Introducing Jean Claude Biver Catharsis

Jean-Claude Biver started his career in the watch industry in the 1970s. After decades of occupying leadership positions at prominent watchmaking brands, he gained experience in marketing and management roles. Under his leadership, Blancpain was transformed into a highly regarded luxury watchmaker, and he also had significant contributions at Omega. 

Biver's most notable achievement came when he took over as the CEO of Hublot in 2004. He revolutionized the brand by introducing the "Art of Fusion'' philosophy, blending materials like rubber bracelets with luxury watches.Biver’s vision embarked him on a journey where he can paved his own path in the watchmaking industry.

In 2022, Jean-Claude Biver with his son Pierre, announced the launch of his own watch brand, JC Biver, marking a new milestone in his career. The first chapter of his story, which is just beginning to unfold, is dedicated to one of the most difficult watch complications to make, the minute repeater with a tourbillon and a micro rotor. The prototype of which was sold for the record price of CHF 1.27 million by Phillips in Geneva on on May 15, 2023.

Within the next month JC Biver presented a one-off one piece created for the Only Watch 2023 charity auction. The Catharsis a unique interpretation of the minute repeater carillon tourbillon with no visible display of time. Made of titanium, the piece combines handcrafts with a unique type of gem-setting, stone marquetry and guilloché. 

The timepiece was an idea from an artist friend who once told Jean-Claude Biver: “Make me a minute repeater with no hands, no indexes. I want time to be MINE”. The singularity of this minute repeater carillon tourbillon allows us to tell the time without looking at it.  The polished case is crafted from titanium with 42mm of diameter with a thickness of 13.90mm, with welded lugs. Comparing it to the first release we can notice that the crown shifted from 3 o'clock to  9 o'clock, as well as the minute repeater from 9 o'clock to 3 o clock.

The lower part of the dial portrays a turbulent sea made of 89 pieces from  blue  sapphires. The upper part of the dial depicts a sunset, representing a starry sky crafted from  green meteorite, silver obsidian, and opal, that can be seen under crystal sapphire with inner anti-reflective coating.

The watch is powered by JCB002 caliber, An automatic minute repeater carillon with a tourbillon and micro-rotor, all crafted from platinum, with a titanium tourbillon cage that features white gold bridges. Glazing through the caseback you can notice the hand blued zigzag hour hand crafted in JC Biver’s workshops.

 The timepiece comprises a total of 374 components with a power reserve of up  to 72 hours. The one of one Catharsis  is paired with a hand stitched  leather  strap and secured by a Grade 5 Titanium pin Buckle. 

For more information please visit Only Watch website.