De Bethune Marries The World’s First Random Guilloche Pattern With Their Smallest Case Size : DB28xs Starry Seas
5 min read
The DB28 collection at De Bethune has grown to encompass a whole family of styles, sizes and complications. The collection now gets a timepiece distilled to the minimalist of proportions as the latest DB28xs Starry Seas is launched in the brand’s smallest case size till date - 39mm.
The timepiece represents the heart and soul of what De Bethune is all about: Innovation, Creativity and Aesthetics. This latest interpretation, undeniably Avant-Garde in its creation, extends the poetic vision of the watchmaking genius at De Bethune, Denis Flageollet.
Emergence Of the Icons From De Bethune
It was in the 1990s that the nascent independent horology movement sprung up amid a landscape that was still dominated by legacy brands. De Bethune launched in 2002, an age serving the ethos that anything is possible and everything should be tried. The early De Bethune inceptions were watches superlative in horological terms yet aesthetically restrained, given the sort of the then climate as well as the current contemporary sci-fi allure of the brand.
Evolution Of the Iconic DB28
At De Bethune, the ingredients, expertise and design inspiration were realistically evolved, enhanced and in place at the time the first DB28 was launched in 2010. This was a combination of all things De Bethune: dial side barrel bridges and escapement, triple parachute shock protection, moon phase indications, floating lugs, blued and polished titanium. All these features culminated in the DB28 which ultimately was acclaimed as De Bethune’s most iconic timepiece, the face of the brand.
The Realm of The Celestial Gets a Taste of The Sea
The DB28xs Starry Seas continues the aesthetic theme of the starry variants in the De Bethune line-up. This time a backdrop of blued titanium waves reflecting a starry sky achieved with the world’s first random guilloche pattern, graces the newly incepted timepieces and serves as an illustration of the brand’s chief design cues.
While the new watch marks a latest chapter in Denis Flageollet’s ongoing story, it is a true marvel, not only in terms of the technical intricacies imperative for its realization but also due to De Bethune's signature ability to craft timepieces that blend the essence of Enlightenment with contemporary watch design.
Seeking The Perfect in Imperfections - A Japanese Inspiration
The beauty of simplicity in nature and the sensations from man-made masterpieces harmonise to serve as the inspiration for Denis Flageollet’s creative genius behind the DB28xs Starry Seas. Encapsulated by the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, Denis Flageollet nurtures his appreciation for this ethos as he expresses, “While design is constantly experimenting, it appears that, despite the development of industrial technology, this subtle link between humankind and Nature traditionally expressed in art, literature and craftsmanship remains alive and well."
The DB28xs Starry Seas effortlessly epitomizes the trio of fundamental principles of the Wabi-Sabi concept:
- Its world’s first random guilloche dial celebrates the “beauty of imperfect and transient elements”.
- The watch’s understated elegance evident with its compact case sizing exhibits the philosophical allure of “simplicity”.
- “The beauty of unconventional” adorns a captivating essence in the DB28xs Starry Seas with its unorthodox aesthetics and its ability to stand out as a truly unique and extraordinary timepiece.
At 38.7mm in diameter and 7.4mm thick, the polished grade 5 titanium case is adorned with De Bethune patented floating lugs of the same material. The world’s first “random guilloche pattern” dial captivates the wearer’s attention and commands special applause. Its extraordinary artistry results in a design that exhibits the illustration of a wavy sky with white gold stars or the reflection of a starry night sky on the sea, giving the timepiece its name - Starry Seas.
At De Bethune, a plethora of proprietary fabrication processes along with production control remain in-house for the brand thus enabling a mastery of diverse individual disciplines involved in watchmaking.
Caliber DB2005
The timepiece is powered by the De Bethune DB2005 hand-wound caliber adapted for the modest case size while offering signature chronometric precision, amagnetism as well as shock resistance. Composed of 160 parts, this movement beating at 4hz offers an autonomy of 6 days thanks to its self-regulating twin barrel.
Summarising The Insights and Takeaways
Having won the GPHG Aiguille d’Or with the DB28 in 2011 at the Oscars of watchmaking, De Bethune progresses it's evolution of the timepiece with the announcement of latest DB28xs Starry Seas. The extraverted nature of the watch’s aesthetics chiefly encapsulated by the signature blue colour of the dial and its shimmering reflections marries blissfully with the redundant case sizing, making it a captivating piece even in diminutive proportions.
Front or back, the timepiece is just as delectable as any regular sized De Bethune. Fire blued titanium dial with hand-applied white gold cabochons for stars, titanium floating lugs, mirror polished balance bridge with triple shock protection, heat blued mounting mechanism for the shock protection springs and mirror polished deltoid main bridge offer the chief highlights of this timepiece.
The latest DB28xs Starry Seas is a vivid testament to the brand’s ethos summed up in its expression of translating traditional haute horlogerie skills into contemporary wrist adornments.
For a purist collector trying to expand the collection, investing in this piece from De Bethune can deliver pure pleasure unmatched by timepieces from many legacy brands. If you are that lucky person, we wish you congratulations in advance!
