The Top Five Watches We Saw At SIAR 2020
While the Salón Internacional de Alta Relojería looked very different this year, there were still plenty of surprises in Mexico City.
The 14th edition of El Salón Internacional Alta Relojería México (SIAR) looked vastly different than previous versions of the fair. Gone were the splashy brand events and late-night dinners. In their place were masks, social distancing, and plenty of hand sanitizer. Luckily, there were plenty of great watches and brands on-hand to explore.
Throughout the week, Watchonista’s special correspondent, Gustavo Kuri (of @watch_gk fame), photographed the top watches of the salon. Here are some of the highlights.
Bovet’s 2020 Collection
While officially launched at Geneva Watch Days, Bovet’s impressive 2020 collection made a stop in Latin America for SIAR. The brand was notably highlighting three pieces from its 2020 collection, including the Miss Audrey, the Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two, and the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two.
If there was one notable theme across the timepieces that Bovet brought to SIAR 2020, it was the color green. As one of the three colors in the Mexican flag, the color green represents hope.
If our recent interview with Bovet’s Owner and CEO Pascal Raffy is any indication, the brand is continuing to thrive regardless of the current global situation. Raffy expanded on this, saying, “The lessons we have learned in 2020 reinforce the fact that we always need to put the art of watchmaking first, our tradition for beauty, and our desire to always serve our collectors.”
Panerai Luminor Marina TuttoGrigio PAM01662
This matte black masterpiece is one of the latest creations from Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee. Featuring a 44mm titanium case with Carbotech bezel, this all-black timepiece is produced almost entirely using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS).
Created by using a highly specialized form of 3D printing, the DMLS printing process makes it possible for Panerai to construct the revolutionary titanium case 30 microns at a time. The case features a sandblasted finish and titanium screw-down caseback. The watch is powered by Panerai’s P.9010 automatic movement, which also boasts a three-day power reserve. The all-black aesthetic continues with the anthracite-colored sandwich dial that displays the date at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock. The look is completed with grey Super-LumiNova markers and indicators.
The Panerai Luminor Marina TuttoGrigio PAM01662 is priced at $15,000 and comes fitted to a proprietary Panerai Sportech strap with anthracite stitching.
De Bethune DB28GS “Yellow Submarine”
Independent watchmaker De Bethune took SIAR by fire, quite literally! The new De Bethune DB28GS “Yellow Submarine” evokes the mythological Aztec Lord of Fire, Xiuhtecuhtli (also called Huehueteotl), with a stunning re-creation of fire for the wrist.
With the DB28GS, De Bethune takes its mastery of the thermal oxidation of metals to the next level. By heat-treating the various steel and titanium components, the watch takes on a natural oxidation, which makes each DB28GS unique. The brand says that by oxidizing the metals, each piece “emits a visible light.”
And if the colorful innards weren’t enough, De Bethune has gone a step further by adding a fully mechanical dynamo, which upon activation, lights up the entire display. This extraordinary complication is activated by a pusher located at 6 o’clock. Once activated, the twin-barrel provides power to a small gear train that, in turn, powers a miniature dynamo with enough light to read the watch. The retail price of the De Bethune DB28GS “Yellow Submarine” is $110,000.
Purnell Escape II
An independent French brand, Purnell focuses on one thing and one thing only: tourbillons. Across all shapes, sizes, and colors, the more complicated, the better. In fact, for SIAR 2020, the brand brought a variety of timepieces from its Escape II collection.
Featuring the world’s fastest triple axis tourbillon, the Escape II has two high-velocity Spherion cages available in green, yellow, blue, or rose gold. Powered by not one but six mainsprings assembled into four barrels, the Escape II is a piece that needs to be seen, to be believed.
And Purnell is well-aware of this, so the brand has developed a monobloc sapphire crystal that slopes laterally to provide an unobstructed view of the movement, which weighs just 15.7 grams. With prices starting at 425,000 CHF, the Escape II was the second most expensive timepiece we discovered at SIAR 2020.
Cyrus GMT Retrograde
The independent Swiss Maison is at it again! Watchonista has previously covered the brand’s Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon and went in-depth at the brand’s Le Locle-based manufacture. Exclusively at SIAR 2020, Cyrus unveiled its new Klepcys GMT Retrograde featuring a new movement by Jean-François Mojon and a streamlined case.
Sporting a fully DLC-coated titanium case, the Klepcys GMT Retrograde takes one of the world’s most popular complications and presents it in a way that only Cyrus can. Featuring the brand’s hallmark double crowns and cushion-shaped case, this GMT caused a sonic boom when it was unveiled at the St. Regis in Mexico City.
Limited to just 50 pieces of each version, the Klepcys GMT Retrograde is worthy of discovery.
Honorable Mentions
While we couldn’t chronicle every timepiece we experienced at SIAR 2020, we have more than enough highlights to whet your appetite in our photo gallery below!
(Photography by Gustavo Kuri)