Phoenix rising

One of the privileges of being an independent watchmaker is that we can pursue the projects that most excite us and our clients, charting our own shared path into the future. We also have the freedom to think outside of the usual orthodoxy and to create watches that might seem, to put it plainly, a bit crazy or eccentric. When we created the Carillon Tourbillon Catharsis, we knew that releasing a minute repeater with no visual time display and a dial that combined gemstones, hard stones, and meteorite was going to be polarizing, but we loved the idea and had to see it through.

It turns out we were not alone. The piece unique Catharsis generated quite a bit of interest and the idea of a wristwatch that only tells the time through sound has stuck with us. So when one of our collectors approached us with an idea for another audio-only creation, we jumped at the opportunity to bring it to life. The result is the Carillon Tourbillon Phoenix.

The Phoenix is built around the same Calibre JCB.002-A that powers the Catharsis and the only way for it to reveal the time is for the wearer to activate the minute repeater. But that is where the similarities stop. Immediately, you’ll notice that the Phoenix has a more traditional orientation, with the crown on the right and the repeater slide on the left. And the 42mm case itself is 18k rose gold, with ornate engraving on nearly every surface, depicting the mythical phoenix and its feathers giving the case yet another dimension – and one whose difficulty of execution is difficult to overstate. This is the first time Biver has created a watch with an engraved case, and the process required an exceptional amount of time and meticulous craftsmanship to complete.

And then there is the dial, which is bright red enamel with a swirling lattice pattern integrated in a darker shade of red enamel, too. The dial was created by Anita Porchet, a living legend and one of the greatest enamel artisans of all time. She has been creating fine enamel dials for various watchmakers for decades, many of which hold special places in the hearts of collectors. Here her work is augmented by the presence of two 18k gold phoenixes, engraved with great detail and flying in opposite directions across the dial itself.

“When making unique pieces, the process varies, but in this case it was very fluid. The client had a clear vision of what they wanted and our challenge was to bring this into reality” says co-founder and creative director Pierre Biver. “Creating such unique pieces gives us the freedom to explore new techniques and helps us further refine our craft. It pushes our boundaries and elevates our watches to new levels of artistry.”

Whether it is gem-set watches, pieces with special hard stone dials, or more poetic creations like this, making unique watches is an important part of what we do at Biver. Creativity is at the heart of our approach to watchmaking art, and we are always looking out for new ideas, new feelings, and new inspiration to continue pushing that art forward and into uncharted territory.