A New Chapter in Watchmaking Excellence from Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver
In a move that both honors tradition and paves the way for future innovation, the Biver brand, co-founded by watchmaking legend Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre Biver, has unveiled its latest creation: the Biver Automatique. This three-hand automatic watch marks a significant milestone for the brand, known for its complex timepieces and innovative designs.
Photographie Sébastien Agnetti pour JCBiver
A Return to the Basics and The Art of Simplicity
Launched in 2023 with the highly acclaimed Carillon Tourbillon Minute Repeater, Biver quickly established itself as a brand synonymous with high complications and meticulous craftsmanship. However, with the release of the Automatique, the Biver brand returns to the fundamental essence of watchmaking—displaying the time with simplicity and precision.
"A watch showing just the hours, minutes, and seconds is the most essential form of our art," says Jean-Claude Biver. "Distilling complexity down to its purest, simplest incarnation can be its own kind of masterpiece."
At first glance, the Biver Automatique appears straightforward, with its three central hands showing the hours, minutes, and seconds. However, its simplicity is deceptive. Crafted with an 18k white or rose gold dial housed in a matching platinum or rose gold case, each watch features intricate hand-applied finishes that reveal their complexity over time. The applied 18k gold markers and hands, along with the black-polished "Biver" signature at 12 o'clock, add to the watch's refined elegance.
Measuring a classic 39mm in diameter and just 10mm thick, the Automatique strikes a balance between timeless design and modern sensibilities. The brightly polished bezel and brushed lugs echo the dial’s straight and circular finishes, creating a cohesive and visually stunning timepiece.
The Biver Automatique in platinum with a white gold dial
Each 18k gold dial features a mix of finishes and an applied 18k gold railraod track for added depth and texture.
A New Calibre for a New Era
At the heart of the Biver Automatique is the newly developed Calibre JCB-003, a première for the movement manufacturer, a movement created in partnership with Dubois Depraz. This automatic movement, featuring a 22k gold micro-rotor, was designed as the foundation for future Biver watches. It offers a 65-hour power reserve and a unique zero-reset mechanism that snaps the seconds hand back to 12 o’clock when setting the time, allowing for precise adjustments.
"The Calibre JCB-003 is a cornerstone on which we are building the Biver brand," explains Pierre Biver. "It reflects our deep appreciation for movement architecture and our desire to blend the best of watchmaking past, present, and future."
The calibre’s architecture is as much a visual feast as it is a technical marvel, with bridges featuring guilloché, anglage, and black polishing. The clou de Paris guilloché pattern on the bridges radiates from the center of the micro-rotor, adding a dynamic element to the movement’s design.
Further extending the Automatique’s appeal, Biver introduces the Atelier Series, featuring hard stone dials that connect each timepiece to eternity. Limited in production, these watches will showcase unique stones such as black sanded obsidian and Pietersite, each available for a short time and in small quantities.
"We want the Automatique and the Calibre JCB-003 to bring more people into the Biver community," says Pierre Biver. "These watches communicate our values, ideas, and taste to a new group of collectors and enthusiasts across the world."
Automatique Atelier Series, with Pietersite and sanded Obsidian dials.
A Family Tradition Continues
The Biver brand is a family legacy that Jean-Claude and Pierre are keen to uphold and evolve. Pierre Biver sees the brand as one that will become a household name in the watchmaking world over the next two decades, known for its quality, design, and innovation.
The Biver Automatique may be a departure from the complex timepieces with which the brand made its debut, but it is no less significant. By focusing on the fundamentals of watchmaking and introducing a movement that will serve as the foundation for future innovations, Biver is setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting future.
As Jean-Claude Biver aptly puts it, "If you want to play the piano, you must first master scales and classical music before you can learn to play jazz." With the Biver Automatique, the brand is mastering its scales, setting the tone for a symphony of horological masterpieces yet to come.
JC Biver
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