Cool Fusion
Jean- Claude Biver is the brains behind Hublot’s beautiful comeback
After an extraordinary career spanning more than 40 years in watchmaking, Jean- Claude Biver currently holds the role of nonexecutive chairman of the LVMH watchmaking division. He is also the chairman of the boards of Hublot and Zénith. At 70 years of age, Biver recently stepped down from his position as the president of the Watches Division at LVMH Group and has rebuilt and transformed notable brands such as Blancpain, Omega, Hublot, and TAG Heuer.
Biver briefly exited the watchmaking world, before joining Hublot as CEO and board member. At Hublot, he has emphasised “the fusion of tradition and future”. In 2004, as CEO, he decided to focus on Hublot’s original product and develop a new concept for the brand: “The Art of Fusion”.
By dedicating all of his expertise and marketing talent to the brand, in April 2005—within a year—he had achieved the tour de force of launching a revolutionary chronograph: the Big Bang. Unveiled at Baselworld 2005, it was an immediate success. The awards came thick and fast. Hublot was injected with an extraordinary dynamism, guaranteeing exceptional growth.
Biver was truly responsible for the rebirth of this brand. Hublot was bought by LVMH in 2008 following a fivefold increase in sales from 2004 to 2007. In this period, the company saw impressive economic growth with turnover increasing in four years from 25 million to more than 200 million Swiss francs in 2008.
Keen to keep Hublot at the forefront of research into the latest high-tech materials and to preserve its cutting-edge expertise, Biver installed a foundry to produce Magic Gold, a scratch-resistant 18ct gold launched in association with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne at the end of 2011.
In terms of marketing, Biver’s constancy and consistency are just as remarkable as his need to keep turning received ideas on their head, as illustrated by his strategy: “Go where potential customers can be found”. This approach made him the first to integrate a luxury brand into the world of football.
In 2008, Hublot became the Official Timekeeper of the UEFA Euro Championship. In 2010, the brand also became the first Official Watch and Official Timekeeper for FIFA and the World CUPTM just after having been chosen for the same for Ferrari. These two masterstrokes offer Hublot exceptional visibility on a global scale.
With Biver still at the helm, Hublot is also the first luxury brand to have launched Hublot TV, an online TV service, and to continually explore new revolutionary interactive showcases. Commercially, the network of exclusive boutiques and approved retailers has rocketed from 2007-2008 and now boasts 750 points of sale and more than 80 exclusive boutiques in the world.