With New Year’s just around the corner, The Beverly Hills Cigar Club has compiled its Top 5 Champagne and Cigar Pairings: ideal combinations for ringing in 2011.

BHCC’s pairings were formed by compiling a list of the highest rated champagnes, then selecting a top rated cigar that would complement the beverage.

Selections for both ranged through multiple price categories, ensuring, fairly surprisingly, this pleasurable combination is available for every budget.

Swiss luxury watchmaker Frederique Constant has collaborated with classic cigar brand Cohiba on a new limited edition watch and humidor set.

The luxury watches feature an elegant case inspired by Toro shaped cigars, an ivory colored dial, tobacco brown Roman numerals and a hand-sewn tobacco brown calfskin strap.

The watches will be available in a limited run of 188 numbered pieces in stainless steel for $1,650 and 188 pieces in rose gold plate for $1,750.

A huge collection of diaries, letters and even a pristine cigar belonging to Winston Churchill was up for auction in London Wednesday.

The sale, which is expected to raise around one million pounds, is being billed by Christie’s as part of the most important private Churchill collection in the world.

It features his engagement diary for 1939 to 1945 which records meetings with leaders including US President Franklin Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin of Russia and Britain’s King George VI. It could fetch up to 120,000 pounds.

Gurkha has a reputation of being the best of the best in the cigar world, and His Majesty’s Reserve holds the title of world’s most expensive cigar.

HMR starts with a rare aged Dominican wrapper that covers a secret blend of filler tobaccos from all over the world.

Once the cigars are rolled, they then undergo a unique infusion process that involves an entire bottle of Louis XIII Cognac (the process uses an entire bottle).

This infusion process is very unique in that it does not take away from the tobacco flavor of the aged leaves, but rather complements them in grand fashion.

Louis XIII Cognac is one of the finest cognacs on the market today and it ranges approximately from $1,500 to $3,800 per bottle.

A half-smoked cigar abandoned by former British prime minister Winston Churchill has sold for more than $7,000.

The cigar was tossed aside by Mr Churchill as he headed to an urgent meeting of his cabinet in 1941, the auction house Keys said.

The 10-centimetre stump was saved by a servant at 10 Downing Street and later given to a friend as a gift. A relative took possession of it after the man died.

Dunhill Anniversary Edition, made to celebrate 100 years of the Dunhill cigar brand, will be available this fall and limited to 20,000 cigars.

Made in Nicaragua by the Toraños, the cigars will have a blend much like the Dunhill Signed Range which uses Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos aged three years, but should have “a little more finesse and sweetness,” according to Dunhill brand manager Bruce Lewis. Via cigaraficionado