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Monochrome
Norqain’s Wild One high-performance sports watch collection was developed with input from industry maverick Jean-Claude Biver. Launched in 2022, it introduced the brand’s proprietary Norteq material, a carbon fibre composite six times lighter than steel and 3.5 times lighter than titanium. Launching at Watches & Wonders 2026, Norqain unveils the Wild One Skeleton Chrono with […]
SJX Watches
IWC started the year with a dramatic new look for a classic, the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium. Almost 30 years old but ageless, the Portugieser Chronograph gains an all-black look and Ceratanium case with this appealing, but pricey, limited edition that encapsulates the brand’s strengths and weaknesses. Initial thoughts In the mid to late 2000s, the all-black look was one the major fads in watchmaking, having been pioneered by Hublot, then at the beginning of its renaissance led by Jean-Claude Biver. All-black watches were everywhere yet desirable, and some even sold for multiples of retail. The Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium is two decades late for that fad, and too early for the next one. But it is still an appealing watch in itself, though expensive compared to the standard version. It’s essentially a Portugieser chronograph dressed entirely in black with a case in ceramic-coated titanium. As a result, it has of the elements that make the model appealing: a symmetrical design, good proportions, slimness, and a distinctive style despite the simplicity. The all-black livery adds to the design, since it goes well with the clean styling. Though complementary aesthetically, the all-black finish and Portugieser design don’t quite pair conceptually, since the Portugieser is a historically inspired dress watch. Despite the incongruity, the Ceratanium chronograph looks and feels good on the wrist. More broadly, the watch illustrates IWC’s strengths and weakness...
Monochrome
Although the Big Bang theory is a widely accepted explanation for the universe’s origin, the Big Bang that exploded on the watch scene in 2005 could not have detonated without two factors: the bravado and marketing genius of CEO Jean-Claude Biver and former CEO Carlo Crocco’s original spirit of fusion on board the 1980 Classic […]
SJX Watches
Biver expands its Automatique line with a diverse set of new dials that underscore the brand’s fascination with permanence, ranging from billion-year-old mineral stones to finely executed enamel and traditional guilloché. In a year crowded with stone-dial releases, the latest Automatique models stand out for the coherence of the concept and the quality of execution, offering collectors a mix of exotic materials, artisanal craft, and a technically unusual calibre across a wide price spectrum. Initial thoughts Jean-Claude Biver talks a lot about eternity. The slogan for his namesake brand, “eternity has no competition”, is an eloquent expression of what drives the Biver family enterprise, founded with his son Pierre and now led by chief executive James Marks. Beyond the ability to keep time, mechanical watches appeal to enthusiasts precisely because they seem to exist outside of time. Few modern products are crafted from such noble or enduring materials, and for many people a mechanical watch is among the most lasting man-made objects they will ever encounter. Biver’s obsession with eternity is clear in the products themselves. In the case of the Automatique, the brand has chosen to use especially long-lasting materials like gold for the movement plates and bridges, going so far as to used a high-palladium gold alloy that will not tarnish over time. The overly robust cases are another clue as to the motivations of the people behind the Biver brand. Water resistant t...
Monochrome
Norqain, the young, independent Swiss brand, produces contemporary, adventure-oriented watches. Many of the brand’s most popular models belong to the Independence collection, including the high-tech carbon fibre Wild One, conceived in collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver, the Skeleton Flyback Chrono featuring a proprietary manufacture calibre, and Norqain’s first skeletonised model. In line with current market watch […]
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SJX Watches
The day I visited Biver started like any other – with breakfast. But it wasn’t a normal breakfast, because I was seated opposite Jean-Claude Biver, at his own kitchen table. A few days after Watches & Wonders wrapped up I had the opportunity to visit the brand’s atelier in the countryside near Geneva, and I was lucky enough to spend some time with the man himself before he went to the airport; he was headed to Boston to deliver a guest lecture at Harvard Business School. Dismissed in his early career as a ‘nostalgia salesman,’ Mr Biver helped pioneer the contemporary luxury watch industry in the midst of the Quartz Crisis by proving the consumer demand for artisanal mechanical watches. The story is well-known but it bears repeating; Mr Biver, together with his friend Jacques Piguet, head of the esteemed Frederic Piguet manufacture, paid CHF22,000 to buy the rights to a defunct brand from what would later become Swatch Group. Their deft products and marketing made Blancpain one of the stars of the mechanical watch renaissance, allowing the pair to sell the brand back to Swatch a decade later for CHF60 million. From left to right: CEO James Marks, Jean-Claude Biver, and Pierre Biver. Image – Biver The success of Blancpain was extraordinary and helped pave the way for the rebirth of other brands like A. Lange & Söhne. But this was just the opening act. After selling Blancpain back to Swatch, Mr Biver helped put Omega on the wrist of James Bond and transformed Hub...
Monochrome
In 2023, Jean-Claude Biver, an industry veteran who requires no introduction, returned to the spotlight after retiring from his latest position at LVMH when, with his son Pierre, he unveiled the Biver Carillon Tourbillon, the debut timepiece from the newly minted family-name brand. True to form, expectations were sky-high, with the launch setting a tone […]
Monochrome
Ben Kuffer, the CEO of Norqain, is lucky to have industry heavyweight Jean-Claude Biver on his advisory board. Thanks to Biver’s valuable input, Norqain introduced its high-performance Wild One sports watch collection in 2022. Featuring an innovative carbon fibre composite case with a rubber shock absorber padding the titanium movement container, the Wild One is […]
SJX Watches
Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre continue their journey of independent horology with the Biver Automatique Japan Edition. Made in collaboration with its retailer in Japan, this special release is based on the time-only automatic debuted last year, but reimagined to cater to the traditionally classical taste of the Japanese collector. The minimalist edition debuts in two elegant variants that explore the contrast of light and shadow through hard-fired enamel made by an enamel workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. A stark white enamel dial is paired with a platinum case, while the high-contrast version matches a glossy black dial with a rose gold case – both share a clean, old-school aesthetic with applied markers and a railway minute track. A tribute to the Japanese collector The Automatique epitomises Biver’s neoclassical and elaborate approach to watchmaking, which blends careful detailing with hand-finishing techniques, for both habillage and the movement. Now the Japan Edition further refines the approach, condensing the more elaborate execution of the original versions into something more traditional, more classical, and arguably more reflective of the taste of Japanese enthusiasts. The two distinct models pay homage to the Japanese appreciation of minimalist aesthetics combined with high quality and precision execution, along with a well-established love of mid-century precision Swiss wristwatches. The clarity of the vintage-inspired design makes the Japan Edition ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Havid Nagan is a small independent watch brand based out of Los Angeles that was founded by Aren Bazerkanian a few short years ago. Just released is the new Classic One watch, its third release after the debut HN00 from 2022 and the sophomore release of the HN01 Lucine Moonphase in 2023. Unlike some other independent brand founders, Bazerkanian is not a watchmaker or artisan by trade but rather he is a passionate enthusiast who understands that a watch is the sum of its parts. This parallels the Jean-Claude Biver model, which focuses on the “big picture,” and the result has been one of the more understated yet inarguably impressive runs of a new brand in the post-Covid landscape. The team of industry pros and talent assembled by Bazerkanian for the Classic One includes Guillaume Tetu (previously product manager at TAG Heuer, co-founder of Hautlence, and Director of Product Development at Ralph Lauren Watches & Jewelry) and Aurélien Theurillat of GLS2F, which specializes in design, sourcing, and supply chains. The lineup also includes Romeo Granito of Cadranor, which has previously done the dial finishes for Havid Nagan. Finally, the team at Jean-Rousseau will be making the straps. The Classic One goes in a different direction from the HN00 and HN01 with a more traditional case design that is inspired by pieces like the Parmigiani Tonic and the Daniel Roth-era Breguet Classique. Measuring 38mm wide and 9mm thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm, the Classic One ca...
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Fratello
Some watches mimic an early morning sky in April; these three new Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 42mm watches have a playful backstory involving toys. When he was young, former Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver used to build stuff with Meccano, a toy construction system invented in 1898 by Englishman Frank Hornby. I happen to be a […] Visit Hands-On With The Three New Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 42mm Watches to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The second watch launched by Biver, the Automatique is a three-hand time-only, functionally simple but elaborately executed. Even the base model has a surprisingly complex dial, but the Automatique is really all about the JCB-003 movement, which is a micro-rotor calibre that ranks up there as one of most impressive recent self-winding movements. Established by Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre, Biver got its start with a far more complicated watch, but the Automatique is arguably more impressive because it’s a simple watch executed in a complicated yet cohesive manner. The JCB-003 Initial thoughts Yet another time-only watch with a dressed up movement and hefty price tag – the formula feels a little worn out now. So the Biver Automatique surprises on the upside. I like it. The design is appealing and cohesive, while the movement is impressive. In contrast, when Biver debuted with the Carillon Tourbillon minute repeater, I thought “the quality is unmistakeable, the aesthetics are lacking”. The Automatique lives up to the same levels of quality – and maybe even more – but it is instinctively appealing, even considering the price. The solid gold dial of the entry-level version in rose gold Even though Biver is not an artisanal independent brand in the conventional sense of the word since neither of its founders are watchmakers, the JCB-003 movement is executed to a standard that equals many artisanal independents. The construction is thoughtful and sophisticate...
Monochrome
Norqain’s Independence family is home to many of the brand’s most coveted models, including the recently released Independence Skeleton Chrono with a proprietary manufacture calibre developed with GMT. The Independence is also home to the robust carbon fibre Wild One, conceived with Jean-Claude Biver, as well as the brand’s first skeletonised model introduced in 2021. […]
SJX Watches
Announced a month ago, IAMWATCH is a three-day event centred on independent watchmaking that encompasses lectures, classes, and panel discussions. Taking place in Singapore from October 18 to 20 at the Edition hotel, Iamwatch has just revealed its programme for the event, which promises three full days – from breakfast to sundown drinks – of watches, watchmakers, and watch industry personalities. Entry is free but registration online is required. Boldface names attending the event include independent watchmakers Felix Baumgartner, Konstantin Chaykin, Kari Voutilainen, and Rexhep Rexhepi; watch entrepreneurs Jean-Claude Biver, Manuel Emch, Maximilian Büsser, and Jean Arnault; and auctioneers Aurel Bacs and Sam Hines. Konstantin Chaykin, Felix Baumgartner, and Rexhep Rexhepi Each day begins with a breakfast hosted by industrial notables, including Maximilian Büsser on October 19. The breakfast is followed by a full schedule, including daily lectures about history and horology by historian David Rooney, author of About Time, a history of timekeeping. Jean Arnault, Aurel Bacs, and Manuel Emch Afternoons include classes on various topics, including Jean-Claude Biver on being a watchmaking entrepreneur – a pitch perfect match of speaker and subject if there ever was one. Panel discussions take place daily as well, including one dedicated to independent watchmaking on the final day, October 20, moderated by myself with Felix Baumgartner, Kari Voutilainen, Rexhep Rexhepi ...
Monochrome
After retiring from his executive role at LVMH, industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver embarked on a new venture, creating a family-owned brand with his son Pierre – with a much-anticipated and commented launch in 2023, specifically given Biver’s aura. The Bivers’ vision to focus on high-end, high-grade, limited-production timepieces first took shape with the Biver Carillon […]
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SJX Watches
Established two years ago by Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre, Biver has just named the first outsider to its management ranks with James Marks as chief executive officer. The longtime head of Phillips Perpetual, the auctioneer’s watch boutique headquartered in London, Mr Marks is now based in Zurich for his new role; he remains a consultant to Phillips. (Pictured above, from left: James Marks, Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver.) Now 74 years old, the inimitable Jean-Claude Biver is something of an industry legend for having resurrected Blancpain and Hublot, but his eponymous brand is the first venture that is his own. Or more specifically, a Biver family affair: his youngest son Pierre, who is turning 25 this year, was cofounder of the brand. Mr Marks, who is 44 years old, will both help lead the brand as well as manage the transition from one generation of Bivers to the next. The movement of the one-off Biver Catharsis Minute Repeater Carillon Mr Marks is a longtime watch enthusiast who was a fund manager before he joined the watch industry six years ago. Soon after he set up Perpetual, a then-novel concept for an auction house where watches were available for sale year-round and not only during auction season. One of his earliest hires was Pierre Biver as an intern. Both an industry insider and outsider, Mr Marks is expected to bring a new perspective to Biver. Although the brand has only sold a few dozen watches to date, it has garnered volumes of praise and criticism...
Monochrome
Norqain has its finger on the pulse and produces attractive, robust adventure watches that are remarkably popular among action-oriented watch buyers. Norqain CEO Ben Küffer has been able to count on some exceptional friends since he started his brand in 2018. One of these is Jean-Claude Biver, whose valuable input resulted in the Wild One. […]
SJX Watches
Biver concludes the 50-piece run of its flagship Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon with a striking pair featuring its first guilloche dials. Instead of the conventional engine turning on metal, the dials are either black obsidian or white mother-of-pearl, both finished with three-dimensional guilloche. Inspired by the links of the brand’s bracelet, the guilloche forms a terraced geometric patterns in dial centre that’s elegantly accentuated by baguette-cut diamond indexes. Initial thoughts Despite being neither a watchmaker, engineer, nor constructor, Jean-Claude Biver is an individual who personifies the Swiss watch industry – and he isn’t even Swiss. In his career so far, he revived two brands, Blancpain and then Hublot, and in between the two turbocharged Omega, in the process becoming one of the most influential and respected personalities in watchmaking. So when Mr Biver announced that he and his son Pierre would be starting their own brand, everyone was paying attention. The brand’s inaugural watch, the Carillon Tourbillon, is a grand complication executed to an impressive degree of quality. The design, however, was debatable. Consequently the brand got off to a tough start, particularly on social media where the criticism of its design was free flowing. With a one-off created for charity auction Only Watch, Biver eliminated the dial, resulting in a striking, appealing watch. Here the brand has retained the dial, but with new materials and decoration. The...
SJX Watches
Shortly after the release of their initial timepiece, the Carillon Tourbillon, Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre are making their debut at Only Watch with the Catharsis. A bold take on the chiming watch, this unique piece has no hands on the dial, but indicates the time with the carillon minute repeater. The dial is instead decorated with a mixture of gemstones, semi-precious stone marquetry, and guilloché to create an abstract scene depicting the Moon over a seascape. Inside is a variant of the movement as Biver’s first watch, but with an hour hand on the reverse. Initial thoughts The father-and-son duo behind Biver have to be commended for a daring debut at Only Watch, even though the watch will no doubt be polarising. They have gone extremely conceptual with the Catharsis. The idea of creating a watch with no visible way of telling the time is nothing new, having been done recently by H. Moser & Cie. in 2019 and earlier by Haldimann and Romain Jerome. However, the Catharsis aims to make a statement and chart a course for this newly minted independent brand. The aesthetics of original Biver repeater model were mixed, so this watch actually addresses that issue in a weird yet logical manner. The visual focus of the watch is the dial, which is not really a dial but a canvas for elaborate decoration. The 89 sapphires that make up the waves have been invisibly set and create a pleasing effect alongside the meteorite moon, silver obsidian sky and mother of pearl stars...
Time+Tide
Making waves upon its September 2022 release, the Norqain Wild One signalled that Jean-Claude Biver’s advisory role in the brand wasn’t just a marketing move, but rather a shot at the big leagues. With a new composite case made of the brand’s proprietary Norteq material and Kenissi power, it was clear that Norqain is investing … ContinuedThe post Norqain jazzes up the Wild One with skeleton-dialled duo appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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SJX Watches
Having concluded its Geneva sales that included an F.P. Journe thematic auction, Christie’s will soon open its spring sale season in Hong Kong. The auctioneer’s watch offerings include an impressive line-up of watches assembled over two decades by an Asian collector. Christened The Ultimate Collection, the selection is composed of 107 timepieces – almost all modern – ranging from Rolex to F.P. Journe. Although the watches are diverse, the collector’s keen eye can be discerned. The catalogue includes classic must-haves like various examples of the Rolex Daytona and GMT-Master II, but also rare and special watches from F.P. Journe as well as possibly-unique Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts. We round up nine notable picks from the sale, including the headline lots from F.P. Journe – a Chronomètre à Résonance “RTA” with a mother-of-pearl dial and the Tourbillon Souverain Coeur de Rubis. The “Coeur de Rubis” dial Other highlights including a Patek Philippe Dome Clock that was originally owned by Jean-Claude Biver of Hublot and Blancpain fame, along with uncommon variants of the landmark Lange 1, including the Lange 1A and ref. 101.027X. The Ultimate Collection takes place on May 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) – the catalogue is available here. Lot 2537 – F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain Anniversaire “Hong Kong” In 2016, F.P. Journe marked the 10th anniversary of its first ever boutique (which was in Tokyo) with the ...
Revolution
Revolution founder Wei Koh and editor-at-large Eleonor Picciotto visited the Biver family to discuss their new eponymous brand and its first trio of novelties. The legendary Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre divulged the impetus for their unique haute horlogerie brand, their intentions and direction for it, and how father and son have forged a […]
Deployant
The birth of a new brand. Industry legend Jean-Claude Biver works with his son to release a ultra high end watch - the new Biver Carillon Tourbillon.
Worn & Wound
In this episode of On-Wrist Reaction, we take a look at three watches that bring three distinct flavors to the table, and all manage to make a compelling case in their own way. We start with something entirely new and slightly unexpected from a brand called Lorca, who have designed an elegant take on the GMT that would feel as at home in a cocktail bar as it would in the field. Next is a new GMT from Nodus, offering plenty of style and function for the money, it’s the Sector GMT. Finally, we have the Norqain Wild One, featuring Norqain’s new material, Norteq. We have a deeper look at all three watches coming soon, but until then you can see our initial reactions in the video below. You can see Zach Kazan’s introduction of the Norqain Wild One, including thoughts from Jean-Claude Biver, live from Switzerland right here. If you have any questions or thoughts on these watches that you’d like to see addressed in our reviews, be sure to let us know in the comments. Furthermore, if you have a watch or a piece of gear you’d like to see us react to, please reach out to us at info@wornandwound.com. The post On-Wrist Reaction: Norqain Gets Wild, & Two Takes On The GMT appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
Swiss luxury powerhouse Hublot has long been known for their outsize watches for outsize personalities. The man responsible for the brand’s rise to fame, Jean-Claude Biver, always had a knack for making a big splash, none bigger than Hublot’s Big Bang line. Since its introduction in 2005, the Big Bang has been produced in a … ContinuedThe post The Hublot Big Bang Sapphire sits at the bleeding edge of technology and opulence appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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