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The serial watch industry leader announces the release of the first models in 2023.
In the illustrious watchmaking brands that he has directed or acquired, Jean-Claude Biver had made sparks fly. Notably at LVMH where he was head of the watch division from 2014 to 2019. He was responsible for the rebirth of Blancpain, the return of Omega to the rails and the take-off of Hublot.
Now in his 70s, entrepreneur Jean-Claude Biver is not planning to retire. He has revealed to the Swiss media his new project: the launch next year of his own luxury watch brand. He will rely on the next generation, in this case his 22-year-old son Pierre. But it is the initials of the elder son that the future brand should bear. The brand will charge prices ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 Swiss francs (approximately 291,000 to 581,000 euros).
Three specialists have already been recruited to produce the movements with subcontractors. In other words, “the best traditional suppliers in the watchmaking industry”, promised Jean-Claude Biver. The first watches should leave the workshops of his partners “in September 2023 at the latest” .
While around twenty orders have already been received, the family business is aiming to produce 30 to 50 pieces in the first year. Before ramping up to 100 or 200 within ten years.
For Jean-Claude Biver, this new entrepreneurial adventure will undoubtedly be the epilogue to a career entirely dedicated to watchmaking. Having lived in Switzerland since his early childhood, and having graduated from HEC Lausanne, this Franco-Luxembourger of origin joined and then rapidly managed the biggest brands on behalf of others, at Audemars Piguet, Omega, but also for LVMH (Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith). But he also set up his own business in 1982. At that time, together with Jacques Piguet, Director of the F. Piguet movement factory, he bought the rights to the Blancpain brand. This manufacturer of traditional spring watches had been dethroned by the quartz watch. Jean-Claude Bivern took up the challenge and claimed that “since 1735, there has never been a Blancpain quartz watch” and “there never will be ! He succeeded : in 1992, he sold Blancpain to the SMH group (the future Swatch Group) for 60 million Swiss francs, even though he himself had paid… 22,000 Swiss francs.
In 2004, Jean-Claude Biver also bought Hublot, a company created in 1980 by Carlo Crocco, Blancpain’s representative in Italy. He propelled the brand forward thanks in particular to the creation of the Big Bang, an alloy of gold and…rubber, with a case bezel resembling a ship’s porthole. In 2008 Hublot, with a very healthy balance sheet, was sold to LVMH for 490 million euros.
Featured photos : © Fred Merz[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row njt-role=”not-logged-in”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The serial watch industry leader announces the release of the first models in 2023.
In the illustrious watchmaking brands that he has directed or acquired, Jean-Claude Biver had made sparks fly. Notably at LVMH where he was head of the watch division from 2014 to 2019. He was responsible for the rebirth of Blancpain, the return of Omega to the rails and the take-off of Hublot.
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The serial watch industry leader announces the release of the first models in 2023.
In the illustrious watchmaking brands that he has directed or acquired, Jean-Claude Biver had made sparks fly. Notably at LVMH where he was head of the watch division from 2014 to 2019. He was responsible for the rebirth of Blancpain, the return of Omega to the rails and the take-off of Hublot.
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