BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Last year, the watch community was abuzz with the news that legendary watch brand manager Jean Claude Biver was launching a new watch brand named “Biver,” which he would be running with his young son Pierre Biver. The brand’s debut watch is known as the Carillon Tourbillon Biver, a modern interpretation of a classic design featuring a movement that incorporates two of Jean Claude Biver’s favorite things, the tourbillon and the minute repeater. The Carillon Tourbillon Biver timepiece was conceptualized and built in just 13 months, marking the first time that Jean Claude and his son Pierre designed a watch together.
The Carillon Tourbillon Biver watch is a chiming minute repeater that incorporates three hammers, a unique feature compared to other minute repeaters that typically have two. An automatic movement is also included, eliminating the need for winding. The watch is designed to emphasize sound and emotions, and it is as nicely finished and crafted as any watch can be.
The watch comes in a 42mm x 13.7mm case made of grade 5 titanium or 18k (5N) red gold. It is decorated with diamonds and is water-resistant up to 5 ATM (50 meters), as per their new JCB Seal requirements. The underside decoration of the hands and the dials also meet the JCB seal requirement. The watch features an exposed traditional tourbillon display at 6 o’clock and a minute repeater complication that is activated through a slide lever on the left side of the case.
The Carillon Tourbillon Biver watch is powered by the JCB-001 automatic movement, which has 374 parts, a 3Hz frequency and a 72-hour power reserve. The micro-rotor is made from solid platinum. The movement is embodied in what Biver calls the JCB Seal, to be engraved on each watch’s movement.
The watch comes with two stone options for the dial, blue sodalite and silver obsidian hardstone, and the dials are slightly domed. The dials are fitted with applied hour markers in either 18k white gold or matching 18k 5N gold. The five-link bracelet is designed with an exciting zig-zag pattern, creating a unique style that plays nicely with the light.
The Carillon Tourbillon Biver is not part of a limited edition, but the Biver brand will only produce a small number of watches each year. The watch’s price is $570,000 USD in titanium, $625,000 USD in 18k 5N gold and $1,315,000 USD for the diamond-set version.
