We set out on the trail of cigar box designs and learned exciting facts. Let us discover the secrets and the art behind the incredibly diverse caskets.

The origins of cigar boxes: Cuba
Cuba is one of the world’s leading tobacco countries due to its expertise in producing premium cigars. It is also the country of origin of cigar boxes. The first ones were made from cedarwood in the Caribbean at the beginning of the 19^th century.

Cedarwood cigar boxes – a fragrant tradition
Cedarwood possesses unique properties, such as its characteristic fragrance and ability to regulate humidity. These characteristics help improve the cigars’ flavor and quality, making this kind of wood the ideal source material. Fun fact: The wood contains essential oils that provide insect protection. It is ideal for protecting against unwanted intruders.

Cedarwood is still used today in the production of cigar boxes. However, wood from gaboon, also known as okoumé, is often used for economic reasons.

What makes a cigar box valuable?
The contents of the cigar box, the cigar, are most precious for aficionados and aficionadas. Why, then, is the box so valuable to them?

The label is the storyteller on the cigar box
For one, there is the label. The beautifully designed labels often serve more than to identify the brand or type of tobacco. They often tell a story like that of the world-famous lovers Romeo and Juliet. This tragic tale found its way onto the cigar box via so-called “readers” in the Cuban factories. They sit opposite the Cuban factory workers, the torcedoras and torcedores, and read them great literary classics or from the newspaper. The rollers met the story of Romeo and Juliet with such enthusiasm that they named the new cigar brand after it.

Filete – the colored bands around cigar boxes
In addition to the label, cigar boxes have another decorative feature. You have probably already admired it in the past – a colored band around the outer edges of the cigar boxes, the so-called “filete”. The band is used as a design element to embellish the boxes aesthetically and seal them, guaranteeing their integrity.

Warning labels require creativity when designing the cigar box
Since 2003, the displaying of warning labels on cigar boxes has been required by law. It required cigar manufacturers, including VILLIGER, to modify the traditional design of their packaging. Creative ways were needed to integrate the warnings without compromising the box design. Manufacturers began to realize eye-catching, novel forms of box design. Creative shapes and materials differ from the tried-and-tested boxes and are still sought-after collector items.

The cigar boxes become coveted collector´s items that are often passed down through generations.

Artistic cigar box design
Do you know it? Visuals are often a deciding factor when choosing a cigar. Thus, the artistic design of the packaging becomes a high priority. The artists’ craftsmanship transforms simple wooden boxes into works of art that not only protect the cigars but also tell a story, and inspire the imagination of connoisseurs.

The best example of this is the VILLIGER 1492. 

Udo Albrecht, CEO of the Kreativagentur Maiers Büro, is the artist behind the limited VILLIGER 1492 Discovery Edition (available in Switzerland and Germany only) cigar box. For years, he has touched aficionados, aficionadas and collectors hearts with his lovingly crafted illustrations. 

The VILLIGER collector´s editions  
VILLIGER aims to inspire its customers with collector´s editions, going beyond the  VILLIGER 1492 Discovery Edition.

After the great success of the first Limitada from our in-house manufactory, the VILLIGER de Nicaragua Edición Limitada 2022, our second in-house creation follows, the VILLIGER de Nicaragua Edición Limitada 2023. The special edition comes in an exquisite, high-gloss, lacquered wooden box containing ten cigars.

The VILLIGER Miami also delights cigar lovers as a “limited edition.” Because of the limited tobacco quantity, only 500 boxes of these excellent cigars were produced for the European market.

From the inception of Cuban factories to today´s creative designs and collector´s items: All cigar boxes contribute to the history and tradition of cigar culture while preserving the quality and flavor of their contents.

Discover the numerous creative cigar box designs in our VILLIGER product range.