The highest award in France went to the former head of the LVMH watch division, and now its non-executive president. Jean-Claude Biver is not just a veteran, but a legend in the watch industry. The charismatic and perceptive entrepreneur is today considered, perhaps, the most experienced and authoritative person in the watchmaking world.
His first exhibition Baselworld took place back in 1974. Beaver started out at Audemars Piguet, then revived Blancpain and sold the company to the Swatch Group. And then he worked under the leadership of the head of this holding, Nicholas Hayek, developing the Omega brand. In an interview, he admitted that the results of his work at Omega are still visible: Cindy Crawford is still the brand's ambassador, and Omega watches accompany every James Bond image.
Since 2004 Jean-Claude Biver has been associated with Hublot: becoming a co-owner of a little-known company, he turned it into one of the most striking, fashionable and coveted brands, and the revolutionary Big Bang model he created became a real breakthrough in watchmaking. In 2008, Hublot became part of LVMH, and in 2014 Bernard Arnault appointed Biver as the head of the watch division of the holding, which, in addition to Hublot, includes the TAG Heuer and Zenith manufactories.
“It is a great honor for me to receive this high award from the government of France, a country that is known as the cradle of luxury,” Jean-Claude Biver said during the ceremony. And then he thanked his family and employees who have supported him throughout his career for over 40 years.>