Results for Jean-Claude Biver

The Biver Automatique Could Be Your New Gentleman’s Watch

The Biver AB Debuts As The Brand’s First Stainless Steel Watch With A New Manually Wound Movement

Biver introduces its first stainless steel watch, the new AB, short for Acier Biver. Developed in response to customer demand, the AB combines a 38mm steel case with a remarkably slim 9.8mm profile and a brand-new manually wound movement. A sophisticated dial construction creates impressive depth, while the black-and-gold aesthetic delivers understated luxury rather than […] Visit The Biver AB Debuts As The Brand’s First Stainless Steel Watch With A New Manually Wound Movement to read the full article.

Introducing: The Biver 'AB' - A New Manually-Wound Release In Steel

What We Know A few weeks ago I got an unexpected invite from Pierre Biver to see the brand's newest watch. Despite any ideas I might have had in my mind, Biver's new watch—just called the "AB"—was not what I expected. Instead of a new, complicated, potentially larger piece, the AB is a response to customer demand, says Biver (the person, not the brand, but kind of the person and the brand in one). After their Automatique was a runaway success in its various forms over the past two years, they resisted the urge to put the proprietary movement in a stainless steel case (as highly requested). Instead, today, they're launching a manually-wound, proprietary new movement with over 100 hours of power reserve, in a smaller steel case and moving the brand forward. The watch measures 38mm by 9.8mm thick, with a 19mm lug width. The case maintains the general hallmarks of Biver's cases, with brushed and polished geometric angular lugs—reminiscent of a Patek 3448 or 3450—but with tweaks to the bezel to change how it looks on the wrist. The dial is a multi-level gold dial, with a grained central texture, 2N gold metallicized indices, chamfered levels, gold hands with hand-finished facets, and an onyx stone-dial ring for the hour and minute track. The watch also comes with Biver's striking, angular bracelet, which now comes with a patented micro-adjust activated by two push buttons. Photo by Mark Kauzlarich. The caliber JCB-004 is developed in collaboration with Le Cercle des Hor...

Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe

La Bazoche-Gouët is a small town in the French Loire Valley. Today, roughly 1,215 people live there. In 1815, the number of inhabitants could have been a bit higher or a bit lower, but it’s safe to say that La Bazoche-Gouët was never a bustling hub of activity. It is a beautiful spot, though. The […] Visit Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe to read the full article.

Dubai Watch Week 2025 Special: new releases from Laurent Ferrier, Biver, MB&F; and more

With over 90 brands at Dubai Watch Week this year, there were plenty of hot new releases, with soft gold tones leading the way.The post Dubai Watch Week 2025 Special: new releases from Laurent Ferrier, Biver, MB&F; and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Biver’s Latest Carillon Tourbillon is All About Discretion

A subtler version of its flagship model, the Biver Carillon Tourbillon Signature Series looks almost like a time-only watch. It does away with the dial cutout for the tourbillon, leading to a more toned-down appearance for the complicated watch that combines a three-gong carillon repeater with a tourbillon. Notably, the new model is also available in a two-tone configuration of titanium and 18k rose gold. Initial thoughts Watchmakers usually highlight the tourbillon, putting the regulator front and centre of the dial (and charge a lot more for the mechanism too). Back in 2023, Biver made its debut with a tourbillon minute repeater,  which proudly displayed the tourbillon at six o’clock. Now the brand has reprised the model, but conceals what was the main showpiece on the dial. The two models are delivered with a set of cufflinks, material-matched to the watch The closed dial plainly conceals the tourbillon underneath. And due to the movement’s construction, the tourbillon can’t be seen from the case back either - making for a confusing sight. The end result is a very understated timepiece that doesn’t reveal itself easily, or much at all. In fact, the apparent simplicity is underlined by the dial, which is almost identical to that of the time-only Automatique. It features the same brushed circular sectors and micro relief minute track have become staple design elements of the brand. Were it not for the repeater slide, one would even be tempted to assume this is...

New Generation Watch Leadership: Jean Arnault

Before the New Generation Watch Leadership symposium at Geneva Watch Days 2022, Wei caught up with Jean Arnault, Director of Marketing and Development at Louis Vuitton Watches, to talk about his deep passion for horology and high craftsmanship, and the brand’s progression from a luxury fashion house to the heights of haute horlogerie. Despite his […]

New: Biver AB - their first steel time only watch

For the first time in its short history, Biver releases a three hand watch in stainless steel with a steel bracelet. Here is the Biver AB.

New releases from Biver, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Svea Atelier and more

From Biver's first steel watch to the MB&F; LM1 EVO and Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo, catch up on the biggest new watch releases of the week

The Business of Watches Podcast: Armin Strom Co-Founders And Top Executives Serge Michel and Claude Greisler

This week on The Business of Watches, a visit with the folks running Armin Strom, a true original in the small but increasingly crowded field of independent watch brands. It takes its name and original inspiration from the eponymous Swiss watchmaker who was best known for his innovative and record-setting skeletonizing techniques on watches and dials.  Childhood friends Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took over the brand in 2006. Michel, who controls the company, came from a family business background (in another field of business), while Greisler was a watchmaker and engineer. Twenty years on, Armin Strom is a true original in Swiss watchmaking, producing unique timepieces pushing the boundaries of contemporary horology from an atelier in Biel / Bienne, where most of the components are produced, decorated and finished for the brand's proprietary, in-house designed movements.  Claude Greisler (left) and Serge Michel, the co-founders of Armin Strom. This week the brand launch a new version of its Dual Time GMT Resonance in a "manufacture blue edition" with a blue mainplate. The watch employs Armin Strom's unique take on the concept of resonance with dual oscillators kept in balance by its proprietary 'resonance clutch.' The story of the development of the brand's take on the concept is a key element in its journey and we explore and unpack that process in-depth in the episode. Currently making about 400 watches a year with a staff of about 55 people, Armin Strom is on...

The Business of Watches Podcast: Geneva Watch Days President And Former CEO Of Bulgari Jean-Christophe Babin

This week on The Business of Watches, we're getting a preview and history lesson of Geneva Watch Days. Born in the dark days of the pandemic in 2020, it was a new kind of watch industry gathering that prioritized access and community over exclusivity. Jean-Christophe Babin, the former Chief Executive Officer of Bulgari, has been there from the beginning. He tells us why Geneva Watch Days started and why it's still needed. We discuss what to expect at this year's event and what the future of watch industry events might bring.  Jean-Christophe Babin.Photo courtesy LVMH With some 71 brands exhibiting, GWD has more marques than that other big watch show in Geneva that happens each spring, but it's very different in tone and feel. Using a 'decentralized' concept, brands pay fees based on their size and revenue and the show allows for plenty of smaller, boutique brands to show off their wares.  Open to the general public, it certainly isn't as glitzy nor as pricey an event as some others. Babin says the entire budget of GWD is likely less than the cost of staging and running a major booth at Watches and Wonders.  A veteran who has served as the head of LVMH's watch unit as well as the CEO of TAG Heuer, Babin has seen the industry through a myriad of cycles, giving him a unique perspective on where the watch sector has been and where it's going.   There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversation. Be sure to leave any thoughts o...

Remembering Jean-Marie Schaller, One Of Watchmaking’s Brightest Characters

We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jean-Marie Schaller, the owner and creative force behind Louis Moinet. Jean-Marie passed away peacefully on May 16th at the age of 66. I wanted to share a few personal words about Jean-Marie because he was someone I came to know not only through watches but […] Visit Remembering Jean-Marie Schaller, One Of Watchmaking’s Brightest Characters to read the full article.

Happenings: Claude Greisler To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York

Resonance is one of the most fascinating physical phenomena explored in watchmaking, where two oscillators influence each other and eventually synchronize. Since Christiaan Huygens' 17th‑century observations with pendulum clocks, watchmakers have sought to harness it in wristwatches. At the May 2026 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Armin Strom Co-Founder and Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler will share how the brand successfully achieved resonance in 2016 with the caliber ARF15. Central to this innovation is the patented resonance clutch, which links the two hairsprings, allowing them to synchronize quickly and continuously average out rate deviations. Join Greisler as he explores the journey from theory to mechanism and the creation of a modern resonance system. About Claude Greisler "A passion for 'transparent mechanics', both from an aesthetic perspective and to showcase how our watches actually work, has always guided my design sensibility. From a watchmaking perspective, I honor the many generations of Swiss-German watchmakers in my family with an uncompromising commitment to perfection in both movement quality and finishing." - Claude Greisler Born into a watchmaker family, Claude Greisler began his formal watchmaking education at a watchmaker school in Solothurn, Switzerland, followed by advanced programs at the Centre Interrégional de Formation des Montagnes (CIFOM) in Le Locle. He graduated in watch restoration and watch development, com...

Talking Watches: With Jean Todt - Ferrari Formula 1 Boss, President Of The FIA, Philanthropist, And Passionate Watch Collector

From Dakar to Le Mans, WRC to Formula 1, to road safety and spinal cord research, Jean Todt's collection of watches reflects the remarkable and multifaceted passions that have defined his life.

Introducing - The Biver Automatique Range Welcomes 11 New Versions, including Bold Stone Dials

Presented in 2024, the Biver Automatique is the brand’s vision of a classic 3-hand watch. The collection kicked off with 4 models: two showcasing monochromatic dial-and-case combinations and two from the Atelier Series featuring distinctive stone dials. A few other versions have been introduced since then, and on the occasion of Dubai Watch Week 2025, Biver Watches […]

Elemental Beauty: Exotic Stone Dials for the Biver Automatique

Stone dials have become an increasingly visible trend in recent years; once rare, they are now widespread. Yet most rely on a handful of familiar minerals such as malachite, lapis lazuli, and tiger’s eye, leaving little room for novelty. Biver has taken a different approach with the Automatique, offering a far broader and more exotic palette of materials that includes mahogany obsidian, quartzite, and lavender jade-alongside traditional enamel dials crafted by Geneva’s leading specialists. While the new dials take centre stage, the Automatique itself is largely unchanged, and still features one of the most technically interesting movements in the genre of high-end time-only watches. Initial thoughts Mineral stone dials seem to be everywhere these days. Once the domain of brands like Piaget, stone dials have outgrown their niche and become common enough that a cottage industry of suppliers has emerged to supply them at nearly all price points; even Timex offers malachite dials. But most brands are using the same handful of stone types like malachite, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, and other semi-precious, but actually quite common, minerals. This is where Biver goes its own way, offering a diverse and unusual selection of stone and enamel dials, along with a few ‘ordinary’ dials for more conservative collectors. In total, 11 new references join the collection, and each has the option for a precious metal bracelet that matches the case material. As a watch, the Autom...

Fratello Talks: With Claude Greisler Of Armin Strom

On this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and RJ sit down with Claude Greisler, co-founder and master watchmaker at Armin Strom. Together, they explore Claude’s journey from a young apprentice to leading one of Switzerland’s most technically inventive independent brands. The trio discusses how Armin Strom evolved from a workshop known for skeletonization to […] Visit Fratello Talks: With Claude Greisler Of Armin Strom to read the full article.

Insider secrets: Jean-François Mojon talks about Chronode and the work he does for Hermès

We visited Chronode, an independent complications specialist for the watchmaking industry. Here we chatted with Jean-François Mojon, the Founder and Chief.

Introducing: The Biver Carillon Tourbillon Signature Series

The last of the Biver Carillon Tourbillons get a vintage-inspired facelift.

Understanding the Vacheron Constantin Solaria with Christian Selmoni and Jean-Marie Bouquin

SJX recently visited Vacheron Constantin  and sat down with Christian Selmoni, style and heritage director, and head of speciality watchmaking, Jean-Marie Bouquin, to discuss the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, the most complicated wristwatch yet made. Mr Bouquin led the development of Solaria, and assembled it, creating a wristwatch that’s a worthy follow-up to the most complicated portable timepiece ever, the Berkley Grand Complication that was launched just last year. That in turn broke the record set by Vacheron Constantin in 2015 with the ref. 57260 “Tivoli”. They discussed the intricacies and innovation in the Solaria, including its modular “plug and play” perpetual calendar, and the implications for future Les Cabinotiers projects, as well as the novel star-tracking chronograph, and the benefits of using silicon for the spokes of the balance wheel. They also touched on the absence of a grande et petite sonnerie.  

The Evergreens - The History of Urban Jürgensen, The Legendary Danish Watchmaker Set To Return

Looking back at the history of watchmaking, there are some inevitable names to be mentioned: Abraham-Louis Breguet, John Harrison, Thomas Mudge, John Arnold, Antide Janvier, Jean-Marc Vacheron and Christiaan Huygens, just to name a few. Moving up North, in the city of Copenhagen, to be precise, we have to talk about one of the most […]

Business News: Jean-Christophe Babin is CEO of LVMH Watches

Bulgari’s longtime boss Jean-Christophe Babin has just been appointed named chief executive of LVMH Watches, effective April 1. He succeeds Frédéric Arnault, who was recently named to lead Loro Piana. Mr Babin will lead the watch division in addition to being chief of Bulgari, the Italian jeweller he has led in 2013. With a dozen years at the helm, Mr Babin is one of the longest-serving bosses in luxury. His successor at Bulgari, however, is already in place; Laura Burdese was named deputy chief executive last year. In his new role, Mr Babin will oversee the three brands that make up the watch division: TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Bulgari.

Business News: Jean-Marc Pontroué Departs Panerai, Emmanuel Perrin Takes Over

Panerai chief executive Jean-Marc Pontroué has just revealed he’s stepping down in a post on his personal Instagram account. He took up the job almost exactly seven years ago, after six years as chief executive of Roger Dubuis and over a decade at Montblanc, where most notably he led the brand’s high-end watchmaking efforts (that were dialled back under subsequent managers). Mr Pontroué’s successor, effective April 1, will be Emmanuel Perrin, currently head of Specialist Watchmakers (SWM), essentially the watch division of Richemont, the Swiss luxury group that also owns Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. According to insiders, SWM will continue to exist, but at a regional level, rather than the group-level entity it is now. Emmanuel Perrin Mr Pontroué landed at Panerai with big shoes to fill: his predecessor, Angelo Bonati, led the brand for over two decades, taking it from essentially nothing to one of the hottest brands in the 2000s. Panerai’s impressive momentum had begun to slow towards the end of Mr Bonati’s tenure, and despite his best efforts Mr Pontroué never managed to recapture the magic. Amongst the initiatives launched by Mr Pontroué at Panerai was sustainability in watchmaking materials and packaging, as well as a renewed engagement with Paneristi, the community of dedicated Panerai fans – underlined by historically inspired new launches coming in 2024. The brand’s direction will now be determined by Mr Perrin. During his spell leading SWM, Mr...

Obituary: Jean-Pierre Hagmann, Master Case Maker

Jean-Pierre Hagmann passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on the night of March 7, 2025 at the age of 84. With his passing, the watchmaking has lost the most important case maker of the last 50 years. He was a friend whom I first met some 35 years ago. Born in Geneva in 1940 to a mechanic, Jean-Pierre was a living legend whose talent was evident from a young age. Jean-Pierre was an incredibly versatile and gifted precision machinist and craftsman. No mechanical problem was too difficult for him to tackle. “If you have a complex mechanical problem, you have to break it down into many small steps,” he once told me. On another occasion, he said, “I’m lazy by nature, so I always look for the simplest and quickest technical solution, which is often the perfect one.” After training as a jeweller at Geneva’s School of Fine Arts in 1956, Jean-Pierre didn’t want to go straight into the profession. His youthful curiosity and fervor led him to seek variety and adventure. Initially, he applied to Holiday on Ice, the iceskating theatre company, as a professional figure skater and taking the role of a clown. When that didn’t work out, he spent two years repairing coffee machines in the bistros of Geneva. Later, he worked as a mechanic in a racing motorbike workshop. Jean-Pierre’s boss recognised his talent and introduced him to one of the most famous racing drivers of the time, Etienne de la Mar. With his technical finesse Jean-Pierre helped  the Frenchman win the Eur...

Biver’s latest Automatique is its most visually restrained watch yet - but things are not as simple as they seem

Available in Japan only, Biver's latest watch maintains a tradition of Japanese exclusivity while showcasing a more unambiguous approach.The post Biver’s latest Automatique is its most visually restrained watch yet – but things are not as simple as they seem appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.