2023-12-04 23:07:16
Independent watch manufacturer De Bethune is proud to announce the latest addition to its collection of iconic blued titanium watches. This new creation is the result of the union between the proven elegance of the DB28XP and the timeless charm of the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon, with a touch of sapphire!
A limited edition of 10 pieces
Currently on tour in Asia to meet passionate collectors of the brand and discover its history and culture, Denis Flageollet, founder and master watchmaker of De Bethune, chooses to present the new DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire in Hong Kong. A special piece, which he believes will resonate in a market sensitive to the vibrations of such objects and the energy that emanates from them.
A natural evolution of excellence
The DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire is the natural evolution of two emblematic De Bethune models: the DB28XP and the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon. It embodies the best of these two worlds by combining the refined design and refinement of the DB28XP with a totally blue look, inspired by the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon and signature of the Manufacture.
DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire © De Bethune
A captivating dial
Everything here is a question of reading levels, reliefs, light playing with shadows and reflections. Carved from blued titanium, the watch reveals an architectural fusion of space, time and light at first glance. Its deep and luminous blue is obtained thanks to the natural oxidation of the material, making each watch a unique work of art.
The dial, entirely made of Microlight, dusts off and modernizes the traditional guilloché technique. On its large flat surface, this technique takes on its full meaning and reinforces the structure. By playing on light and shadow, it adds depth and offers a more structured and dynamic result. The whole becomes more contemporary.
The extra-flat according to De Bethune
De Bethune opened a chapter in the world of ultra-thin, in 2020, with the launch of the DB28XP to celebrate twenty years of work and research, both mechanical and aesthetic. In his quest for an extra-thin watch, Denis Flageollet thought of it as much as a technical challenge as an aesthetic challenge, the complexity of finesse, an adventure which requires rigor and solidarity between design and constraints.
As evidence, the DB28XP has today become an ideal of beauty, an elegance that expresses purity down to its most absolute version.
All the chronometric know-how of De Bethune
The DB2009v4 hand-wound movement is equipped with the De Bethune balance wheel, visible through the dial thanks to its aperture at 6 o’clock. It is the result of a constant physical and mathematical approach by De Bethune to improve its operation. This benefits from the latest advances, with a diameter not too large, in titanium, equipped with small weights in white gold placed on the outside which offers it a quality of inertia, reliability and remarkable regulating quality.
DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire © De Bethune
Equipped with the famous De Bethune hairspring, this small, extremely fine spring considered to be the soul of the mechanical watch has been designed to maintain its center of gravity exactly in the center by using a flat curve fixed to the outside of the hairspring. Differences in the thickness of the blade add to the almost perfect precision of its concentric development. Among the many advantages: lower height, better adjustment of the concentricity quality, finer adjustment of the racket, no more need for its pins, the shape of the curve even acts as a shock absorber in the event of an impact.
Finally, the internal structure of the material remains intact, since it has been “neither stressed nor folded”. Through these various proven and constantly developing improvements, De Bethune has improved the efficiency of the watch’s power reserve by + 20%, bringing it to a total of 5 days, visible through the sapphire crystal back, allowing connoisseurs to marvel at the complexity and beauty of each component.
The tourbillon according to De Bethune: why so small, so light, so fast?
In the vast range of complications and functions of which De Bethune has become a virtuoso, the tourbillon has often played a leading role.
A tourbillon equipped with an extraordinarily light cage (0.18 gr., the lightest ever created) rotating on itself every thirty seconds, comprising a total of 63 components (the lightest of which weighs less than 0.0001 gram! ).
Today, a wristwatch worn on the wrist is much more “tortured” than a pocket watch. Changes in wrist position are quick and messy. The kinetic brutality inflicted on watch mechanisms deserves reflection. Just as Breguet invented the tourbillon to compensate for the effects of Earth’s gravity and improve the precision of marine watches, De Bethune sought to optimize it for today’s wristwatches.
DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire © De Bethune
The equation? To be more effective on a wrist with rapid and disorderly movements, the tourbillon must have a higher frequency and a greater rotation speed. By creating a titanium and silicon tourbillon with a frequency of 36,000 vibrations/hour, an extraordinarily light cage rotating on itself every thirty seconds, the feat is easier to describe than to achieve. And like a flying insect, a real little exo-skeleton holds everything together.
Therefore, so small, so light, so fast, the De Bethune tourbillon simply fulfills its function better for today’s watches. The futuristic shape of the tourbillon bridge perfectly holds the tourbillon in its position on both sides, symmetrically.
Comfort and innovation
Like all the models in its collection, the DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire always surprises us with the lightness of its case, entirely made of polished blued grade 5 titanium with microlight caseband, set with sapphire baguettes, mounted on Mobile cradles adapting to the size and different movements of the wrist, a patented De Bethune system. A more curved build, following the lines of the wrist. We find the reminder of the Microlight finish of the plate which extends on the sides to the outside of the middle, a meticulous work and difficult to achieve in the absence of simple geometric elements. The set is completed by an alligator strap with a titanium buckle which also contributes to the practical and pleasant wearing of this timepiece.
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