JC BIVER Watches has previewed a new, unprecedented watch configuration in which the dial, the crown and hands play off each other in a completely new division of roles.
Styled Catharsis it is a singular interpretation of the minute repeater carillon tourbillon, with no visible display of time.
Made of titanium, the piece combines unusual handcrafts, with unique techniques for invisible gem-setting, stone marquetery and guilloché.
Full expression
Thanks to the total absence of hands on the dial, and freed from all technical constraints, the dial can fully express itself with a seemingly random pattern of 89 sapphires, in three dimensions, to give volume to the stones, the natural effect of the movement of sea waves.
"We give birth to the soul of the watch," said Jean-Claude Biver who, after 50 years in the watchmaking industry, with his son Pierre, both passionate collectors, have created a hyper-exclusive brand.
Free from all economic pressures, they have called upon the best specialists in each field (movements, dials, hands, bracelets, cases) to create museum-quality pieces of great prestige.
Minute repeater
The first chapter of this story, which is just beginning to unfold, is dedicated to a watchmaking complication that is close to their hearts: a minute repeater. More precisely, a minute repeater with a tourbillon and a micro rotor, the prototype of which was sold for the record price of CHF 1.27 million ($1.42 million) by Phillips in Geneva on May 15, 2023.
The Catharsis 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”. Self-evident in the way it captures the intricate relationship between a watch and its owner.-- TradeArabia News Service