Bonus Busting Humidors

by Michael Herklots

LUXE BOXES

BUGATTI [opposite page] is known for for its ultra-lightweight, ultra-high-speed cars, including the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Its namesake humidor ($5,000) embraces that same sense of fine engineering and attention to detail, with an aluminum and wood exterior finished in 15 coats of lacquer. The humidification system operates via a built-in microprocessor that requires onetime programming.

ZINO PLATINUM introduced their first humidor in 2004; now their entire collection is available in four mirror-finished lacquer colors. The Cavern Humidor ($3,100) looks like something Bang & Olufsen might have designed for the Starship Enterprise’s cigar lounge, an oval that opens at its center to reveal the wooden tray within.

DURET has been crafting belts, shoes, and accessories for almost 20 years. Now they’re applying their techniques to humidors, with an added bonus: smokers can create their own box. Choose from cedar or Okume wood for the interior, and your brand of leather for the outside (if the $12,000 alligator version strikes your fancy, company artisans will take 30 hours sewing five stomach skins onto your 110- count humidor.) You can monogram your humidor in gold.

THE DAVIDOFF OF GENEVA GIANT
($14,500) is one of several humidor options by Davidoff. The annual limited-edition series of humidors (sequentially numbered) has a specific theme, from Egyptian motifs and floral arrangements to landscapes and portraits. French artisan Jérôme Boutteçon utilizes marqueterie, cutting and layering the smallest pieces of exotic woods on top of one another.

MICHEL PERMOUD created Le Temps d’un Cigare humidor (cave), which comes in a mahogany version ($6,100), as well as one in black lacquer (above, $6,400). And so you never lose track of time when lighting up, the lid houses a stainless steel clock.

HAVACUBE was a full ten years in the making, no surprise given the sophistication of the active humidification system, which requires attention only every six months to a year. Temperature and humidity are digitally displayed on the front of each custom-manufactured unit, which can store some 800 cigars; available finishes include ostrich and crocodile leather (prices can vary from $18,000 to $65,000).

CIGARS INCLUDED

SERIE R LIMITADA has its Retrospectivo humidor ($2,500), which comes with Serie R Limitada cigars. However, this year marks the final release of cigar master Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s limited-edition Serie R humidors. Expect prices to rise accordingly.

THE PROMETHEUS 15TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION GOD OF FIRE HUMIDOR ($12,500), produced by Prometheus International, comes with 400 God of Fire cigars created by Carlito Fuente; but the box’s Spanish cedar interior has room for 300 more. Three passive Prometheus Optima humidors and hygrometers keep tabs on humidity inside the box.