Press Release: New El Reloj Honors J.C. Newman’s Iconic Factory

July 13, 2013 (Tampa, Fla.) — Made in the last operating cigar factory in Cigar City (Tampa, Florida), El Reloj incorporates old world tradition and popular tobacco blends to bring consumers a flavorful boxed cigar at a value price.

“When it was built in 1910, the “El Reloj” factory became the focal point of the community. Most people didn’t own clocks and watches – they would rise in the morning, eat, go to school, go to work, and go to bed – all from the hourly chime,” said J.C. Newman President, Eric Newman. “We wanted to honor our iconic building with a one of a kind cigar made in our Tampa factory.”

Featuring a blend of quality aged tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, each cigar is carefully rolled with a rich Ecuadorian Havana Seed Sungrown wrapper the way Julius Caeser Newman made them back in 1958 when he moved his operation from Cleveland, Ohio to the “El Reloj” cigar factory in Tampa, FL.

“Legend has it that the locals used to refer to this clock as the “wishing clock.” At 9:15 a.m. there was a wishing moment where locals wished their problems away,” said J.C. Newman President, Eric Newman. “There is no doubt some of that magic is worked into our new El Reloj cigars.”

• Name: El Reloj 
• Size: El Ocho, 8” x 53
• Factory: J.C. Newman Cigar Co, Tampa, FL
• Wrapper: Ecuador Havana Seed
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras
• MSRP: $2.99/cigar
• Packaged: Box of 25

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.