On 15 January, the living legend of watchmaking received one of the most prestigious distinctions of the French Republic.
By Luxus Plus
Jean-Claude Biver is well known by watch lovers from all over the world. Two days ago, during an official ceremony at the French Embassy in Bern, the man responsible for the resurrection of Blancpain, the development of the Hublot Big Bang and the placing of Omega on the wrist of James Bond received the highest distinction of the French Republic.
Then, he declared with great emotion: “It is a great honor for me to receive this recognition from the French state, the cradle of the idea of luxury. Above all, I would like to dedicate this medal and the recognition it represents to my teams who, for more than 40 years, have followed and supported me throughout my career and have made such a success possible through their work, skills, experience and know-how”.
Few careers in the watch industry have been as prolific and striking as that of Jean-Claude Biver, who began his career in fine watchmaking at Audemars Piguet. He was then a major player in the rebirth of mechanical watches at Blancpain when he bought out the rights to the company in 1982 with his friend Jacques Piguet. He then went on to work for some of Switzerland’s most prestigious brands, including Omega, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith. Another landmark in his career was heading the watchmaking division of the French group LVMH for several years.
As a great watch collector himself, his favourite brand is the Swiss Patek Philippe, which has been in existence since 1839.
