Swiss Wizardry vs. Havana Romance: Davidoff’s Rise to the Cigar Throne

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Swiss Wizardry vs. Havana Romance: Davidoff’s Rise to the Cigar Throne

Zino Davidoff (left) and Dr Ernst Schneider. (Image: Courtesy)

Written by Florian Schwab - Publishing Director, Thursday, 12 June 2025

From its humble Basel origins in 1875, Oettinger Davidoff has matured into a family-owned powerhouse. As it celebrates its 150th anniversary, the company is steering a 546.2 million francs empire through changing markets, stricter laws and shifting geographies – all while preserving the art of the handmade cigar.

Picture a morning in 1875: Max Oettinger lifts the shutters at Eisengasse 9, revealing a modest tobacconist’s window. That understated elegance ignited a story of heritage, craftsmanship and bold growth that still unfolds today.

Fast-forward a century and a half, and Oettinger Davidoff remains privately and family held. More than 4.000 employees staff 65 flagship boutiques and supply 700 select merchants across over 130 countries. «Record year,» proclaim the 2023 results: revenue rose 10.5 percent to 546.2 million francs – the second consecutive all-time high. (The company is expected to announce its 2024 figures next week.)

First Store in the Late 19th Century. (Image: Courtesy)

The Oettinger and Davidoff Alliance

Yet this global success belies modest beginnings. In the 1960s, Basel lawyer Dr Ernst Schneider (1921–2009) – son-in-law of Georg Huppuch, who had acquired the firm in the 1920s – breathed new life into the business by partnering with Geneva tobacconist Zino Davidoff (1906–1994). Davidoff’s store was then the epitome of tobacco enjoyment, revered by aficionados far beyond Switzerland.

The honorific insistence on the «Dr» in Ernst Schneider's name remains an affectionate title inside the company (and wider Basel), used to this day as a sign of respect for Schneider’s legacy. 

A Global Brand is Born

The two men created the first mainstream, non-Cuban premium cigar brand – Davidoff – and pioneered marketing across Europe, then Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and the United States. The American expansion, initially with the Zino brand as Davidoff was still associated with Cuba, was aided Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, owner of Château Mouton Rothschild, who opened key doors in the American society.

The collaboration between Schneider and Davidoff elevated the Davidoff brand, now the bedrock of Oettinger Davidoff’s portfolio, to a stature once reserved for Cuban cigars.

«Finca Dr Ernst Schneider» near Santiago de los Caballeros. (Image: Courtesy)

Schneider's Decisive Move

Schneider’s boldest move came in the early 1990s: he shifted production from Cuba to the Dominican Republic amid concerns over quality and intellectual-property rights, establishing a fully integrated «crop-to-shop» model. The portfolio has since expanded to include AVO, Camacho, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino and Zino Platinum.

Schneider also ventured into cigarettes, perfumes, spirits and wholesale for kiosks, railway station shops, petrol station stores, motorway service areas, and the tobacco trade – initiatives later sold or converted into franchising agreements held directly by his heirs and separated from the company.

49 Million Handmade Cigars

Today, Oettinger Davidoff focuses squarely on cigar production in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, rolling about 49 million handmade cigars a year – a volume that rivals, if not surpasses, Cuba’s undisclosed premium output.

«It is a great honor and pleasure to lead Oettinger Davidoff into the future,» says CEO Beat Hauenstein, citing innovative products, unique limited editions and unrivalled shopping experiences.

Oettinger Davidoff's Main Production Facilities in the Dominican Republic. (Image: Courtesy)

From Monaco to Hong Kong

Scale without compromise is Davidoff’s hallmark. Under Hauenstein’s leadership, production capacity in its Dominican hub has doubled, a new blending center opened in February 2025

The glass-walled Maison Davidoff in Basel, unveiled in 2017, pairs lofty offices with cedar-rich lounges. New flagships in Hong Kong, New York, Monaco and key travel-retail hubs signal renewed global ambition.

Boldness as North Star

Remaining privately held after 150 years is remarkable. What began as a single Basel boutique is now an international house that resists conglomeration, shielded from short-term pressures and guided by its founding values.

Boldness has long been Davidoff’s north star. In 1991, as Cuban quality slipped and the state tightened its grip on tobacco, Davidoff and Schneider took the unthinkable step of leaving Havana.

New Blending Center in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. (Image: Courtesy)

Period of Self-Discovery

That was hardly the firm’s only trial. After World War I, the founder’s fortunes waned, forcing creditors to appoint Georg Huppuch, who eventually gained ownership and paved the way for Schneider.

After Schneider’s death in 2009, the company entered a period of self-discovery, divesting several side businesses. Between 2011 and 2017, a highly marketing-driven – and costly – strategy produced acclaimed lines such as Davidoff Nicaragua and Escurio, albeit at a steep price on the company's income statement.

Latin Passion, Swiss Precision

Since Hauenstein became CEO in 2017 – and Domenico Scala (who is also on the board of Basler Kantonalbank) succeeded Andreas Schmid as president of the Board of Directors –, the approach has grown more strategic and disciplined, while maintaining a high cadence of innovation.

If entrepreneurial daring drives the company, Swiss precision sets the tempo. Every bale of tobacco is tracked from curing barn to humidor – quality control as exacting as any in the industry.

CEO Beat Hauenstein at Maison Davidoff. (Image: Courtesy)

That devotion to flavor is matched by an equally meticulous sense of responsibility. A board-level human-rights policy funds schools, sports and healthcare in producing regions, while the firm’s scale helps secure market access amid mounting regulatory headwinds.

Oettinger Davidoff's Soul

Ultimately, Oettinger Davidoff’s soul rests in skilled hands and in passion for premium cigars.

In Santiago, «torcedores» (many of whom second- and third-generation) roll each cigar leaf by leaf – a slow ritual yielding smokes designed for unhurried contemplation.

Signature white-band Davidoff cigars open with cedar, evolve into cocoa and leather, and finish with a wisp of clove – a flavor arc savored from Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse to New York’s Madison Avenue and Hong Kong’s Central district.

Source: https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/67970-oettinger-davidoff-150-year-anniversary-zino-ernst-schneider-beat-hauenstein