Category: De Bethune

Hands-on – De Bethune DB28T Kind of Blue – a Bolt from the Blue!

Looking at the DB28T Kind of Blue watch can produce a similar reaction to looking up at the night sky and seeing an iridescent blue UFO whizzing by. Surprise, amazement, disbelief… A futuristic vessel decked out in eye-catching blued titanium with a 30-second tourbillon, the DB28T is not the kind of watch to wear if you want to fly under the radar. A regular member of De Bethune’s watch stable, the DB28T was revisited again in 2018 in this radiant monochrome version.

7 years ago

Hands-on – De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius – Pimp your Constellation

De Bethune’s DB25 Starry Varius is a beautiful tribute to the firmament housed in a smaller, 42mm titanium case with an interesting customisation proposal.  Every watch is a unique, one-off model offering you the possibility of customising the night sky to your heart’s desire. After a somewhat unsettled period for the brand, Pierre Jacques is back as CEO, there is a new private equity investor on board, and master watchmaker and co-founder Denis Flageollet can exercise his creativity in the integrated manufacturing facility the brand has in L’Auberson. And if the DB27 Titan Hawk V2 and the DB25 Starry Varius are any indication of the shape of things to come, De Bethune is well on its way to writing the next successful chapter in its watchmaking saga.

7 years ago

Hands-on – The De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk V2 – Taking “Entry Level” To A Whole New Level

It’s a long road back to redemption for independent watchmaker De Bethune but so far, all signs suggest they are well and truly on the right track. The latest indication comes in the form of the new DB27 Titan Hawk V2 (DB27TIS1 V2), a fitting follow-up to the original model that launched the DB27 collection in 2012 – later seen in a matte version. Slightly more understated than its elder siblings, the new DB27 Titan Hawk V2 offers a lightweight titanium case, complete with the brand’s trademark floating lugs, but pairs it with a cleaner-looking dial. There’s no more central date display but we do get a seconds hand instead. And that’s not all that’s changed.

7 years ago

5 Cool Watches By Indie Watchmakers Launched Next to the SIHH

As SIHH 2018 excitement has settled down, it is time for us to look at some of the watches presented in Geneva (understand, not at the SIHH) that week, in particular, some we have not covered yet – or only with press pictures. LVMH brands exposed on a boat on the Geneva Lake or hotels, while several independent watchmakers showcased their latest creations in different locations across the city. Last but not least, the WPHH (World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie) was the opportunity for Frank Muller, Cvstos, Backes & Strauss and other affiliated brands to present their novelties at their Watchland site in Genthod.

7 years ago

De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels (SIHH 2018)

For the last 2 years, De Bethune had to deal with a complicated financial and managerial situation. Yet, in October 2017, the company announced that an investment consortium led by Pierre Jacques, former CEO of the brand, was about to take over the capital, to put this manufacture back on track. In the middle of the SIHH 2018, here is the first watch of this “new De Bethune”, a variation on the well-known DB28 model, with a skeletonized movement. Meet the DB28 Steel Wheels.

7 years ago

Introducing the De Bethune DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon Meteorite

Having secured a small quantity of meteorite from Campo del Cielo, or “Field of Heaven”, an area in Argentina that was the site of the largest meteorite impact ever, De Bethune has been putting the cosmic rock to good use. Having used a portion of it for the case of the otherworldly Dream Watch 5 Meteorite, De Bethune […]

8 years ago

2,000-Kilometer Australian Road Trip With Two Friends: Ulysse Nardin Dual Time And De Bethune DB28

I’m an expat Aussie who has now lived longer out of Australia than in, but in a few years my (Swiss) wife and I are planning on moving from Switzerland to Airlie Beach in North Queensland, Australia. In September 2016, I flew to the region for a week’s worth of face-to-face meetings to help lay the groundwork for our move.
It was a tight schedule, especially as I was sure to be suffering from jetlag, but it was doable. Especially with the Ulysse Nardin Dual Time on my wrist to help keep track of time there and at home.

8 years ago

Up Close And Personal With Details That Make A Difference

What makes a luxury watch so luxurious? The answer to that can be found in the details. Creating a watch is not that difficult, but making it refined more so. That is why Audemars Piguet advertising slogan, “To Break The Rules, You Must First Master Them”,

8 years ago

Introducing the De Bethune DB25L Milky Way, the Galaxy on Your Wrist

A brilliant metallic blue sky scattered with stars is a favourite of De Bethune, with the latest being the Milky Way. The DB25L Milky Way uses the brand’s traditional heat blued titanium for its dial, with tiny white gold spheres embedding by hand into the polished surface to represent the stars. And fine gold flakes […]

8 years ago