Girard-Perregaux is proud to announce their participation in the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) for the 4th consecutive year
Girard-Perregaux is proud to announce their participation in the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) for the 4th consecutive year
On the occasion of the Manufacture’s 225th anniversary and as a tribute to the deep ties between Girard-Perregaux and Mexico, the brand’s famous pocket watch The Esmeralda and its commemorative new edition for 2016, The Esmeralda Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, were displayed together during the SIAR. To mark the anniversary in style, a book drawing the parallels between Girard-Perregaux and Mexico had its global debut at the SIAR with the Presence of Antonio Calce, CEO of Girard-Perregaux.
As part of its 225th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux took residence at the luxurious St. Regis Hotel in Mexico City from October 18 through 20. The Swiss Manufacture revealed its history in a radiant and distinguished setting through its iconic and commemorative creations such as the brand icon, The Esemeralda, which won a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889. During the SIAR, Girard-Perregaux presented the magnificent fine watchmaking piece, The Esmeralda Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, in reference to its 19th century pocket watch, a mechanical expression of an aesthetic quest dedicated to achieving the Maison’s goal of ultimate accuracy.
The inscription engraved on the dust cover of The Esmeralda pocket watch tells us that it was entrusted to the Hauser, Zivy & Co agency. This firm, with a presence in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Mexico City, and Paris, was founded by Hauser and Zivy. They were the owners in the late 19th century of the luxury store, La Esmeralda, which sold the watch and became the property of General Porfirio Diaz, the President of Mexico. In the early 1970’s, Mr Jean-Edouard Friedrich, co-owner of Girard-Perregaux acquired The Esmeralda from a descendant of the General. Today, it is the star of the Girard-Perregaux Museum collections. The presence of the original pocket watch and its 2016 wristwatch edition at the SIAR, was the perfect occasion to highlight the deep ties between Girard-Perregaux and Mexico for nearly two centuries.
During the SIAR, the new Laureato model, and other novelty fine watches and exclusive models (including limited anniversary editions), shared the spotlight with the Esmeralda.
The Girard-Perregaux brand book, « Girard-Perregaux and Mexico, 225 years of parallel and common stories,» launched at the SIAR for a worldwide preview
From the first hours of its collaboration with Girard-Perregaux, Cédric Doffey’s (Temposatis Member of the committee) main challenge was to highlight the fabulous legacy of the historical Manufacture and the close ties that unite Girard-Perregaux to Mexico for nearly two centuries. In collaboration with Ariane Maradan and Willy Schweizer, Girard-Perregaux’s historians, archivists and curators, Cédric decided to explore the parallels between the brand and Mexico through the history.
« I was immediately convinced by the relevance of Cedric’s project. Indeed, some beautiful moments of Girard-Perregaux have been written in Latin America, especially in Mexico,» stated Antonio Calce, CEO of Girard-Perregaux.
On October 19th, during an exclusive cocktail held at the booth, guests discovered the 120 page publication, brimming with anecdotes and illustrations from the past, along with historical facts retracing two extraordinary centuries in the history of Girard-Perregaux and of the Mexico.
About Temposatis
Temposatis is a Mexican company dedicated to the exclusive distribution of Haute Horlogerie products in Latin America since 2007.