Imperiali Geneve Emperador

You might wonder, did WatchPaper lost its focus? What does a cigar chest has to do with watches? Well, actually quite a lot, just ask TimeCaptain. Then, there is also the fact that opening the Emperador cigar chest can easily make you loose focus.

This 70 cm long, 45 cm wide and 30 cm high chest has 2,675 components and is covered by several international patents, making it one of, if not THE most prestigious cigar chest out there.

Entirely manufactured in Switzerland, it is combining haute horlogerie with the craftsmanship of the cigar industry. Masters of traditional crafts, engineers, watchmakers and designers, Emperador is the fruit of the 18,000 hours of work from nearly one hundred professionals, coming from 27 trades.

The Emperador unveiling its treasures.

Opening the top will reveal twelve 24k gold plated cigars arranged in individual glass tubes, a further twelve are waiting to be enjoyed beneath the top row. It also comes with a cigar cutter, a table lighter and an ashtray, all crafted with the greatest care and attention.

The Emperador cigars reproduce the richness, complexity and balance of the best Cuban cigars. Hundreds of combinations of tobacco carefully selected by the blender were required to achieve the perfect alliance. The Jamastran Valley (south Honduras) and the Jalapa Valley (north Nicaragua) are the fertile soils chosen for the Imperiali plantations, the El Dorado of Cuban emigrants who arrived equipped with their seeds and expertise.

The Emperador seen from the top, with the cover open.

The three mechanical dials display in real time the relative humidity and temperature, the power reserve and… the number of cigars remaining.

Imperiali has developed the world’s first relative humidity and temperature self- regulating system, which requires neither water nor human intervention.

The Emperador guarantees a constant humidity level of 70% and a temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, regardless of external environmental conditions.

Of course, cigars don’t taste same if they are not stored in a box with a tourbillon. That’s not true, but they do taste better when you can enjoy them in the company of a Swiss horological marvel. The Imperiali flying tourbillon timepiece, placed at the centre of the stage, is made from 323 components, made entirely by master watchmakers from the Swiss Jura, featuring high-end finishes, such as a Clous de Paris guilloche dial.

Imperiali Geneve Emperador — Ritual One: cutting

The cutting of the cigar — a moment of supreme symbolism — is the first ritual to connect the user to his cigar. Undoubtedly the most complex of all the accessories, the cigar cutter is guided by one strong principle: precision.

Two mechanisms work alongside each other to meet the most exacting demands : the guillotine and the punch.

Here once again, the exceptional and the unexpected are ever- present. In both instances, the cigar is automatically detected, centred and clamped. A laser beam indicates the cutting point to the millimetre.

The cigar is cut by the guillotine in an instant, ensuring a clean, neat edge. The punch, available in three sizes according to preference, perforates the cigar to an equal level of perfection.

Imperiali Geneve Emperador — Ritual Two: lighting

Once cut, the cigar is ready to come alive. At the tip of the gas-fuelled table lighter, three nozzles and as many blue flames gently warm the cigar. As their intensity increases, the flames draw closer to each other until they become one. The cigar is ready to be savoured.

The Imperiali lighter was designed to ensure the cigar is lit correctly and burns uniformly. It respects the finesse of the cigar, its aromas and body, and does not scorch its gold wrap.

Imperiali Geneve Emperador — Ritual Three: savouring

With its generous curves and its two cigar rests, the Imperiali ashtray was designed for sharing. Its diaphragm aperture system fitted with motion sensors opens in a fraction of a second to collect the golden dust in the form of ash.

Imperiali Geneve Emperador

Imperiali Geneve was founded by two longtime friends — David Pasciuto and Stéphane Nazzal. They want to make it more than a brand, to be an art of living, driven by the love of beauty and an uncompromising desire to innovate by playing with and overcoming the laws of physics. Looking at the Emperor, I would say they are on the right track; it is a cigar chest that would satisfy even the most hard-to-please hedonist.

Price: 1,000,000 CHF

www.imperiali-geneve.com