De Bethune unveils its newest horological artistry, the DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon, a limited edition comprising only 20 pieces. This extraordinary timepiece emerges from the marriage of the graceful and sleek profile of the ultra-thin DB28XP and the mesmerizing blue hue that first mesmerized on DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon carrying the manufacturer’s signature.
Denis Flageollet’s pursuit of an ultra-thin watch led to the creation of the DB28XP, blending technical prowess with aesthetic finesse. It embodies a harmonious interplay of complexity and minimalism, demanding meticulous craftsmanship to achieve a seamless integration of design and engineering constraints. It features floating lugs, a 12 o’clock crown, and a delta-shaped main plate at the heart of its dial.
Fashioned from blued titanium, the watch unveils an architectural fusion of space, time, and light at first glance. Its deep and luminous blue is garnered through the natural oxidation of the material, making each watch a unique objet d’art.
The enchanting dial, made of Microlight in its entirety, reinterprets the traditional guilloché technique, utilizing its expansive flat surface to create an interplay of shadow and light to add depth, delivering a result that is both architectural and dynamic. The dial is different from the 2023 version, thanks to the small ‘stars’ placed on the inky dial.
To combat the “torture” sustained by a wristwatch due to swift and erratic wrist movements foisting kinetic brutality on watch mechanics, De Bethune has mastered the tourbillon and optimized it for the present. By designing a tourbillon in titanium and silicon with a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour and an astonishingly lightweight cage rotating every thirty seconds, the De Bethune tourbillon is small, light, fast, and simply performs better. The avant-garde shape of the tourbillon bridge symmetrically and perfectly bolsters the tourbillon on both sides, stabilizing its position.
The manual-winding movement DB2115v12 is equipped with the De Bethune balance wheel, visible through the dial due to its opening at 6 o’clock. Designed with a modest diameter, made of titanium, and outfitted with small gray gold weights placed externally. This configuration enhances inertia, reliability, and regulating quality.
Outfitted with the renowned De Bethune hairspring, which has been designed to keep its center of gravity precisely in the center by using a flat curve fixed on the outside of the hairspring, the result is reduced height, improved adjustment of concentricity quality, finer balance wheel adjustment, foregoing the need for pins, and the curved shape even acting as a shock absorber in case of impact.
The internal material structure is retained, contributing to a 20% increase in power reserve for up to 6 days. It is visible through the sapphire glass case back, allowing connoisseurs to take a glance at the intricacy and beauty of each constituent.
Equally visible and geometrically arranged relative to the caliber’s main plate, the assemblage is preserved by the exclusive triple shock-absorbing system. De Bethune was the trailblazer when designing the ‘triple shock absorber,’ which, with its springs instead of screws on polished axes, effectively absorbs and braces against violent impacts.
Like all models in its collection, the DB28XP Kind of Blue stuns with the lightweight nature of its case, straddled on mobile cradles that accommodate the size and various movements of the wrist, a patented De Bethune system. The microlight finish of the main plate is mirrored on the sides, bleeding into the outer edge of the caseband. The watch is concluded with an alligator strap with a titanium buckle, facilitating the practical and comfortable wear of this timepiece.
