NEW COLLECTION BLEND A COLOURFUL STONES WITH ARTISANAL TECHNIQUES, MAKING THE AUTOMATIQUE A CANVAS FOR WATCHMAKING ART

From its release in September 2024, the Automatique was envisioned as the most pure, distilled-down expression of Biver’s watchmaking philosophy. We began with four models: two showcasing harmonious dial-and-case combinations for a refined monochromatic aesthetic, and two from our Atelier Series featuring distinctive stone dials. Over the last year we have introduced a few variations on these themes and today we are extremely excited to announce a collection of new Automatique references that explore traditional watchmaking crafts such as guilloché, gem-setting, and enameling.

When working with a canvas as seemingly simple (but deceptively complex) as the Automatique, there is nowhere to hide. Every element must be carefully considered and perfectly executed. We like this challenge and believe it is part of what makes this watch such an excellent platform for additional handcrafts. For this collection, we decided to challenge ourselves, introducing new metalworking techniques, new combinations of hard stones and gemstones, and grand feu enamel, to create new interpretations of the Automatique.

“Dubai Watch Week is a unique opportunity to showcase to the global collector community our latest novelties in a rapidly growing, strategically important market for Biver,” says CEO James Marks. “This is also a special year for our partner Ahmed Seddiqi, as they celebrate their 75th anniversary, and it felt especially appropriate to come to Dubai with our newest collection amongst a backdrop of friendship and celebration. This collection highlights the strength of the core design aesthetic of the Automatique, allowing the creative teams to explore a wide breadth of colours and stones for a diverse range of collectors.”

TWO TONES, ONE SPIRIT

The first three metal-dialed Automatique models paired cases and dials in coordinating colours – white (platinum and white gold), rose (rose gold), and yellow (yellow gold). These two new iterations explore contrast and surface in different ways. The first is a subtle two-tone model that features an 18k rose gold case and dial made from a special 18k white gold alloy called PD210, which has a higher palladium content and a lighter undertone. With the crown, bezel, and buckle all matching the mid-case, the two-town effect is subtle and perfectly in line with the Automatique’s design ideals. The watch is available on either a Pomari calf leather strap or an 18k rose gold Biver bracelet.

EVOLVING TRADITION

The second watch begins with a familiar platinum case but features an entirely new dial – a deep blue with a combination of sunray finish and Clous de Paris guilloché. This is the first time guilloché is being used for the Automatique and the rings of Clous de Paris vary in size to create visual continuity with the sunray finish on the other parts of the dial. It’s a complex execution that makes a big impact with a small, tasteful nod to an important part of traditional watchmaking. Each dial requires countless hours of guilloché work, which is done by hand utilizing century-old machines. A blue applied chemin de fer and 18k white gold hands and hour markers complete the dial. The watch is available on a Rustico nubuck leather strap or a platinum Biver bracelet.

HARNESSING NATURE

The Atelier Series offers us an opportunity to think a bit more conceptually about what a particular watch can be and how it can express a unique idea or visual signature. Seven new references join this special collection of timepieces, utilizing four different hard stones – mahogany obsidian, Oeil de Fer, blue quartzite, and lavender jade – some with the addition of gemstone hour markers for the first time.

Bringing deep, warm tones to the collection are the 18k rose gold model housing the mahogany obsidian dial and the 18k yellow gold model housing the Oeil de Fer dial. The former shows a mix of deep black and swirling red and orange hues, with the smooth polish giving the surface an immense amount of visual depth. The latter has a more matte look, with veins of powdery black and brown interspersed with flashes of orange, red, and sunflower yellow. Each is available on either a complementary strap with an 18k gold pin buckle or on a corresponding gold Biver bracelet.

YOU CAN ONLY TRULY EVOLVE A DESIGN LANGUAGE OVER TIME AND THROUGH REPEATED EXECUTION. A STRONG DESIGN LANGUAGE ISN’T A ONE-TIME STATEMENT – IT’S A FOUNDATION THAT REVEALS MORE OF ITSELF WITH EACH NEW CREATION. WITH THESE WATCHES, WE’VE ADDED NEW LAYERS AND NUANCES, PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES WHILE STAYING TRUE TO THE CORE CODES OF THE BIVER AESTHETIC.
IT’S ABOUT LETTING THE DESIGN GROW ORGANICALLY, ALLOWING IT TO SURPRISE US WHILE REMAINING UNMISTAKABLY PART OF THE SAME LINEAGE.

The other two new stones are blue quartzite and lavender jade, both of which are paired with platinum cases to allow the bright colours and subtle textures to shine. Quartzite looks almost like the surface of a frozen lake after a light snowfall. Icy blue is flecked with slightly glossy fragments of white and darker blue veins add additional depth. Lavender jade is even more subtle, with a semi-matte finish in a delicate pink-and-purple hue, with subtle dark spots showing the stone’s natural structure.

These watches are available in a few different configurations – the quartzite is available with 18k white gold markers, diamond baguette markers, or blue sapphire baguette markers, and the lavender jade is available with 18k white gold markers or diamond baguette markers. Setting gemstones into the delicate hard stone dials is an immense challenge, but the unique effect is profound. All versions are available with either a strap with a platinum pin buckle or an optional platinum Biver bracelet.

CONTEMPORARY ENAMEL A STUDY IN SUBTLETY

Often, grand feu enamel can be associated with a more ornate, highly-embellished style of watchmaking. We wanted to present this vaunted craft with all the authenticity and know-how but in a cleaner, more contemporary style. The two resulting Automatique references both start with an 18k yellow gold case, paired with either a dark grey or bordeaux coloured enamel dial. Both dials have matte finishes and rich colour. The warm grey plays beautifully off the yellow gold case, while the bordeaux brings a powerful richness to the watch’s otherwise pared-down aesthetic. These grey and bordeaux dials are produced in the heart of Geneva’s old town at Les Emailleurs de la Cité, where each is crafted by hand.

Both dials feature yellow gold hands and applied hour markers to match the case, with white luminous material on the hands and at each hour marker, too. Together, these give the dial a bit of extra dimension and a clean punch of functionality and sportiness. Likewise, they’re both available on complementary nubuck leather straps with 18k gold pin buckles or on a yellow gold Biver bracelet.

“Enamel, even more than stone, has deep roots in watchmaking tradition. I wanted to appropriate that heritage in a way that feels distinctly ours,” continues Pierre. “What I love most is how we’ve paired this very classical, almost ceremonial material with unexpected, contemporary elements – like gold luminous plots and luminous hands. It’s a deliberate tension: the ultimate dress watch aesthetic subtly disrupted by sporty, functional touches.”

CALIBRE JCB-003

Powering all of these watches is the incredible Calibre JCB-003, which was developed in close collaboration with our partners at Dubois Depraz. It was conceived from the ground up to be a foundation not just for this watch, but for future watches as well. This meant we had to create the most technically sound movement possible, with all the necessary architecture to make it adaptable as Biver continues to grow and evolve.

It is a three-hand automatic movement wound by a solid 22k gold micro-rotor. It features a 65-hour power reserve and the central seconds display has a zero-reset mechanism for more precise setting. The entire architecture of the Calibre JCB-003 was designed to look as good as it performs, so there is plenty of space to show off the guilloché, black polish, and anglage throughout. The colour of the micro-rotor and wheels even varies to coordinate with each watch’s case, with yellow gold watches having yellow rouage and rose gold and platinum watches showing pink gold rouage. No surface is left untouched and the calibre quite literally radiates light, representing the care paid to each element.

The post BIVER CHARTS NEW TERRITORY FOR THE AUTOMATIQUE WITH FRESH INTERPRETATIONS OF NATURAL MATERIALS & TRADITIONAL CRAFTS appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Now, Biver writes the next chapter in this story with a return to watchmaking basics. The Biver Automatique is a threehand, automatic watch meant for daily wear. It combines influences from the past with a distinctly 21st- century look and it establishes a foundation on which future watches and complications can be built. It is a watch that looks simple at first glance and reveals its complexity over time – it rewards the patient and surprises the  curious.

“A watch showing just the hours, minutes, and seconds is the most essential form of our art. Distilling complexity down to its purest, simplest incarnation can be its own kind of masterpiece, found in its absolute perfection and  discipline,” says co-founder Jean-Claude Biver. “If you want to play the piano, you must first master scales and classical music before you can learn to play jazz.

Pared down to its most basic functions, a wristwatch tells the time. The Biver Automatique has three central hands and shows the hours, minutes, and seconds. Nothing more, nothing less. This simplicity is deceptive, though.

The solid 18k white and rose gold dials are each housed in a case made of the corresponding colour metal and each features an array of hand-applied finishes. These give them depth and dimensionality, suggesting a two-tone  finish and showing off each material’s inherent possibilities. This is further emphasized by the applied 18k gold markers and matching hands (both with anthracite finishes for better legibility), the applied and black-polished  “Biver” signature at 12 o’clock, and the applied 18k gold railroad track around the perimeter. As the light shifts and changes, these dials reveal their complexity and richness, looking slightly different each passing moment.

All of this is housed in a platinum or rose gold case measuring a classic 39mm across and just 10mm thick. The brightly polished bezel and brushed lugs echo the straight and circular finishes found on the dials, extending the  long brushing lines and giving each watch a cohesive feeling throughout, whether it’s worn on a leather strap or the signature five-link Biver bracelet.

A Brand New Calibre

At the heart of the Biver Automatique is the brand new Calibre JCB-003. Developed in close collaboration with partners at Dubois Depraz, it was designed from the ground up to be a foundation not just for this watch but for  future watches as well. This meant creating the most technically sound movement possible, with all the necessary architecture to make it adaptable as Biver grows and explores other complications.

The movement combines a simple three-hand time display, including a central seconds hand, with an automatic winding system that utilizes a 22k gold micro-rotor and allows for hand-winding via the crown as well. This  offers collectors the opportunity to have that tactical relationship with their watch, especially if the 65-hour power reserve has been exhausted and it is being put on from “empty.” A zero-reset mechanism also snaps the seconds hand back to 12 o’clock when the crown is pulled to the time-setting position, allowing the wearer to precisely set the time down to the second.

“The Calibre JCB-003 is a cornerstone on which we are building the Biver brand,” says co-founder Pierre Biver. “From the beginning, it was engineered with high performance and elevated decoration in mind. Our approach  reflects a deep appreciation for movement architecture and a desire to balance the best of watchmaking past, present and future. The creation of this calibre is the first step in creating a distinctive type of Biver horology.”

The  shapes of the bridges are sculpted to reveal elements of the drive train, barrel, and winding system, and each features a combination of guilloché, anglage, and black polishing to give it unique character. In particular, the clou de Paris guilloché patterns that adorn the bridges vary in scale, swirling out from the center of the micro-rotor and contributing a sense of dynamism to the calibre’s overall appearance. No surface is left untouched and the  calibre quite literally radiates light, representing the care and attention paid to each element.

Step Into The AtelierHard stone dials are central to Biver’s ethos of connecting each watch to eternity. With that in mind, the brand will produce a limited quantity of Automatique timepieces each year with stone dials. This will be called the Atelier  Series and each unique watch represents the very essence of Biver watchmaking. Each stone will only be available for a limited time and in small quantities, allowing the brand to tell different stories through different  stones over time.

To inaugurate the Atelier Series, Biver is introducing two stone dial Automatique models: The platinum case paired with rich black sanded obsidian and the 18k rose gold case paired with Pietersite, a dark blue stone with  swirls of white and orange. Each offers a different take on the Automatique, blending technical mastery with a bit of visual poetry.

“We want the Automatique and the Calibre JCB-003 to bring more people into the Biver community,” continues Pierre Biver. “Hopefully they communicate our values, our ideas, and our taste to a new group of collectors and  enthusiasts across the world, laying the foundation for years of exploration to come.”

The post A Foundation For The Future Introducing The Biver Automatique, The Brand’s First Three-Hand Automatic Watch appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.