Launching a luxury watch brand from the ground up is bold in any climate, but when your name is Jean-Claude Biver, expectations soar. The debut of the Biver Carillon Tourbillon at $550,000 during a downturn in 2023 was a move that raised eyebrows. But visiting the family-run atelier in Givrins, where Jean-Claude’s sons Pierre and Filipe play pivotal roles, shows a company that’s pushing forward with conviction.
The post-pandemic luxury market remains rocky, but the Biver brand is gaining ground. Since October 2024, ex-Phillips executive James Marks took over as CEO, joined by Nolan Buchi as marketing director. Pierre Biver, just 25, leads design as creative director, blending youth and deep horological heritage, while his father focuses on leadership and vision.
Their inaugural timepiece, the Carillon Tourbillon, wasn’t universally embraced—some found its mix of a stone dial, tourbillon, and minute repeater overwhelming. Yet, its craftsmanship spoke volumes. Later models, like the refined Automatique with its ergonomic 39 mm case and subtle guilloché dials, brought a more nuanced design language that resonated better with collectors and signaled a more measured tone from the brand.
Jean-Claude Biver, a legend from his corporate tenure at LVMH, admits the transition to running a tight, independent atelier has been humbling. “Thank God, yes,” he says of the brand’s early results. “But it could have gone the other way. I was alone at first—no teams, no assistants, just my sons and me.” What was once a sprawling corporate structure is now a compact, hands-on family operation in a Swiss farmhouse.
He quickly learned pricing would test customers’ thresholds. The Carillon’s half-million price tag proved a tough sell despite its craftsmanship. “I underestimated how far people would go,” Biver admits. On the other hand, the Automatique’s $80,000 price point was received with surprising enthusiasm. Customers were drawn to its discreet elegance and meticulous details, from titanium-fortified gold lugs to unseen polished screw heads—hallmarks of a brand that prizes perfection, even in the invisible.
“For me, it’s the invisibility that brings us close to eternal perfection,” says Biver. The atelier has grown to accommodate this ethos, now housing a team of dedicated artisans. These watchmakers don’t just execute tasks—they own entire builds. “They are in synchrony with their job,” Biver beams. “That’s what I never expected to happen so quickly.”
Despite his status, Biver keeps returning to one theme: humility. “When success comes, we forget that the boss is the product,” he says. While the Carillon flaunts drama and grandeur, the Automatique strikes a more restrained note, especially in its monochrome platinum version and stone dial editions. Pierre Biver draws from his love for vintage Patek designs, while technical director François Perez hints at inspiration from Japanese horology.
Design elements like soldered lugs and angular indices give both the Automatique and Tourbillon a modern edge. The Deep Blue variant, priced at $1.5 million, unapologetically leans into extravagance—two rows of sapphires, guilloché dial, and a full gem-set bezel deliver a spectacle. Yet, these designs maintain coherence, grounded by craftsmanship that goes beyond the surface.
Production remains limited, and Biver acknowledges demand may soon outpace their space. He’s vocal about industry norms. “The customer is the king,” he says. “If you can’t deliver within a year or two, say so. Don’t make them wait eight years and call it luxury.”
