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Revolution
Since its founding in 2018, NORQAIN’s profile has been on a meteoric upward trajectory. Under the leadership of CEO Ben Küffer, their youthful drive to write their own history in the annals of sports watches drew industry legend Jean-Claude Biver to come onboard as an advisor. Together, they have created their vision of the ultimate […]
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: When the Norqain Wild One launched at the end of September in Zermatt, we went in-depth on the collection, the new NORTEQ carbon composite material, and spoke with Norqain CEO Ben Küffer and Jean-Claude Biver, an adviser to the board. Below you can find our brand new hands-on video review of the entire collection and our … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Norqain Wild One collection ushers in the next era of the brand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
At the recent launch of Norqain’s new flagship collection, the Wild One, Eléonor sat down with CEO Ben Küffer and industry living legend, Jean-Claude Biver to talk about their recent partnership and the direction of the brand in the foreseeable future.
SJX Watches
Just three months after it announced Jean-Claude Biver joining its board, Norqain has unveiled its first product conceived in conjunction with the industry veteran best known for having created Hublot as we know it today, the Wild One. The Wild One is a lightweight sports watch with a case of a carbon composite known as Norteq and a laser-cut, patterned dial. It’s the culmination of a two-year project involving Norqain, synthetic rubber specialist Biwi, and more recently Mr Biver, who “[challenged] the team to innovate; to create a lightweight and shock-resistant timepiece that reflects the brand’s active DNA”. Initial thoughts Often found in expensive and exotic sports watches – although not an expensive material in itself – carbon composite cases are uncommon at the US$5,000 price point, thought they are becoming more common. Alongside models from Oris and Bell & Ross, this is amongst the few offerings in this price segment. And the Wild One has all the features of a bona fide sports watch, including water resistance of 200 m and of course a robust Kenissi movement. That said, the Wild One will also have the downside that is intrinsic to carbon composite – it is essentially a type of plastic and looks the part, resulting in a look that you either like or not. Notably, the liberal use of modern synthetic materials like carbon composite and rubber certainly evokes other products Mr Biver had a hand in creating. And so do the aesthetics; the patterned di...
SJX Watches
A young brand that’s managed to pull together impressive knowhow across the supply chain – most notably by turning to Kenissi for its movements and recruiting Jean-Claude Biver – Norqain is all about affordable, sporty watches. Most of Norqain’s offerings stick to a similar formula, but of its more interesting watches is the newly-launched Independence 22 Skeleton. Sellita-powered and open-worked, the model was originally released as a 100-piece run with a DLC-coated case and bracelet. The limited edition sold briskly, which explains the new, regular-production version in steel with a tone-on-tone look that’s arguably better looking than its all-black predecessor. Initial thoughts Skeletonised watches that are affordable – meaning a retail price of US$5,000 or less – often look the part. Such watches are usually plain and occasionally cheap looking, purely as a consequence of price constraints. But the Independence 22 Skeleton manages to avoid that and it looks good as the sum of its parts. The Independence skeleton gets a lot right. To start with, the case measures 42 mm wide and 11.8 mm tall – it’s a big watch but the width-to-height ratio is well balanced; a smaller case would have made it seem disproportionately thick. The movement has been intricately open worked and most of the brass wheels have been rhodium-plated for a consistent, monochromatic appearance that illustrate the attention to detail in its design. Combined with the raised chapter ...
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Time+Tide
I’m going to put it out there and say there is no more charismatic person in today’s watch world than Fears managing director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill. In an industry littered with formidable personalities – hi Jean-Claude Biver, Patrick Prunnaux and Georges Kern – there is something refreshing about he of the double-barrelled name, and that is … ContinuedThe post “A big chunk of the industry is somewhat screwed.” An interview with Fears MD, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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A bon vivant from an era where many watch retailers were personalities, Gino Cukrowicz passed away in Singapore on May 6, 2021, just shy of his 62nd birthday. Gino was proprietor of Ginotti, a watch store in Belgium that he cofounded with Thierry Maldague in 1987, but perhaps best known as one of the partners in F.P. Journe. He’s pictured above with his wife Radhi and Francois-Paul Journe. A notable individual in both style and substance, Gino was always dressed in colours and eye-catching shoes, along with a large diamond stud on each year. Though Gino only owned a single watch store, his had an influence in the business, much like his peer Laurent Picciotto of Paris, because of his experience and taste. As a measure of his stature, Gino’s funeral service in Singapore included tributes from Francois-Henry Bennahmias and Patrick Pruniaux, the chief executives of Audemars Piguet and Ulysse Nardin respectively, as well as Masaki Saito, the longtime head of sales at F.P. Journe, and Jean-Claude Biver. Gino with Thierry Maldague outside Ginotti (left), and pictured in the 1990s. Photo – Shawn Mehta I last spoke with Gino at length in 2018, when he was in Singapore along with Francois-Paul Journe. Having arrived early for the interview with Mr Journe, I spent the time having a fascinating conversation with Gino, who had on his wrist an F.P. Journe Ruthenium Tourbillon with a platinum bracelet. He was frank, his outsized passion for independent watchmakers obvious, and hi...
SJX Watches
With no physical launch event this year, Omega unveiled its new watches in a prerecorded video that concluded with a cameo by its brand ambassador George Clooney. The line up was compact, indicating there will be more new models later in the year. There was only a single Seamaster Diver amongst the new offerings, and it was the Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black. Initial thoughts Reminiscent of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, Seamaster Black Black is typical of Omega in its quality and technology. It’s almost entirely ceramic on the outside, made up of components sintered, sculptured, and sanded with precision. And the Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement within boasts all of the brand’s technical innovations. For a bit under US$9,000, it is a fair deal for the quality and materials. But the all-black look is dated. The pioneer of the look was the Big Bang All Black of 2006, one of Jean-Claude Biver’s opening acts at Hublot. Its success created a wave of all-black watches that lasted for about a decade. And the novelty of the coloured ceramic will be quickly lost if additional variants in other colours of ceramic are introduced, as happened with the Dark Side of the Moon. Black ceramic The dial, bezel, case middle, and case back of the new Seamaster are all black ceramic, specifically zirconium dioxide, or ZrO2. The dial is etched with laser, creating an alternating polished and matte finish, with the polished elements standing out in slight relief. And to prese...
Time+Tide
We recently reported on Jean-Claude Biver’s view of the pandemic, after he sat down on a Zoom call with our European Editor Mike. The larger piece of work there was this extraordinary historical document, celebrating a wild 24 years with Hublot. But this digression, where Biver assesses the damage done to the industry by COVID-19 … ContinuedThe post Biver looks to 2021 and says that “most brands will have a V-shaped recovery” to the pandemic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The advent of Hublot’s Big Bang essentially launched the provocative, innovative and disruptive brand. The brainchild of horological mega-doyen Jean-Claude Biver, the Big Bang arrived on the scene way back in 2004, and since then, it has not only reinvigorated but redefined what Hublot stands for. The evocatively named, plus-sized timepiece has been the wrist-worn proving … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 King Gold is kingmaker on the wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
A few years back, I remember interviewing Jean-Claude Biver and asking how he thought smartwatches would impact the traditional watch industry. Biver insisted the innovation was positive, saying that he believed smartwatches “will bring the attention of young people back to the wrist”. In other words, they would persuade a new generation to start wearing … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Apple sold nearly 10 million more watches than the entire Swiss watch industry in 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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When Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin announced the Mars Conqueror last year, it was not the first Martian-time wristwatch, but it was by far the most advanced and comprehensive watch to indicate Martian time – and even the Martian calendar. TAG Heuer was appointed the official timekeeper for China’s Mars exploration mission in 2016, with its chief executive Jean-Claude Biver declaring that exploring the Red Planet is “the next giant leap for humanity”. With its launch planned for July 2020, the Chinese journey to Mars is just one of several missions to the planet – Russian space agency Roscosmos and NASA are working on similar projects. Despite the steady progress in reaching Mars, no big watch brand has debuted a watch that tells Martian time. Konstantin Chaykin’s experimental Mars Conqueror of 2019 But such watches have been built, as a matter of necessity for the scientists involved in past Mars missions. NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) of 2004, for instance, commissioned several watchmakers to construct simple but effective Martian-time watches. Since the Martian day, known as a sol, is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds, the solution was to slow a conventional watch to match Martian time. Steve Maddox of North Little Rock converted a second world war, military-issue Hamilton 4992B pocket watch for MER team member Jeff Moersch, reducing its frequency from the standard 18,000 beats per hour (bph) to about 17,525 bph. And Los Ang...
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Though he runs one of the world’s most high-profile watch brands, Ricardo Guadalupe is less flamboyant than many of his peers. But the 30-year veteran of the watch industry has grown the brand into one of the world’s ten biggest watchmakers measured by revenue, making him one of the most successful leaders in the industry. A longtime deputy to the larger-than-life Jean-Claude Biver – though he is now the boss, Mr Guadalupe still acknowledges his mentor often – he took charge of Hublot in 2012 after his former boss was tapped to run the watch division of LVMH. During his tenure, Mr Guadalupe not only continued Hublot’s sales growth, but also substantially expanded its manufacturing capability – a feat that is often overlooked and underrated. That was made possible in part by a career that has taken him from product development to manufacturing, allowing him to develop an all-encompassing grasp of the business, explaining how Hublot manages to produce both its own movements – and its own proprietary, bright-red ceramic. I spoke to Mr Guadalupe during LVMH Watch Week earlier this year, where he discussed his measured and practical approach to delivering consistently excellent performance and product, exemplified by the years-long evolution of Hublot’s signature Big Bang into the Integral. The interview was edited for length and clarity. You guys did a really good job with the new Big Bang Integral. It’s difficult doing a nice bracelet, but you managed it. ...
SJX Watches
Postponed from its usual mid-May date to end-June, Phillips’ spring watch auction is Geneva is nonetheless the full works, with 214 lots on offer, including the four spectacular Patek Philippe watches from the collection of Jean-Claude Biver, including a ref. 1518 “pink on pink” and a second-series ref. 2499. Also amongst the offerings at the Geneva Watch Auction XI are two important examples of contemporary watchmaking – a pair of F.P. Journe souscription watches consigned by the original owner – Lorenz Bäumer. A jeweller whose workshop is on the storied Place Vendome in Paris, Mr Bäumer is perhaps best known for crafted the tiara worn by Charlene Wittstock when the former Olympic swimmer wed Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2011. But Mr Bäumer is also a watch aficionado who met François-Paul Journe via a mutual friend. Mr Journe had then decided to launch his own brand by taking inspiration from Abraham-Louis Breguet, who had offered clients the opportunity to purchase a newly-developed, fairly-affordable watch by first putting down a deposit – thus “subscribing” to the offer. The jeweller became a “subscriber” and paid the down payment for a Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite “Souscription”, subsequently receiving the watch numbered “14/20” on the dial. A year later, Mr Bäumer was approached once again to “subscribe” for the new Chronomètre à Resonance “Souscription”. He took up the offer, and again got the watch number “14”....
Time+Tide
One fact that seems to have been roundly overlooked in recent years is the slow, steady, but really quite emphatic, elevation in Hublot’s yearly releases. In terms of technical complexity, case design and overall finishing. The Hublot of 2020 is not the brand that Jean-Claude Biver re-introduced to the world 15 years ago with the … ContinuedThe post Hublot, you’ve come a long way baby. 16 photos that show just how far the brand has come in 15 years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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WatchAdvice
In 2018, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M celebrated its 25th anniversary since the first release back in 1993. To celebrate this momentous occasion for one of the brands popular range, Omega gave the Seamaster Diver 300M a complete changeover while still retaining some of the design cues from the original model. The original 1993 Omega Seamaster 300M was introduced as a replacement for the Seamaster 200M model. Jean-Claude Biver cleverly marketed the original 1993 Omega Seamaster Diver 300M to raise the popularity of the model quite a bit, by having James Bond wear it in the 1995 film ‘Goldeneye’. Since the first Seamaster Diver 300M, there have been four generations of models including the latest 25th-anniversary release. Almost all generations kept the same design cues with changes coming from different materials and movements. From first glance, the most notable changes throughout the four generations are the case sizing and the bezel design. The bezel seems to get larger numerals in each of the latest generations. Design: The 25th-anniversary edition has a laser-cut wave pattern dial, similar to the 300M model released by Omega in 2006. The latest version, however, has more prominent waves, making them much more easily visible. The wave pattern certainly adds a unique look to the dial while drawing attention to what the watch is really about. Even with the wave pattern, however, the dial is still easily legible. This is thanks to the rhodium-plated hour indexes ...
Time+Tide
It’s fair to say that Hublot is mostly known for their iconic range of Big Bang timepieces. And that’s completely understandable, as the Big Bang is the brainchild of the Swiss watchmaking doyen, Jean-Claude Biver. Furthermore, the timepiece itself is credited with saving Hublot from an uncertain future when it was first released in 2005. … ContinuedThe post Keeping it classic: 3 of the best Hublot Classic Fusions appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Returning for the fifth time, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) will take place from November 20-24, once again at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a sprawling complex of offices, shops, restaurants, and three hotels, which is entirely self contained, making a visit to DWW easy to plan. As is tradition, the event includes exhibitions, watchmaking classes, and talks. Amongst the speakers will be Masayuki Hirota, an eminent Japanese watch journalist and the editor of Chronos Japan, who will be speaking about Grand Seiko. And DWW once again includes the Horology Forum, a series of panel discussions that take place daily. Panellists this year include journalists like Ariel Adams of aBlogtoWatch, watchmakers like Philippe Dufour and Stephen Forsey; brand chiefs including Karl-Friedrich Scheufele of Chopard, Jean-Claude Biver of LVMH, and Benoit Minitiens of Ressence; as well as watch collectors like San Francisco-based Jeffrey Kingston, and Aldis Hodge, an American actor who is also a jury member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. And naturally the speakers’ roster also includes prominent local personalities, including collector Hamdan Al Hudaidi and Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief commercial officer of Seddiqi Holding, the parent company of DWW’s organiser. A panel session at DWW 2018 And some newcomers Rolex is taking part for the first time in DWW, and bringing along with it the Oyster Perpetual Submariner exhibition, a series of displays within a sh...
SJX Watches
The Phillips Perpetual boutique in London officially opens this week with 40 watches encompassing all important genres of watch collecting, from a Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” to a Patek Philippe Nautilus “Jumbo” ref. 3700 (from the collection of Jean-Claude Biver no less). But one of the flagship offerings is an important example of independent watchmaking – a Roger W. Smith Series 2 “Edition 2” that’s “No. 1”. It is very much a quintessential, early Roger W. Smith creation with the hallmark elements of his watchmaking. But the watch is also historically interesting, being an example of the road not taken for Mr Smith. The forgotten “Edition” This watch illuminates an intriguing bit of early Roger W. Smith history. Shortly after Mr Smith delivered the first batch of Series 2 watches in late 2007, he decided to create the “Edition” concept. According to Mr Smith, the idea was to produce Series 2 as a limited edition of 90 watches in total, with 30 watches in each colour of gold. All Edition watches had 38mm cases and solid silver dials; the Edition 1 was in yellow gold, Edition 2 in rose, and Edition 3 in white gold. At the same time, Mr Smith also offered custom versions of the Series 2, which were also available in a platinum case. But as it turned out, most clients wanted a custom watch, rather than an Edition example. So Mr Smith discreetly abandoned Edition not long after, and only a five of each Edition were made. This is on...
SJX Watches
Best known as a watch auctioneer par excellence, Phillips recently established Perpetual, a watch store inside its London showroom on Berkeley Square. A permanent showroom offering watches year-round, Perpetual was conceived to offer clients something to buy in-between the twice-yearly watch auctions. Perpetual comes a few months after the successful pop-up store that took place in March, where a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was purchased by Jean-Claude Biver, the legendary watch entrepreneur who’s now the non-executive chairman of the LVMH watch division. The watch department in London, led by financier-turned-watch-specialist James Marks, is the first outpost of Phillips to have a permanent store. “I believe that auction houses cannot apply the same business model to every geographical location,” explains Mr Marks, “and rather than rely on traditional seasons we need to be proactive with clients year round.” Perpetual officially opens on Wednesday, September 4, with a cocktail party and panel discussion. The panel is made of two industry luminaries – Mr Biver and Phillips’ auction chief Aurel Bacs – and myself. To RSVP for the panel discussion, register online with Phillips. The highlights The inaugural offering at Perpetual is diverse, encompassing both vintage and modern watches. Being a personal favourite of Mr Marks, Rolex “Zenith” Daytonas are well represented, but the line-up also includes a selection of choice examples of independent watchm...
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Hodinkee
Aldis Hodge, Aurel Bacs, Jean-Claude Biver, and others make some pretty tough decisions.
Revolution
Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe shares with Revolution founder Wei Koh on his journey with Jean-Claude Biver from their early days in Blancpain to the growth of Hublot’s success.
Time+Tide
When ‘smart’, or ‘connected’, watches were first released there was immediate speculation about the impact they would have on the mechanical watch industry. President of the LVMH watch division, and CEO of TAG Heuer, Jean-Claude Biver, continues to think the real pain will ultimately be felt by a different segment of the market altogether. As … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: “Quartz watches will be destroyed by the tsunami of the connected watch,” says TAG Heuer CEO appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
For 14 years, he was the enfant terrible of the luxury watch world, but now, with a little help from Jean-Claude Biver and Zenith, George Bamford has at last come in from the cold.
Revolution
President of the LVMH Watch Division Jean-Claude Biver officially introduces new CEO of Zenith – Julien Tornare at their manufacture in Le Locle.
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