Topping our 2016 Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour looked like an impossible task to us at the beginning of 2017… However, as the year went by, we added one milestone after the other, arriving to what we’re proud to say was an epic cigar tour this year! The latest addition to our cigar series was the smash-hit Dubai Watch Week Edition which we launched this November. With ten events around the globe, we’ve celebrated the good things in life with colleagues, friends and aficionados with loads of joy, fun, passion and fine smokes! Here’s a round up of those great memories…
The Arturo Fuente Cigars Dubai Exclusivo Launch in Dubai
On November 28, we crowned our Cigar World Tour this year with a special Arturo Fuente Cigars night, co-hosted with Allied Foods & Trading and S.T. Dupont, for the unveiling of the first ever Dubai Exclusivo. As always, our dear friend Carlos Fuente Jr. was the star of the evening, welcoming everyone with positivity and fire for life. Carlito shared deep emotions and thoughts, explaining more about the all-new release from his own Especial Reserva Limitada and voicing his love for the ‘city of life’. The evening transported guests in Four Season Jumeirah‘s Mercury Lounge to the Chateau De La Fuente for a “Desert Dream”: the discovery of this very special cigar collection which is available exclusively at the Dubai Duty Free.
A Cigar Evening with Italian flair, with Bvlgari Watches
On November 19, the fourth and final part of our Dubai Watch Week Edition, in collaboration with Day&Night magazine and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, took on a Italian flair with Bvlgari Watches, for a gentlemen’s evening of design, fine watchmaking and cigars. Senior Director for Watch Design at Bvlgari Fabrizio Buonamassa and the Bvlgari Dubai team welcomed guests at DWW’s Citizen Kafé with a warm benvenuto, to a medley of Italian classics and contemporary pop songs. The evening featured Montecristo Sublimes Edición Limitada 2008 and 2016 and Ramón Allones Short Perfectos Exclusivo Italia cigars.
Tourbillons and Cigars with Officine Panerai
Because we can’t get enough of cigar gatherings, we co-hosted two events on November 19… The third part of our Dubai Watch Week Edition series, up at the Four Seasons DIFC‘s Churchill Club, was a gathering of regional horology and cigar enthusiasts with Officine Panerai, in partnership with our dear friend Panerai Central. The evening was all about Panerai tourbillon watches and fine Ramón Allones Short Perfectos Exclusivo Italia; Partagas No.4; and Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 cigars. 
A Very Rare Experience with H. Moser & Cie.
Day 2 of our Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour Dubai Watch Week Edition -November 18- was a busy one. The evening started at Citizen Kafé with H. Moser & Cie. for a fine smoke and a “Very Rare” experience in the presence of CEO Edouard Meylan: the launch of the Dubai Edition and the handover of the Dubai Watch Club Special Edition to the club members. From the moment they arrived, guests enjoyed an amicable, all-Swiss ambiance in a relaxed setting, while enjoying refined, smooth but full of flavor Cohiba Medio Siglos and the well rounded Punch Robusto Exclulsivo Emiratos.
A Fusion of Time And Cigars With The “First, Different & Unique” Hublot
On November 17, we kicked off our Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour Dubai Watch Week Edition in partnership with Day&Night magazine and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, with a Hublot evening, in a fusion of time, cigars and good company, in the presence of members of the Seddiqi family and Regional Director of Hublot MEA Marco Tedeschi. The Caribbean-themed event at DWW’s Citizen Kafé brought together cigar aficionados, watch collectors and friends traveling in from all around the region and Europe, to discover the new Hublot Classic Fusion Fuente Limited Edition watches while enjoying Arturo Fuente Opus X Destino al Siglo Lanceros and OpusX Angel’s Share cigars.
Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour Takes On The US West Coast!
This summer was one for our hall of fame as we merged our MrPingLife US Tour together with our Cigar World Tour for a special US Edition! A month-long road trip across the US West Coast took us from sunny San Francisco to ultra smart Silicon Valley and very authentic Cambria, charming Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and fast-paced Las Vegas, ending up in Newport Beach and San Diego for some much needed R&R. Our cigar tour popped up un many of these cities, where we met up with old friends, made new ones, and came back with an even larger Ping community!
Our summer send-off was quite a special one this year. After participating in the Arab Luxury World forum in Dubai over two days of panels and interesting discussions, we picked up our Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour on two consecutive nights in partnership with Davidoff Cigars, and in the presence of Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard who was a keynote speaker at the forum. With the first evening in Dubai (May 23) at Churchill Club, Four Seasons DIFC, followed by a night in Abu Dhabi (May 24) at Four Seasons Al Mareyah Island’s Zsa Zsa lounge, we took over the UAE cigar smoking scene with memorable gentlemen’s evenings that featured the tasting of Davidoff‘s Chefs Edition and Royal Release.
A Gentlemen’s Evening With Zenith Watches and Cohiba Cigars
On May 2, we gathered friends, watch collectors and cigar aficionados at the Churchill Lounge, Four Seasons DIFC, for a gentlemen’s evening celebrating great shared passions, in a friendly atmosphere basking in a unity of time, traditions and expertise. Guests enjoyed Cohiba cigars: the Medio Siglo 2016 and the amazing, rare Robusto Supremos Edición Limitada 2014 (Mr. Ping’s favorite Cohiba of all time), paired with Glenmorangie 25 Years Old and Hennessy XO. Zenith Watches who, in 2016, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Cohiba with the creation of three commemorative limited editions, paid tribute to this Cuban legend with the launch of the El Primero “Legend of Cohiba” timepiece, which was presented during the evening.
Hot on the heels of Baselworld, back in Dubai late March, we had our second Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour evening reuniting all our friends, partners and fellow loves of life at the Churchill Lounge in DIFC‘s Four Seasons to unwind after work and enjoy fine cigars. It was an evening of great smokes and sharing passions!
Mr. Ping Life Cigar World Tour Baselworld Edition, Davidoff Lounge Rheinsprung, Basel
Going back to the beginning of 2017, our Cigar World Tour started its year at its birthplace, the Davidoff Lounge Rheinsprung in Basel–Switzerland, with our special Baselworld Edition. For a guaranteed break in the Baselworld action, our friends -cigar aficionados, watch collectors, industry execs joined us on March 22 and 24 to taste special cigars -including the Davidoff Yamasa and Chefs Edition– paired with Hennessy X.O; Macallan single malt layered with fruit and spices; and luxury teas. That was definitely “Time beautifully filled” with unforgettable memories.
2017 was, dare we say it again, epic! After our kick-off in Switzerland followed by events and gatherings in Dubai, Cannes, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2018! So, friends and fellow hedonists, get your good mood on and let’s enjoy life!
Note: All event concepts and production are property & copyright of MRPINGLIFE and Jean Ghalo & Friends. Reproduction or utilization of photos without approval not permitted.
