De Bethune today introduces the DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon, a limited edition of 20 pieces born from the union of the elegant DB28XP and the captivating DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon. In his quest for an ultra-thin watch, Denis Flageollet envisioned the DB28XP as a fusion of technical and aesthetic challenges. It represents a delicate balance between intricacy and simplicity, requiring precise execution and a harmonious blend of design and limitations.
The DB28XP Kind of Blue is the natural evolution of two iconic models from De Bethune: the DB28XP and the DB28 Kind of Blue. It embodies the best of both worlds by combining the sleek design and refinement of the DB28XP with a completely blue look, inspired by the DB28 Kind of Blue and bearing the Manufacture's signature. Here, it's all about levels of interpretation, relief, and the interplay of light with shadows and reflections. Crafted from blued titanium, the watch reveals an architectural fusion of space, time, and light at first glance. Its deep and luminous blue is achieved through the natural oxidation of the material, making each watch a unique work of art.
The dial, entirely made of Microlight, reimagines and modernizes the traditional guilloché technique. On its expansive flat surface, this technique gains new meaning and enhances the structure. By playing with shadow and light, it adds depth and delivers a more architectural and dynamic result. The overall effect becomes more contemporary. The new De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon is cased in blued polished grade 5 titanium with a microlight case middle measuring 43 mm in diameter with a thickness of 9.1 mm and blued polished grade 5 titanium floating lugs.
De Bethune opened a chapter in the world of ultra-thin watches in 2020 with the launch of the DB28XP, celebrating ten years of mechanical and aesthetic research and work. In his pursuit of an ultra-thin timepiece, Denis Flageollet envisioned it as both a technical and aesthetic challenge—the complexity of slimness, an adventure that demands precision and harmony between design and constraints. As if by fate, the DB28XP has now become an embodiment of beauty, an elegance that epitomizes purity in its most absolute form.
In the expansive array of complications and functions that De Bethune has mastered, the tourbillon has often taken a leading role. A tourbillon equipped with an extraordinarily lightweight cage —0.18 grams making it the lightest ever created— rotating every thirty seconds, comprising a total of 63 components —the lightest of which weighs less than 0.0001 gram. Today, a wrist-worn watch experiences significantly more "torture" than a pocket watch. Rapid and erratic wrist movements impose kinetic brutality on watch mechanics, warranting careful consideration. Just as Breguet invented the tourbillon to counteract the effects of Earth's gravity and enhance the precision of marine watches, De Bethune sought ways to optimize it for today's wristwatches.
To be more effective on a wrist subjected to quick and erratic movements, the tourbillon must have a higher frequency and a faster rotation speed. By creating a tourbillon in titanium and silicon with a frequency of 36,000 vph and an extraordinarily lightweight cage rotating every thirty seconds, describing the feat is easier than achieving it. The manual wound movement composed of 380 parts provides a power reserve of 5 days when fully wound.
Much like an airborne insect, a true exoskeleton maintains the entire structure. Thus, the De Bethune tourbillon, so small, so light, so fast, simply fulfills its function better for contemporary watches. The futuristic shape of the tourbillon bridge symmetrically and perfectly supports the tourbillon on both sides, keeping it in its position.
Sticker Price USD 250,000. For more info on De Bethune click here.
