Jewellery & Watch News
Up-and-coming luxury watch brand NORQAIN have already impressed us with their technically inspiring collections of men’s and women’s timepieces designed for the outdoors. Although incredibly youthful in their history, it appears it is not only us at C W Sellors that have felt inspired by NORQAIN watches. None other than industry legend Jean-Claude Biver has taken an interest, becoming an advisor to the board for the Swiss manufacturer.
In an industry full of century-old watch manufacturer’s, it’s not easy for new names to make themselves known. And yet for NORQAIN, that hasn’t been the case at all. Founded only in 2018, the Swiss watch brand has already become an industry icon, focusing on creating mechanical watches driven by outdoor adventures. The family behind NORQAIN already boasts an impressive history, having created watches in Tavannes in the Bernese Jura for more than four decades. It includes CEO Ben Küffer and Ted Schneider, a member of the family that owned Breitling for nearly 40 years. The team also involves Mark Streit, the Swiss ice hockey legend and Marc Küffer as Chairman of the Board who boasts 45 years of experience in the luxury watch industry. Together, they make the youngest team to ever make a mark in Switzerland with an average age of just 35 and as such, offer a fresh perspective on what is needed by the young luxury watch wearer.
Now the Swiss watch manufacturer reveals they have another name joining the family, industry legend Jean-Claude Biver. Synonymous with haute horologerie, Biver is known for his enthusiasm in the art of Swiss watches, pioneering successes of brands like Blancpain and Omega. Before his retirement in 2018, he was the president of the watch division for LVMH overseeing names like Hublot and Zenith, all while acting as the CEO of TAG Heuer. With a list of brands like this under his belt, its difficult to imagine him having little left on his bucket list and yet, coming out of retirement after only four years he now announces he will be starting his own brand of luxury watches while acting as advisor to the board for NORQAIN.
Jean-Claude Biver says: “Giving back to the younger generation now at the forefront of the industry is always something I’ve wanted to do. From 20 to 40 I learned, from 40 to 60 I capitalised on my knowledge, and now I want to share my experiences and know-how with the young talents who are shaking up the watch world. I am happy to support NORQAIN because of its young, dynamic team and I share their passion for the Swiss watch industry. As I announced earlier this year, I will launch my own exclusive watch brand, JC Biver, together with my son Pierre in 2023. At the same time, my role as Advisor to the Board at NORQAIN allows me to be associated with an exciting brand in an essential price-point for the Swiss watch industry. It is very important to have strong Swiss independent brands in different price segments and NORQAIN offers an exciting challenge to the status quo”.
Jean-Claude Biver adds: “I have kept a close eye on NORQAIN since its founding and have been consistently impressed with the team’s achievements around the world in such a short amount of time. The brand’s values align with my own and I am looking forward to climbing new peaks with them and developing innovate products using new sustainable materials”.
NORQAIN CEO Ben Küffer adds: “It is an honour to have the opportunity to work together with one of the greats. I am extremely excited to work with Jean-Claude and to have him challenge the team to reach the highest summits and further develop the brand through innovation. The fact that Jean-Claude is building up his own family-owned brand at the same time will definitely lead to motivating discussions and a valuable exchange of ideas and experiences”.
According to NORQAIN, Jean-Claude Biver has already had several workshops with the team to develop new, ground-breaking marketing and distribution plans. He also hopes to support the Swiss watch brand as they go through the process of receiving CO2-neutral certification. Of course, the collaboration will also see the launch of a new range of revolutionary and eco-friendly timepieces all boasting Jean-Claude Biver’s stamp of approval. The details of these new NORQAIN watches are still unknown but we are certain they’ll be just as durable, precise and innovative as those found in their current collections.
If you’d like to learn more about NORQAIN and stay up to date on all their latest releases, head to the C W Sellors website. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at [email protected].
