De Bethune is an independent Swiss manufacture that recently relaunched their brand after the company recently went through a complete restructuring – marked by the launch of a new iteration of the DB28 collection earlier this month in Geneva, and thus beginning a new era.
The new DB28 Steel Wheels comes in a grade 5 polished titanium case (42.6 mm x 9.30 mm) with the company’s patented floating-lug system that adjusts to wrist size and movements.
A circular grained titanium notched chapter ring that’s inspired by gear-wheel toothing with 12 titanium polished spheres set in it mark the hours and add depth to the dial. A blued titanium inner ring provides contrast to the hour markers and outer ring.
The dial is enhanced by the large signature spherical moonphase indication at 6 o’clock (patented 2004).
Just above the moonphase is the large blued balance wheel supported by a traversing balance bridge the is polished to a mirror finish.
Acting as the centerpiece of the dial, the delta-shaped bridge is adorned with a unique “Côtes De Bethune” decoration that is produced using a Microlight micrometric engraving technique developed by De Bethune.
Further distinguishing this new model is an hour hand made of sapphire and rimmed with blued steel and chamfered edges.
Driving the functions is a new hand-wound movement that consists of 275 components, 35 jewels, and beats at 4Hz.
De Bethune caliber DB2115V4 features a patented double self-regulating barrel that provides six-days of power reserve. Additional innovations include a signature De Bethune balance-spring with a flat terminal curve (patented 2006), a silicon escape wheel, a triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system (patented 2005), as well as a new even more high-performance titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, optimized for temperature and air penetration (patented 2016).
The barrels, ratchet wheels, as well middle of the of the central delta-shaped bridge have been removed so as to provide a view underneath each respective component.
The retail price is approximately $80,000. Limited to 25 pieces. Available April 2018.
Learn more at De Bethune.
