Providing an effective interface between watch brands and the local public, the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería serves as a launch pad for limited series subsequently destined for collectors the world over. Three of them featured here reflect the boldness of today’s Fine Watchmaking, while Friday will bring details of the latest Big Bang by Hublot with its mysterious white tiger theme.
Girard-Perregaux Esmeralda and its “Mexican” book.
The Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds is celebrating its 225th anniversary and marking its presence at the SIAR in a very personalised way. “Within this unique context, we are paying tribute to history by presenting a pink gold Esmeralda Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, inspired by a Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges that belonged to Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, almost 130 years ago,” said brand CEO Antonio Calce who was on hand for this occasion. “An iconic Girard-Perregaux model, the Esmeralda also reflects the meaningful historical ties between the Manufacture and Mexico, of which we have decided to tell the story at the SIAR by presenting a world preview of the book written by Cédric Doffey Temposatis in cooperation with our curators at the Girard-Perregaux Museum, Ariane Maradan et Willy Schweizer. Cédric Doffey highlights the respective landmarks in the history of Girard-Perregaux and that of modern Mexico, which both began at the end of the 18th century. “
Louis Moinet Sideralis Evo
Mexicans have no monopoly over Moon, Mars and Mercury, yet they are the first to enjoy a close-up look at this 12-piece limited series with its distinctive double tourbillon construction. Louis Moinet CEO Jean-Marie Schaller points out that these double tourbillon carriages are the broadest in the world (with a 14.90 mm diameter), while weighing a mere 0.4 grams. Two patent requests have been filed: one for the counter-clockwise rotation of one of the tourbillon carriages; and the other relating to their mode of operation, since this double tourbillon powers a sidereal complication composed of two superimposed titanium discs and driven by a reversed gear-train. The three above-mentioned planets and the cosmos are hand-painted on the lower disc and decorated with authenticated meteorite powder, while the also hand-painted upper disc provides a chance to admire the dance of the stars on a one-minute rotation. Will Mexicans vote for the Sideralis Evo which has been selected in the Tourbillon category of the GPHG 2016?
MCT Sequential One S110 Skull
The Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps has chosen the SIAR to present a world-first showing of a 10-piece limited series of the Sequential One – S1110 Skull. Accompanying his marketing team, CEO Pierre Jacques commented that this new approach should appeal to collectors well beyond Mexico itself: “meticulously carved out of ultra-thin aluminium, the skull remains light enough to accompany the hour-change ballet, successively revealing one of MCT’s four iconic rotating modules.” Created under the impetus of brand founder Denis Giguet, who has recently returned to helm the watchmaking division of the holding group, “the crossed bridge arms subtly evoke the crossbones inseparably associated with this universal symbol”. Among the four versions available, an all-black interpretation features an all-embracing Super Luminova treatment on the skull and hour-markers: a first for MCT Watches.
