The eponymous brand is a collaboration with his youngest son, Pierre, and it features the sophisticated minute repeater
For the first watch launched under his own name, Jean-Claude Biver had chosen to make it a real challenge. The timepiece is not only a minute repeater, one of the most complex complications, the chiming mechanism is also fitted with three hammers. As if that wasn't hard work enough, the watch also features a tourbillon. On top of that, the dial is made of stone.
It's not just a watch; it's a masterpiece. And the Carillon Tourbillon Biver marks a triumphant comeback for Biver, who retired from the business in 2018.
See also: Jean-Claude Biver honoured with Special Jury Prize at GPHG 2018
So why a minute repeater? "Because I believe life is vibration, and vibration is life. A minute repeater has a vibration that you can hear, so it is quite extraordinary. It's a watch that can 'talk' through sound," enthuses Biver, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to give the Malaysian media a preview of the new watch.
No corners were cut when it came to the finishing either—every surface, even those hidden from view, have been decorated by hand, and polished, satin-finished, grained, and flame-hued. "The underside of the bridges are hand-grained, which is very rarely done," remarks Biver, who was insistent on having the watch look its very best.
There are two dial options: silver obsidian and blue sodalite. Domed and cut very thin—no more than 0.6mm—the stones were chosen "for their spiritual attributes, for the energy they radiate," says Pierre, Biver's son and collaborator on this project. "Sodalite is soothing and has a protective quality. Silver obsidian is about rebirth."
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