by Raimundo Urrechaga
HAVANA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The time to enjoy a Premium cigar goes beyond seconds or minutes, it's a unique experience, one that Habanos S.A., a Cuban-Spanish company that sells the world-famous cigars, seeks to expand.
Just as the 21st edition of the Habanos Festival was wrapping up on Friday, the corporation unveiled a new partnership between Trinidad, one of its most exclusive brands, and the Swiss watch manufacturer, Zenith.
A trilogy of only 150 units of a unique watch named "Zenith for Trinidad" made in different color combinations of gold (white, yellow and rose), whose cost is about 25,000 U.S. dollars, is the newest option for customers who wish to have an all-around experience.
"For us the main objective of this collaboration is not economic, it is to extend the brand experience to our consumers beyond smoking a Premium cigar. We want to globalize the Habano culture and combine our brand with other products," Jose Maria Lopez, director of development at Habanos S.A. told Xinhua.
According to Lopez, the Cuban-Spanish firm works to diversify its business prospects by combining the famous cigars with liquors, clothing and renowned watches.
In this context, Julien Tornare, CEO of the Swiss firm, said both companies share a common ground in market strategies.
"We share values such as excellence, luxury, and both products are totally handmade by human beings. Not many products today can still be made entirely by human hands, it is impossible to make them with machines and it is something that requires knowledge and skill," he said.
Tornare also explained that the Swiss watch maker's relationship with Habanos S.A. began in 2016, when the two companies decided to work together to create a special watch to mark the 50th anniversary of Cohiba, the most famous brand of Cuban cigars.
"The 50th anniversary of Trinidad aroused Zenith's interest as it takes place along with the half-century of our 'El Primero' technology, one of the most precise series-produced chronographs in the history of watchmaking," he stressed.
The interest on both side remains, for continuing to create products of excellence, perfection and exclusiveness.
"Both companies share fundamental values in our strategy, brands and handmade products, where quality control and requirements are most important in production. We also share exclusive consumers who want to have a special experience," said Tornare.
The annual cigar festival in the Caribbean island state will end late on Friday with the traditional gala dinner and the auction of humidors, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Cuban health system. Last year, 1.8 million dollars were raised.
During the last week, over 2,200 participants from 70 countries visited tobacco plantations in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, toured cigar factories in Havana or took part in conferences, blind tasting competitions and other contests.
