He looks like a Bond villain, markets with the zeal of P. T. Barnum and is regarded as a visionary after guiding rejuvenations of Blancpain, Hublot and Tag Heuer. To the extent that the Swiss watch industry has a Steve Jobs, Jean-Claude Biver is it.

But even if Mr. Biver, 68 the president of the LVMH watch division, is considered the industry’s leading turnaround artist, he has his work cut out for him. After profits stalled at Zenith, the voluble executive shook up management and installed himself as the acting chief executive of this venerable but sleepy watch brand.

Mr. Biver spoke recently about his plans to give Zenith the same sizzle as its sister brands, Tag Heuer and Hublot, and about a modern line that will debut at Baselworld next month.

Q. Why is Zenith highly regarded by watch buffs?

A. The brand was created in 1865, so it’s quite an old brand. And they have won 2,233 chronometry prizes for their precision. It’s one of their specialties, precision. In 1969, they introduced the first movement that could measure a 10th of a second. It was called “El Primero,” which means “the first.” It became famous because it was used in the Rolex Daytona watch.