rom 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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

After 50 years at the highest echelons of the watchmaking business, Jean-Claude Biver decided to partner with his son Pierre Biver and to embark on a magnificent new adventure together. In 2023, the two passionate collectors launched a new kind of watch brand, making timepieces that push the boundaries of watchmaking art and chart a vision for the future of what high-end Swiss watchmaking can be.

Liberated from the usual corporate constraints, they assembled a dream team of top specialists, each a master in their respective fields, to craft truly extraordinary timepieces without compromise. The inaugural creation, the Carillon Tourbillon, features a tourbillon, minute repeater, and a micro-rotor, holds a special place in their hearts, and they are excited now to be laying the foundation for the future of the Biver brand with the recent introduction of the anything-but-basic Automatique.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FUNCTIONS

• Hours, Minutes, Seconds
• Bi-Directional Micro-Rotor, Zero-Reset Mechanism

CASE

• Material : Platinum
• Diameter : 39mm
• Thickness : 10mm
• Lug-to-Lug : 47.55mm
• Lug Width : 19mm
• Sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating Display caseback with sapphire crystal
• Water Resistance : 80 meters / 260 feet (8 ATM)

DISPLAY Dial : 18k gold with blue treatment and Clous de Paris Hands : 18k white gold, satin-finished and hand-beveled, four interior angles Markers : 18k white gold applied hour markers

MOVEMENT

• Calibre JCB-003-A
• Diameter : 30.6mm
• Thickness : 4.0mm
• Frequency : 3.5 Hz (25,200 v.p.h.)
• Winding : Automatic via bi-directional 22k gold micro-rotor Power Reserve : 65 hours
• Jewels : 36
• Decoration : Every surface is hand-decordated to the highest standards

STRAP & BRACELET

• Rustico nubuck calf leather strap with platinum pin buckle.
• Platinum deployant buckle and platinum bracelet avaialble on request.

PRICE

• 85,000 CHF (Excluding taxes and local duties.)