Geneva Watch Days 2022: De Bethune: The Most Romantic Complication In A Perpetual Calendar

Manufacture De Bethune introduces a new 40mm titanium case for their perpetual calendar collection at Geneva Watch Days in 2022. A dual-tone silver and blue DB25sQP dial. This new 40mm titanium case is a classic take on the DB25, with its integrated lugs and radiating guilloché pattern across 12 individual sections.

By pairing the most romantic complication—the moon phase and its starry sky—with the most technical complication—the perpetual calendar—within an exceptional timepiece, the De Bethune perpetual calendar combines the finesse of watchmaking with the precision mechanics of the Manufacture and takes on a poetic air.

The 40 mm diameter round case takes design cues from drums, and its slim, unwaveringly classic lines are discreetly accentuated by the open-worked lugs that define the DB25 line.

An enticing blend of sentimentality and functionality

The two-tone hand-guilloché dial with a radiating pattern across 12 sectors and the clean decoration both contribute to the dial's legibility, which is further enhanced by the assembly of blue annular appliques with silver-toned raised transfers and Roman numerals denoting the subdials and the chapter ring. The 12 o'clock position features palladium and blued steel globe against a sky studded with pink gold stars and a gold disc that serves as a leap year indicator. A dial at 6 o'clock shows the current date, while apertures at 9 and 3 show the current weekday and month.

Peerless comfort

The new DB25sQP's spherical casing is made of titanium, a material that the Manufacture has come to favor in recent years while maintaining the harmonic lines that helped make the original DB25sQP so successful. The curved, integrated lugs and open-worked design of this classically-inspired timepiece add to its versatility and comfort.

Caliber DB2324V2

This new caliber DB2324 represents a significant technical achievement for the Manufacture as an enhanced version of the most recent caliber DB2324. The case measures 40 millimeters in diameter.

The perpetual calendar, spherical moon indicating the moon phases with a precision corresponding to 1 day/122 years, self-regulating double barrel, triple pare-chute system, and titanium/white gold balance were all designed and developed by Denis Flageollet's team in the Manufacture's Haute Horlogerie workshops in Sainte Croix (Swiss Jura). The watch has a 5-day power reserve.

De Bethune's dedication to using just physics and mathematics to enhance the watch's functionality has resulted in the cutting-edge balance that can be viewed on the watch's reverse. It's crafted from titanium and outfitted with cutting-edge innovations including an adjustable diameter and tiny white gold weights set around the rims, giving it an exceptional quality of inertia, reliability, and control.

Manufacture De Bethune has chosen to keep the watch's balance spring's center of gravity precisely in the center by attaching a flat curve to the exterior of the balance spring. This small, incredibly fine hairspring is sometimes referred to as the "soul" of the mechanical watch. The blade's concentric development is nearly flawless, and the variations in blade thickness contribute to this. Reduced thickness, better concentricity quality, finer adjustment of the index-assembly system, and the absence of pins (the curve itself works as a shock absorber) are only a few of its numerous benefits. Silicon is used for the escape wheel due to its small weight and its ability to improve the caliber's power.

The movement, which is powered by a titanium and platinum oscillating weight developed by the R&D team, and its exquisite finishes can be admired through the sapphire caseback. Some of these finishes include a three-quarter platinum bridge with sandblasted and hand-colored starry sky decoration, a blued titanium balance bridge and oscillating weight arm, a hand-colored white gold oscillating weight, and a hand-beveled and hand-polished steel part.

Limited-production timepiece

In addition to its leather band and titanium buckle, this new perpetual calendar comes with a grey fabric band.

This new Reference DB25sQP, which enters the perpetual calendar collection, vividly illustrates the technical and aesthetic skills of the Manufacture and will be produced in a single annual run of only 15 units.