Placing innovation at the heart of the process. Thinking ingeniously while improving precision, reliability, readability, and comfort, De Bethune presents the new DB28xs Starry Seas starting a new chapter for De Bethune with a smaller case size. Featuring a significantly smaller diameter than previous models at 39 mm versus 44 mm, while retaining De Bethune's unique and characteristic design, the DB28xs Starry Seas is a miniature miracle.

While the De Bethune DB28xs Starry Seas was born of an extraordinary acrobatic feat that involved bringing the majestic sense of grandeur conveyed by the great Age of Enlightenment clocks with their scientific instruments to the wrist, its fascinating micro-mechanics along with refined aesthetics of a small watch also offer a glimpse into the deepest recesses of the creative mind behind it. Beneath the deceptively simple appearance of mere miniaturization, the singular nature of this watch and its design extends far beyond its smaller size and its mode of operation.

Inspired by the Japanese Wabi-Sabi concept, Denis Flageollet nurtures an appreciation for a quiet life away from urban hustle and bustle along with a sense of tranquillity, and contemplation of something that becomes beautiful as it ages. A veritable life philosophy in Japan, Wabi-Sabi blends two aesthetic and spiritual principles historically very present in the national culture. Referring to the fullness experienced when contemplating nature, the expression wabi means solitude and simplicity, with a touch of melancholy; while Sabi, which is more concerned with the traces of past time, refers to the sensation felt when perceiving the work of time or of man on something.

"While the design is constantly experimenting, it appears that, despite the development of industrial technology, this subtle link between humankind and Nature traditionally expressed in art, literature, and craftsmanship remains alive and well. It is the culture and understanding of techniques and objects that enable the birth of such a project. For the creation of the DB28xs Starry Seas, the creative process that impelled me evokes the Japanese spirit of Wabi- Sabi, a Japanese concept that is virtually an art form and aims to bring individuals, objects, and the environment into harmony."

Three principles of the Wabi-Sabi concept emanate naturally from the De Bethune DB28xs Starry Seas:

• With its random wave guilloché pattern —which is the world’s first— creating a dial featuring a blued titanium wave reflecting a starry sky, the DB28xs Starry Seas offers us one of the three principles of Wabi-Sabi: the beauty of imperfect things that are impermanent and incomplete.

• Through its small size and the sobriety of its silver-toned chapter ring and movement, the second principle of Wabi-Sabi pervading it is the beauty of modest and simple things. Or at least apparently simple, for in the ultra-technical world of miniaturization, this watch is a technical feat notably involving the extreme miniaturization of the DB28's patented ‘floating lugs’ system.

• Finally, the result is a different, singular watch embodying the third definition of Wabi-Sabi: the beauty of atypical things.

The success of the DB28xs Starry Seas demonstrates that Denis Flageollet's teams are totally imbued with the De Bethune spirit stemming from this culture. The concept of perpetual evolution informs their work and hence their constant questioning of existing techniques, relying on the mastery of both ancestral expertise and new technologies. This incessant movement is the keystone of the Manufacture, which constantly cultivates this state of mind.

The new DB28xs Starry Seas indicates the hours and minutes over a silver-plated hours and minutes ring with transferred Arabic numerals and random guilloché blued titanium dial with a starry sky with white gold stars. The case in polished grade 5 titanium measures 38.7 mm in diameter with a thickness of only 7.4 mm. Powered by the manual wound calibre DB2005, the movement ensures a power reserve of six full days when fully wound.

Sticker Price $90,000 USD. For more info on De Bethune click here.