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February 5th, 2016

Dinner with Jean-Claude Biver of TAG Heuer

Dinner Crop


At the beginning of this week, I had the honour of attending a dinner in London with a very special guest – CEO of TAG Heuer, Jean-Claude Biver.

For those of you not familiar with the name, Biver is quite simply a Goliath of the watchmaking industry. His pedigree is beyond compare; he has been responsible for promoting and bringing out many brands, presiding over Omega’s resurgence in the 1990’s before becoming the force behind Hublot. More recently, he was personally invited by the CEO of the LVMH Group, Bernard Arnault, to take charge of TAG Heuer and redirect the brand for the future.

At 67, Biver shows no signs of slowing down, with an infectious enthusiasm and a strong passion that amply demonstrates just how much he can bring to the table.

 

Jean-Claude Biver addresses the attendees.

Jean-Claude Biver addresses the attendees.

For me, and for the other stockists of the TAG Heuer UK and Ireland distribution network who were in attendance, it was an excellent opportunity to meet the great man, hear his philosophy and learn more about the future of TAG Heuer.

The dinner was organised by the European Brand Director of TAG Heuer, Rob Diver, and held at the M Restaurant on Victoria Street in London, which offered an excellent venue for the occasion; the oval layout made it easy for Biver to command the room, capturing everyone’s attention as he spoke of his vision. They laid on steaks branded with the TAG Heuer logo, which Biver himself took a turn at creating, and of course, we were treated to Biver’s own speciality cheese.

 

TAG Heuer Dinner

Clockwise from top left: TAG Heuer branded steaks, Jean-Claude Biver takes a turn with the steak brand, a delicious sample of Biver’s famous cheese, and Rob Diver proposes a toast.

Saying that he expects to guide the brand for at least the next five years, Biver spoke to us of creating watches that appear some three or four times as expensive as they are, allowing their customers to enjoy an unparalleled combination of quality and value. A prime example of this is the newly-announced TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T, which is the most affordable Swiss-made tourbillon chronograph ever made; where tourbillon watches would normally retail from £50,000 upwards, TAG have been able to produce this extraordinary timepiece for under 15,000 CHF – around £10,000.

 

Trade dinner at M restaurant with Mr Biver as guest of honour. Comm by Emelie De Vitis, Tag Heuer, LVMH

Left: TAG Heuer Connected Watch. Right: Limited edition Black Phantom TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T

The limited edition Black Phantom version was showcased at the dinner alongside the TAG Heuer Connected watch, another of the exciting new pieces in the TAG Heuer strategy – their partnership with Intel and Google to produce this smart watch is a massive one, and Biver spoke about having a quarter of a million Connected watches in production next year.

This positioning as an affordable gateway brand into the world of luxury watches is an important one; Biver spoke to us about being keen to engage a younger market, creating a young and fun image for the brand.

Indeed, we received some hints that a major marketing initiative may be on the way very soon – but whilst I have my own ideas about what it might involve, I am honour-bound to remain silent!

 

JCB and RBLJean-Claude Biver and yours truly

Overall, it was a very great honour to be able to meet such an important figure in the watchmaking industry – my only regret is that I don’t have a more flattering photograph of our meeting as a memento!

At Banks Lyon, we are dedicated to bringing you the best in luxury, craftsmanship and aesthetic value, and I am very proud of our connection with TAG Heuer watches. We all look forward to seeing how the brand will evolve under Biver’s guidance, and in the meantime will be more than happy to advise you on your choice of timepiece from their extensive range.

For more information, please do call us on 01524 381020, visit us in our Lancaster store, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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