to mix their aromas, they are aged for two years before they are exported. Its rarity was well worth a timepiece, something that Hublot took care of.
As cigar and watch manufacturers share many values in common – Arturo Fuente, still managed by the same Cuban family exiled to the Dominican Republic, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012 and its functioning is very similar to that of a watchmaking brand. Both the cigar brand and Hublot have organized their job in workshops. They employ around 300 people, who have different skills and realize exclusive craftsmanship. In the same way that a workshop is dedicated to complications and master watchmakers, in the cigar brand’s site there is a whole room for Master Torcedors who are solely focused on making the Fuente Fuente Opus X, the emotion-inducing rare cigar.
Smoking areas and humidors
When talking “cigars” with watchmaking journalist Ollivier Broto, frequent flier between Geneva and Cuba, watch collector and president of a cigar club, there is always a mention to the smoking areas in watchmaking-jewelry shops that have more or less worked out well. For example, there is one at Ambassadeurs in Geneva, which is part of the Connaisseurs space dedicated to a handful of enthusiast clients. You also have to mention Cuervo Y Sobrinos, a brand that drew its name from its first store in Havana. The brand's presentation cases can also be used as humidors. We will soon speak about this brand that was at Baselworld 2016 and which waves the Cuban hat while sipping caipirinhas. Breathe in, breathe out... Just breathe!
Zenith and the world's finest cigar
By Marco Cattaneo
, Journalist
The manufacture in Le Locle has come out with the attractive El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Cohiba Edition to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the famous...