No smoke without fire

 The Davidoff name isn’t exactly in need of a shot in the arm – you can hardly take a flight without tripping over a well-stocked Blue Water promotion in Duty Free these days – but the gentle modernization of the Swiss brand continues in pleasing fashion with the Very Zino line of superior timepieces. The Gent Automatic Chronograph is the apex of the new direction, with satisfyingly generous dimensions, a clear, uncluttered face and a sleek polished steel case. The line is named after the founder of the luxury goods retailer, Zino Davidoff, who inherited his father’s tobacco store in the 1930s and turned it into a magnet for princes and prime ministers. The Very Zino line was established in 2008, and this is the latest manifestation – which also comes in an oval shape.