The Automatique 'Carbon Edition' pairs a woven carbon-fiber dial with an 18k yellow-gold case, bringing a hint of 'John Player Special' attitude to Jean-Claude Biver’s refined three-hand watch.
Collectors waited a long time to see what Jean-Claude Biver would do after stepping back from the corporate side of the industry. When the answer finally arrived in 2023 with Biver Watches, it was clear that the focus would be on traditional watchmaking executed at an extremely high level.
The Automatique, released in 2024, quickly became a foundation of that vision.
On paper, it was simple. A three-hand watch with a micro-rotor calibre, elegant proportions, and classical finishing. In practice, the watch carried the obsessive attention to detail that clearly reflected Biver’s lifetime in Swiss watchmaking.
A 2025 Biver Automatique Atelier "Carbon Edition" in 18k 3N Yellow Gold. Available for immediate purchase from Phillips Perpetual in London.
The Automatique “Carbon Edition,” unveiled in April 2025, took that formula and pushed it in an unexpected direction.
At first glance, the watch is defined by contrast. The warm tone of the 18k 3N yellow-gold case frames a dial made from woven carbon fiber.
It is a combination that feels both modern and nostalgic. The carbon weave recalls the heyday of 1990s motorsport technology, while the black-and-gold palette deliberately nods to the famous "John Player Special" Formula 1 livery that dominated that era. It is a reference point that adds a little swagger to a watch otherwise grounded in traditional watchmaking values.
The dial architecture remains recognizably Biver.
A 2025 Biver Automatique Atelier "Carbon Edition" in 18k 3N Yellow Gold. Available for immediate purchase from Phillips Perpetual in London.
A laser-cut minute track surrounds the display, while a circularly brushed ring frames the center. On the standard models, those rings carry vertical brushing. Here, the carbon fiber pattern takes its place, giving the dial a more dynamic, textured character. The result feels sportier without losing the visual balance that defines the Automatique design.
The case itself remains unchanged, and that's a good thing.
A 2025 Biver Automatique Atelier "Carbon Edition" in 18k 3N Yellow Gold. Available for immediate purchase from Phillips Perpetual in London.
At 39mm in diameter and just 10mm thick, the proportions land squarely in the sweet spot for a modern daily-wear watch. The surfaces alternate between polished and brushed, with sculpted lugs and a concave mid-case that catches the light in subtle ways. The hands are another quiet highlight, each one featuring four interior angles that are individually shaped and polished by hand.
Turn the watch over, and the mechanics reinforce the message that this is no ordinary three-hander.
Inside sits the calibre JCB.003-C, developed with Dubois Dépraz as the foundational movement for the brand’s future complications. The architecture is deliberately open, with bridges cut away to reveal prominent anglage and black-polished surfaces. Clous-de-Paris guilloché decorates the main plates, while the micro-rotor sits fully exposed beneath its own guilloché pattern.
A 2025 Biver Automatique Atelier "Carbon Edition" in 18k 3N Yellow Gold. Available for immediate purchase from Phillips Perpetual in London.
Technically, the movement runs at 3.5Hz and delivers a 65-hour power reserve. It also features a zero-reset mechanism that snaps the seconds hand back to zero when the crown is pulled out.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Carbon Edition is the attitude it brings to the Biver family. Paired with a braided black rubber strap lined with calfskin, the watch feels far more relaxed than its siblings.
That shift matters. It suggests that Biver is not content to keep its collections confined to formal territory. Instead, the Carbon Edition opens the door to a broader, more playful interpretation of what the Automatique can be.
For collectors who admire traditional finishing but want something with a bit more edge, this version hits an intriguing middle ground.
It remains unmistakably Biver, but it proves that even a classically minded three-hand watch still has room to surprise.
Logan has spent the past decade reporting on every aspect of the watch business. He joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at the start of 2023 as the department's Senior Editorial Manager. He's based in Geneva.
