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De Bethune Celebrates its 20th Anniversary With its 30th Calibre : The DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT

THM Desk
19 Oct 2022 |
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Two decades dedicated to the execution of century-old know-how and the tireless search for innovation. On the occasion of SIAR 2022, the Manufacture is unveiling its 30th in-house calibre with the release of the DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT.

Double sided watches are not a recent invention. For more than two centuries, these singular mechanisms have been born at the hands of erudite watchmakers, open to the new ideas of the Age of Enlightenment and often inspired by astronomy, the decorative arts as well as mechanical engineering.

DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT
DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT

With horologists increasingly driven by the temptation to develop ever more complicated models, double-sided cases became increasingly prevalent, a solution enabling their creators to express the full scope of their aesthetic and technical expertise by making it possible to display a greater number of functions.

The history of horology has been punctuated by certain major accomplishments in this respect. Already during the Renaissance, tower clocks, the most famous of which is located in Venice, had several faces. A little later, certain table clocks with their vertical, four-faceted dials also displayed several identified within a single object. This was followed by pocket watches also featuring two dials, the best known being the Leroy 01 by Louis Leroy presented in 1900 and winner of the Grand Prix at the Paris World Fair which long remained the most complicated watch ever created.

Last year in January, the Manufacture De Bethune presented the DB Kind of Two Tourbillon. With its complexities challenged even then, they now present the DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT, offering a different time zone on each of its sides.

Two watches, two worlds: here and elsewhere.
Two watches, two worlds: here and elsewhere.

The DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT is perfectly reversible and can be worn on either side according to the mood of the moment and the time zone chosen. This model houses a highly sophisticated mechanism based on a complex system of gears and pinions arranged on the front or back of the watch, and which enables the hands to turn in the right direction, regardless of the dial chosen. On one side the jumping hour hand of the GMT function, on the other the central jumping second hand opt for a modern or more traditional design.

De Bethune
The front side

The front side of the DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT displays a dial featuring a sleek and contemporary design that highlights the mechanics. Indeed, it is a new reading of the hour centred on the balance wheel at 6 o'clock, accompanied by the minute index on the periphery. Extensive work has been done on integrating polished, curved shapes, matt or glossy components, different thicknesses and levels, thereby creating a sensation of ample space and optimal volume, given the minimum height available for a watch integrating the complications of the jumping deadbeat second and the GMT. A deltoid-shaped bridge perfectly symmetrical is positioned in the centre, like an isosceles triangle that contributes to the overall sense of harmony.

DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT
The GMT side

The GMT side reveals a dial based on more traditional aesthetic inspiration, with a finely hand guilloché central part surrounded by the numerals already featured on the dials of De Bethune models such as the DB8 and DB10.

The GMT function

Complex in its conception, but very simple in its use. The layout of the functions is based on a double display of hours and minutes on both sides. Firstly, your can set your reference time, known as home time and indicated by the hour and minute hands on the 12 o'clock dial, by means of the crown in position 3 on the contemporary side. Secondly, you can set the second time zone on the GMT side, called classic, by the hour and minute hand which is controlled by the crown pulled out to position 2. The famous De Bethune floating lugs too playing their role to the full. Every detail has been taken into consideration. Easy to use, yet highly complex, the system of floating lugs lends itself particularly well to the "pivoting" of the case.

DB Kind of Two

Redesigned especially for the DB Kind of Two, these elements have been equipped on each side with an ingenious little rotating mechanism made up of 28 components. For reliability purposes, they are manufactured in stainless materials such as surgical steel or titanium, thus enabling them to withstand the external aggressions of water, humidity, temperature variations and continuous contact with the skin.

Thanks to a cam, a small "notch" allows the watch case to be instinctively and perfectly positioned in line with the floating lugs. The round case rotates on its central axis and can be positioned, front or back, in a delightfully easy, smooth and entirely natural way.

DB29's case

Finally, the DB29's case middle quickly became a key element in the pivoting case project
Developed by De Bethune. Its perfectly symmetrical shape offers a beautiful balance with the floating lugs and its elegant crown totally integrated at 12 o'clock (or 6 o'clock depending on the side chosen). It thus swivels naturally and the circumference principle is patently obvious, offering a true understanding of the object.

Double-sided watches hold a special place in the realm of highly complicated watches. Beneath the apparent simplicity of this timepiece, De Bethune has clearly not taken the easiest path with this model involving two dials that embody a real watchmaking challenge. Views from the back and front reveal an authentic transformation.

DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT

All in all, with its elegant design, the combination of contemporary mechanics with a more
Traditional face, as well as the meticulous care devoted to details, legibility and comfort, the
DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT perfectly illustrates one of the great principles of the Manufacture De Bethune: reinterpreting grand traditions with a contemporary vision of the horological object, thereby opening up a new field of expression that is refined and sophisticated while preserving user friendliness and simple read off.

Two very different faces, both aesthetically and technically! Two watches, two worlds: here and elsewhere.