Geneva Watch Days
Geneva Watch Days: De Bethune’s Latest “XS” Duo Reflects Both Classicism and Futurism
The innovative Jura-based brand has composed two different tunes for its DB28 and DB25 models for this year’s Geneva audience: A brilliantly monochromatic tourbillon that follows the DB28’s forward-looking design language and a beautifully cosmic execution for the more-classically inspired DB25.
By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor
The watches produced by De Bethune, regardless of what collection they belong to, are simply unmistakable on the wrist. Whether leaning into a kind of sci-fi-like futurism or a more vintage classic design approach (and points in between), there is a profound sense of sophistication and visual appeal, as well as a strong dose of out-of-the-box contemporary architectural mastery that underlines the timepieces.
Case in point: De Bethune’s curved floating lug design found on most of the company’s watches. It is not only distinctive, but this lug design also serves to emphasize the brand’s design language by framing the circular centerpiece of the dial, and it is ergonomic, delivering a contoured, comfortable fit when worn. These lugs are also one of the ways you can spot a De Bethune in the wild.
In the case of the De Bethune DB25xs Starry Varius, which debuted during Geneva Watch Days, that lug design is, in fact, the primary design nod to its origins, except this piece utilizes the static, integrated versions, which are hollowed out so as to resemble the floating lugs. And in its sibling release, the DB28xs Kind of Blue Tourbillon, floating lug springiness is included, making the obvious structural influence of the timepiece even more functional and innovative.
The “xs” in both monikers, BTW, references the fact that both novelties are presented at a reduced case size than previous editions.
Classical Composition
For a 40.6mm timepiece, the new DB25xs Starry Varius packs a significant amount of classically derived details and a simply gorgeous “Milky Way” inner dial approach into its package.
According to De Bethune, this size reduction required a whole new rethinking of the DB25’s aesthetic platform. Despite the challenge of less space, the new, smaller execution more than serves the design intent. According to brand co-founder Denis Flageollet, “It is important to maintain a beautiful dial aperture so that the observer can be fully immersed in the star-studded sky, thereby preserving the aura of the ‘Starry Varius.’ ” And, oh, what a sky to observe.
Eschewing what might be an expected black or deep blue, De Bethune has chosen to display its constellations on an intriguing, purplish-red background, inspired by a night sky illuminated by volcanic activity. This stunning tone grew from the watchmaker’s proprietary work on hues that result from the thermal oxidation of titanium.
Night Work
Moreover, the titanium dials are meticulously hand-decorated and mirror-polished; each star is an individual white gold pin set in micro-perforations of varying sizes. After laser micro-milling, a 24-carat gold leaf is applied to unify the pins into the “Milky Way” effect you see. This painstaking process is made even more involved when you consider that, like all of De Bethune’s starry dials, you can personalize your “night sky” to any specific geographic location and date.
Hand-polished rose gold hands span the sky, leading into a clean silver outer dial ring with classic Roman numeral hour indices, traditional three-segment minute gauging between the hours, and rose gold dot markers under each hour. Even the bi-level decorated crown speaks to an essence of heritage-made-modern.
Flip the watch over, and you can feast your eyes on the DB2005 hand-wound movement (with a six-day power reserve) through the exhibition caseback, a design that instantly injects some space-age modernity into the austere package. De Bethune’s signature sail- or blade-shaped bridges overlay a cutting-edge movement that incorporates a modern flat terminal curve balance spring, a magnetic-field fighting silicon escape wheel, and impact-resistant triple pare-chute shock absorbing technology.
On a more personal note, while De Bethune has applied the Starry Varius nickname to previous executions of the DB25, I’ve not seen anything official that points out the “Starry Varius” sounds an awful lot like “Stradivarius,” no? In this lilting classical context, I’ve got to think that this is no accident. This new concerto is available with a lightweight mirror-polished Grade 5 titanium case or with a more traditional red gold case; both come on a supple alligator strap with a complementary fabric strap included.
Beam Me Up?
That same signature blade-shaped movement bridgework seen via the caseback in the DB25 basically defines the visual impact of the more structurally modern DB28 line, as it is visible from the dial side of the watch.
The A-shape of the blades brings a prominent, beautifully curved element to the watch that just evokes a sense of technicality and futurism. (For me, the Star Trek “A” insignia from the original series or even the modern shifting blades of a performance automobile steering wheel, anyone else?)
For the new slimmed-down 39mm DB28xs Kind of Blue Tourbillon, that signature shape beautifully anchors a 30-second tourbillon at 6 o’clock, but even that classical gravity-fighting complication has been streamlined and modernized (via lightweight titanium components) to blend well with the structural feel of the timepiece.
On most watches, a tourbillon immediately pulls your focus; here, it is an integral part of the modern, harmonious design
Blue Planet
We last saw the dramatic all-in use of the brand’s signature deep blue (which the brand confesses is its favorite color) on the DB28 Kind of Blue “Milky Way” from 2020. This time, however, the blue is all about creating a pleasing tone-on-tone monochromatic canvas that doesn’t surrender a single whit to differentiating architectural details and legibility.
“De Bethune blue is the result of research into light and its reflections on materials,” explained Flageollet in a press release. “Blue on blue: the possibilities are endless. It’s like a musical score, it’s a rhythm. It’s the rhythm of light through the watch.”
Again, the tone results from the brand’s exhaustive research into colors that can develop during thermal oxidation. The steel and titanium used for this watch are particularly friendly materials for this level of oxidized color treatment; in fact, with De Bethune’s preference for blue being especially stunning.
The depth of color is enhanced by a microlight technique (essentially a very modern form of guilloche etching) on the dial bridges that uses fine, regular patterns to not only amp up the eye hit, but also better define and separate each blue component visually. You don’t see a sea of blue; you see a balanced composition of blue.
Sporting a DB2009v5 hand-wound movement with a five-day power reserve, the 39mm blued-and-polished titanium timepiece with its patented adaptive floating lug-fit design is available on an alligator strap or on either a bright blue or navy blue canvas strap.
Final Thoughts
If the DB25xs “Starry Varius” is a violin concerto, the DB28xs “Kind of Blue” Tourbillon is a kind of ultra-lounge free-jazz number, especially if the Miles Davis album reference isn’t lost on you. While pricing was unavailable at press time, you can learn more (and think about your own soundtrack) via the De Bethune website.