WatchesSep 30, 2021
See South Florida’s Newest Watch Destination WatchesOct 06, 2021
Jean-Claude Biver Talks Soul, Technology, and Defining a Watch Brand
The watchmaking legend was the most recent guest on “The Accutron Show” podcast.
Jean-Claude Biver was the most recent guest on “The Accutron Show” podcast.
New York—Podcast “The Accutron Show” debuted a little over a year ago, facilitating conversations with cultural tastemakers.
Hosted by entertainment reporter Bill McCuddy of Fox News, journalist David Graver of Cool Hunting and The New York Times, and editor Scott Alexander of GQ and Playboy, The Accutron Show debuts new episodes the first Tuesday of each month.
Embodying the tagline “It’s not a timepiece. It’s a conversation piece,” the podcast has featured conversations with chef Daniel Boulud, tattoo and multidisciplinary artist Bruno Levy, and fashion designer Timo Weiland, who are outside the world of watchmaking.
This week, however, The Accutron Show did a deep dive into watches with legendary industry mastermind Jean-Claude Biver.
In the episode that debuted Oct. 5, called “Crafting the Soul of Watches With Jean-Claude Biver,” the hosts explored Biver’s personal philosophy and approach to watchmaking.
Biver’s experience with watches began at the age of 8 when he wore an Omega Constellation, a gift from his grandfather, for church and religious occasions. Other than that, it lived in the family’s safe.
When Biver was 18, the watch became his to keep. But he lost the prized possession skiing, which solidified for him the idea that a watch isn’t simply a device for telling time, but “a piece of emotion, a piece of art, a piece of beauty, a piece of love, a piece of culture, a piece of tradition, a piece of status,” he said on the podcast.
Through the years, Biver aimed to “put soul” into watchmaking, something he noted is associated with the handcrafted nature of a mechanical watch, the energy and expertise each watchmaker brings to their craft.
“We are fed up with rationality,” he said of a watch’s sentimental resonance over its functionality. “We want dreams, we want emotions.”
That doesn’t mean Biver hates high-tech devices designed to be practical, like the Apple Watch.
On the contrary, he admires its technology, and said it too can “have soul” if there is a sentimental attachment to it, like if it’s a gift from a loved one, for example.
He also was never against quartz watches, he said on the podcast. “I’m very open minded. Every technology is welcome and should be respected.”
Quartz, however, “has nothing to do with art,” Biver said, or “mastery [of]… the watchmaking art,” but rather with technology.
The problem with any technology, is that it will eventually become obsolete, but a mechanical watch made by hand will never be obsolete, he said.
It is art and “art is connected to eternity,” Biver said, noting that artists like Mozart, The Beatles, and Pablo Picasso endure, becoming even more popular with time.
Asked about reissuing watches of the past, Biver made an important distinction.
“You cannot repeat the past. You can preserve the past. You need tradition and innovation. If you just copy, where is the innovation?”
For all the companies he headed throughout his career, from Omega to Hublot, he has stuck to the philosophy of leaning on a mix of tradition and innovation to form new models.
For the brands he headed, as well as any new brand today, Biver advised that all must be clear on their mission.
“What is the reason the brand exists?” he asked. “What is the message? One extraordinary example is Hublot.”
Biver joined that company in 2004. The brand’s heads at the time couldn’t identify a particular message or mission, other than crafting beautiful Swiss timepieces by hand.
The message Biver honed in on was: “Hublot is the fusion between future and tradition.”
In the 1980s Hublot had created a gold watch with rubber bracelet, a mix of high and low that was very innovative at that time. He realized Hublot’s genius was its ability to fuse disparate elements and emphasized this message.
Among the many gems The Accutron Show’s hosts uncovered was that Biver is so dedicated to respecting watch customers that during his time heading Hublot, he was the recipient of the info@hublot.com queries.
He would personally respond to them, taking at least an hour each day. He said it allowed him to receive valuable feedback.
Biver even had the unorthodox practice of taking employees to the local cemetery to commune with people who had worked for the watch brand and were likely buried in the same village where Hublot has been headquartered for over 100 years.
“We might get a message from these people,” Biver said. “We will get a feeling … All of these people have given us so many hours of passion. That leaves a trace. It’s like love. Love leaves a trace. Love never disappears.”
Other podcast highlights included getting James Bond to switch from Rolex to Omega, the most “soulful” things to collect other than watches, the connection between watchmaking and farming, Biver’s biggest failure, and why the current craze for vintage watches isn’t a bubble.
Accutron’s podcast is available to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube, among other platforms.
Now in its second season, the show has reached No. 42 in Apple Podcast’s “Society & Culture” category.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Watches
The Latest
IndependentsOct 15, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Amy and Elise Greenberg For 40 years, sisters Amy and Elise Greenberg have helmed their 126-year-old family business, leading with appreciation and integrity.
ColumnistsOct 15, 2026
Peter Smith: What Is the Culture REP?It’s a term Smith coined and felt compelled to share following a bad experience with an aborted flight and an unfeeling flight attendant.
SourcingOct 15, 2026
Signet Jewelers, Richemont May Join Bidder for De Beers, Report SaysThe two companies are reportedly in talks to join the Global Diamond Consortium, led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny, as per Bloomberg.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
CollectionsOct 15, 2026
Wolf x Marla Aaron's New Jewelry Box Is for Some (Not All) of Your ThingsThe “Some of the Things” box follows the two larger “Everything” box designs with the look and function of antique sewing and toolboxes.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 14, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Coleman and Mitchell ClarkFourth-generation jewelers Coleman and Mitchell Clark exemplify the best qualities of their predecessors: humility, modesty, and confidence.
SourcingOct 14, 2026
Manuel Marcial de Gomar, ‘The Emerald Whisperer,’ Dies at 90The gem hunter, whose 70-year career was defined by adventure and exploration, is remembered for his steadfast faith and sense of wonder.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
FinancialsOct 14, 2026
LVMH’s Jewelry Brands Turn in ‘Very Good’ Performance in Q3 Tiffany & Co. continued its full-scale store renovation project while Bulgari’s high jewelry collection generated “record-breaking revenue.”
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2026
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference Releases 2026 ProgramThis year’s sessions feature leading voices from human rights, legal, and conservation organizations.
MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
