Biver Automatique Watch Review
The Biver Automatique is a three-hander that harnesses much complexity. Angus Davies invites purists to spend a few minutes discovering a watch devoid of compromise. The Biver Automatique is the product of two watch collectors conceiving a masterpiece packed with mechanical refinements and nuanced details.
Image – Biver Automatique 18K Rose Gold
Jean-Claude Biver
‘Jean-Claude Biver’ is a name that will be familiar to legions of horophiles. A legend within the watch industry, Biver has worked for Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Omega, to name but a few. In 2004, the son of Luxembourg was invited by the then owner, Carlos Crocco, to join Hublot.
Image – Jean-Claude Biver
In just four short years, with his ‘art of fusion’ concept, a novel idea of pairing rubber straps with an array of materials, he built a household name. The brand enjoyed exponential growth, leading LVMH to acquire it in 2008. Thereafter, Biver was appointed head of the watch division and oversaw not only Hublot but also TAG Heuer and Zenith.
I’ve met Biver on a couple of occasions. As a former Marketing Director myself, I confess to being a tad sceptical when I meet some similarly qualified professionals; however, believe me when I say, Biver is the ‘real deal’. When he was at Omega he facilitated the deal with the James Bond franchise. The fictitious British agent has since proved the perfect brand ambassador. Likewise, who can forget the Hublot-branded substitution boards that resembled one of the brand’s watches. These became a regular fixture at many televised football spectaculars. Moreover, just to ensure football fans didn’t overlook the Hublot name, similar watch-themed boards were used to announce extra-time.
A few years ago, I visited TAG Heuer HQ and, along with six other guests, entered a meeting room with Biver sat at the head of a long table. He began the meeting by handing each of us a block of L’Etiva cheese made on his farm. Suitably disarmed, Biver then went on to dazzle us with his blend of knowledge and passion. I have never met a more accomplished marketing expert.
Watch marketing and the consumer
Clearly, Monsieur Biver has a remarkable knack for promotion, is able to recognise market opportunities and can clearly foresee postdated trends; however, do these talents benefit the consumer? Undoubtedly, yes. JCB has an amazing track record for recognising customer desires and then sating them with suitable products. Indeed, throughout his career he has done this again and again and again….
Image – Jean-Claude Biver
Biver depuis 2023
In 2023, Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre Biver launched their eponymous brand and unveiled their inaugural timepiece, the Carillon Tourbillon. Unlike a minute repeater, already one of the most challenging high complications to make, featuring two gongs and two hammers, a carillon incorporates three gongs and three hammers. Furthermore, heightening the complexity of the tourbillon-equipped models, Biver endued each reference with a micro-rotor and offered an array of options including dials formed of stones, gem-set cases, guilloché dials and a multitude of other high-desirable enhancements. Few companies start by launching a grand complication, but when it comes to JCB, one comes to expect the unexpected.
Biver Automatique – seemingly simple
Now, the young brand has released a new model, the Biver Automatique. This latest timepiece is a seemingly simple three-hander. When contrasted with its older sibling, unveiled last year, the new Biver Automatique may sound somewhat mainstream or dare I say, ‘ordinary’; however, nothing could be further from the truth. The unambiguous presentation of time is clear, but beneath the uncluttered face of the watch there are numerous refined details that distinguish this creation as special. Allow me to elaborate.
Image – Biver Automatique platinum
Biver Automatique – dial
Prospective purchasers can opt for a solid 18K white or rose gold dial, each optimally paired with a colour-coordinating case formed of either platinum or 18K rose gold, respectively. Alternatively, Biver also offers its ‘Atelier Series’, a limited number of watches equipped with stone dials.
Image – Biver Automatique Atelier Series 18K rose gold case with Pietersite dial (above)
Image – Biver Automatique Atelier Series platinum case with obsidian dial (above)
Personally, I’m drawn to the platinum version of the Biver Automatique, equipped with a white gold dial, hence the rest of this article focusses on this particular reference.
Image – Biver Automatique Atelier Series platinum case
The dauphine-style hour and minute hands are satin-finished, hand-bevelled and executed in an anthracite hue, augmenting readability. The centre seconds hand, again presented in an anthracite colour, is gracefully lithe and incorporates a fletching-like counterweight.
Pause for a moment and look closely at the central area of the dial, its surface is enriched with a vertical satin-brush, fringed with a recessed border. Beyond this sits a brushed circlet, adorned with a circular brushed motif. Then there is another grooved border before the eye discovers the hour track, with vertical lines precisely matching those at the centre. A cursory glance may lead the observer to assume the dial is two-tone, but this is merely an illusion. The dialscape is the same colour throughout, its twin persona the product of its protracted brushed treatment.
The hours are denoted with applied markers. Faceted and, once again, delivered in an anthracite hue, they prove eminently legible. An applied, sloping minute track frames the dial. It incorporates crisp strokes and Arabic numerals, all presented in relief. It is the sensitive use of texture, tones, proportions and depths that imbues this display with a seemly aesthetic.
Located at noon, just beneath the double indexes, sits the name ‘Biver’. Once again, masterfully playing with depths, it is black-polished to a resplendent conclusion. Such subtle use of contrasts and nuanced detail distinguish this watch as extraordinary.
Biver Automatique – case
No doubt sensitive to the prevailing tastes among the watch-collecting community, the Biver Automatique measures a mere 39 mm in diameter and, courtesy of its wearable 10 mm thickness, will unobtrusively sit beneath the cuff. But like the dial, the subtle refinements of the case are not conveyed with mere bullet points on a specification sheet.
Indeed, similar to the dial, the case plays with contrasts, conferring an abundance of charm. The dished bezel is presented in highly-polished form. This gleaming treatment extends to the chamfered edges of the angled lugs, while the sides and top of the horns are brushed. The centre of the case is brushed between the horns, a surface treatment that extends to the caseband. Now, look again and notice how the caseband features slivers of brightwork above and below the brushed section of the caseband. Or, perhaps take a moment to examine the vertical flank of the crown with its highly polished ‘JCB’ presented in relief, set against a softly spoken textured backdrop. Once again, it is this delicate interplay between brushed and polished surfaces that conveys a sense of value.
The watch is available on a five-rows ‘Biver bracelet’ in platinum or a leather strap with platinum pin buckle. Personally, I would opt for the latter as it seems more in keeping with the genteel character of the watch-head; however, I always applaud those companies that proffer choice.
Biver Calibre JCB-003
The Swiss marque has chosen to equip the Biver Automatique with a display caseback, granting sight of the Calibre JCB-003. And what a sight it is!
Silvery hues sit cheek by jowl with golden tones, bestowing a glorious mechanical vista punctuated with numerous rubies. The bridges are decorated with clous de Paris guilloché with each instance of the protruding pattern varying in size. Anglage, straight-graining and black polishing abound.
Biver has allocated sufficient space between the bridges to afford sight of the gear train, balance and various other components often hidden from view. It’s an approach that I find appealing as it indulges my curiosity for horological mechanisms.
The movement uses a beautifully decorated 22K gold micro-rotor to automatically energise the mainspring. It’s a bold step as micro-rotors are technically challenging to realise. It’s all a matter of inertia; the modest diameter of a micro-rotor often generates less momentum than a full-size oscillating mass. However, when developing the Calibre JCB-003, Biver worked with Dubois Depraz, a company with a proven track record in making micro-rotor powered movements.
Study the movement for a while and you will discover more delightful details. The screws feature chamfered rims and polished slots. The jewels and screws reside in polished sinks. Note the design of the gear train wheels and their resemblance to a watchmaker’s topping tool of yesteryear. Pay close attention to the variable-inertia balance with its inertia weights, located in-board to mitigate air turbulence, augmenting isochronism. And lastly, look at the sliding stud cap with its black polishing…. I could continue, but needless to say, excellence is manifest wherever you choose to look.
Biver Automatique – closing remarks
There are many things you can tell from looking at the Biver Automatique. Both Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver were known to be avid watch collectors long before they inaugurated their eponymous brand. And it shows. The design, specification and refined execution of this watch is born out of passion; the passion of two purists.
Biver has skilfully incorporated a plethora of details, yet everything co-exists harmoniously. Nothing jars on the eye and everything appears wonderfully considered. When appraising the Biver Automatique, it is clear it will remain a rare sight due to the protracted creation of each constituent part. However, as I often say, ‘Excellence is seldom created in haste’.
While not wishing to diminish Jean-Claude Biver’s many achievements, I think the Biver Automatique is his magnum opus. The only question I have is, ‘Why is the Biver signature positioned below noon?’ After all, everyone knows a masterpiece always bears the artist’s signature in the bottom right corner.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Biver Automatique
- Case: platinum (Pt 950) or 18K rose gold, diameter 39 mm, height 10 mm, water resistant to 8 bar (80 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds
- Movement: Calibre JCB-003, self-winding movement, frequency 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz), 36 jewels, power reserve 65 hours
- Strap: leather strap, with platinum or rose gold pin buckle. Five-rows Biver bracelet, in either platinum or rose gold
- Prices start at CHF 75,000 (excluding tax) for 18K rose gold case, gold dial and leather strap (as of 9.9.2024)