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Jaguar Magazine 02/2017 – American English

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Das neue Jaguar Magazin präsentiert den neuen Jaguar E-PACE, blickt hinter die Kulissen der spektakulären Formel E und spricht mit Uhrengenie Jean-Claude Biver darüber, wie es ihm gelingt immer am Puls der Zeit zu bleiben. Lesen Sie rein in die neue Ausgabe THE JAGUAR 02.

“A WATCH SHOULD HAVE

“A WATCH SHOULD HAVE SEX APPEAL” TAG HEUER MODULAR 45 THE TAG HEUER MODULAR 45 is the follow-up to the Swiss watchmaker’s first smart watch, the TAG Heuer Connected, which was launched in 2015. Building on the success of the group’s first attempt at penetrating the smart watch market and heralded as one of Mr. Biver’s boldest moves to date, the Modular 45 measures 45mm in width and 13.75mm in thickness and it is made up of a number of interchangeable components, including cases, bracelets, lugs and bezels, meaning it can be customized in almost infinite fashion. Designed and manufactured in high-quality materials at TAG Heuer’s new manufacturing facilities in La Chauxde-Fonds, the watch is labeled with the same Swiss Made seal of quality as the company’s mechanic timepieces. While aiming at the high-end luxury market, the watch packs the same functions as other smart watches, including an Intel Atom Z34XX processor, 512MB main memory and 4GB of storage. Compatible with both Android and iOS and waterproof to 50 meters, it includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, tilt detection sensor, microphone, vibrations/haptics engine, ambient light sensor, GPS, and NFC payment sensors for wireless payments. Alternatively, I’d be back at university, doing a degree in art, head stuck in a book, rediscovering sport, looking after my cows, hiking the list is endless. And yet you’re going to run a marathon. Not before I hit 70 in two years’ time! I am just getting into my training, but I have many other projects on the go, too. You’ve done almost all there is to do in the watch industry and you’re a self-made millionaire. Most people your age would be planning their retirement. What makes you carry on? It’s not an ego thing or even about wanting to achieve something. I’ve already fixed four watch brands. I’m not doing it just to make more money either as long as my family is okay, I don’t really care. It’s about the passion I feel for the job. For me it’s an expression of love that keeps me awake, energizes me, makes me feel optimistic, provides vision and keeps me in touch with many people. It is this love that enthuses others who then give so much back in return. Retirement would mean turning my back on that and these people, and that’s why I’m not ready to give up just yet. 42 THE JAGUAR

INTERVIEW The new TAG Heuer Modular 45 is Biver’s latest attempt to upend the difficult watch market. The concept offers a feel of luxury not usually associated with digital timepieces You’ve been innovating all this time, throughout your career. How do you keep getting new ideas and inspiration? Almost subliminally ideas just come to me at dinner or while I am skiing. I have a pretty good nose for trends and am easily inspired when I am in the most important trendsetting cities such as London, Tokyo, New York and Berlin. Twelve years ago, I saw they were selling black plastic watches in Japan and had the idea of developing a black ceramic watch, which has since been picked up on by numerous watch brands. A similar thing happened with my watches in fluorescent colors, which we have had in our line-up for more than three years. Neon colors were a 1980s trend which had gone out of fashion. A lot of luxury brands employ people to scout out the latest trends, but you don’t. How do you keep on top of trends like these to know what’s hot and what’s not? Actually, my youngest boy is my trend scout. He’s 17 and can teach me a thing or two I fear I can’t learn anything from my seniors. My son teaches me a great deal about brands I’ve not even heard of, and we often travel to places to discover brands. Many Swiss watch brands have seen challenges over the past couple of years. What can you do to overcome these? First of all I’ll have a close look at every part of the business and will listen to what each employee has to say. Occasionally I stay overnight to truly understand what it is that makes the manufacture so special. We are creating works of art that last for an eternity, the art of watchmaking. However, we can’t let it revert to a museum. We must stay progressive. One of your most famous sayings is “a watch should possess character.” What does that mean? Any watch should have sex appeal, and possess soul created and conveyed by the watchmaker. A watch is a kind of talisman. Cars are created in a similar way. What is a car’s purpose? The driving experience should be more than just transport. I once owned a 1966 Jaguar E-Type with a 4.2L engine. The smell of the leather seats, the satisfying clunk of the doors shutting, the sound of the engine ... all these things created a particular sense of occasion. I prefer cars that exude their tradition and that have been created by craftsmen. It gives them soul. THE JAGUAR 43