London Real JEAN-CLAUDE BIVER - HUBLOT TRAILBLAZER & CEO: The Wizard Of Swiss Watchmaking
Nov 13, 2019
Jean-Claude Biver, veteran Swiss watch executive and mentor who revived brands like Hublot and Omega. He discusses the soul of mechanical watches and the art of fusion that created the Big Bang. He explains winning China's millennials, using film placement, top-down culture, intuition and nature in design. He shares passion-driven leadership, plans for a family brand, and giving back to future makers.
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Watches Connect To Eternity
- Watches connect people to eternity and resist planned obsolescence by carrying craftsmanship and emotional value across generations.
- Jean-Claude Biver used his father's 1947 watch and Big Ben example to show mechanical timepieces can function continuously and carry soul from human hands.
Hublot As The Art Of Fusion
- Hublot's message is the 'art of fusion' combining traditional materials like 18k gold with modern ones like rubber, carbon, and ceramic.
- Naming the Big Bang signalled a disruptive fusion—gold meeting rubber—to dramatize the brand identity.
From Zero To China's Biggest Market
- Hublot initially sold zero watches in China in 2012 because Chinese associated rubber and sport with low status.
- Biver stayed patient, targeted millennials, and by 2018 China became Hublot's largest market.