By Swiss standards, De Bethune, founded in 2002, is barely getting started.... but the Jura based firm has already achieved manufacture status and quickly has become known for being at the forefront of contemporary watch design. De Bethune is a collaborative effort between Denis Flageollet, a professor at Le Locle and master watchmaker; and David Zanetta, an industry insider who's consulted for some of the most renowned brands in the watch world.
One look at the De Bethune DB 24 and it's immediately obvious that this is far from just another watch. Most striking is the precision-machined look of the dial and bezel. The blued titanium outer bezel and titanium case form a perfect contrast with the three-dimensional De Bethune 'microlight' titanium dial. The blued titanium and steel hands are huge when compared to most any other watch and, although they excel in adding to the aesthetic weight of the DB 24, also serve well in conveying the time. The case itself is made up of three parts, all titanium, and attached with titanium bolts that seal the case submarine-hatch style. By the way, De Bethune rates the DB 24 to 500m. As a dive watch, it's missing many things, but it's nice to know that any unexpected immersion, however deep, won't do this masterpiece any harm. Anti-reflective sapphire crystals front and back allow a glare free display of the time and offer a window into the inner-workings of the in-house movement.
The DB 24 is powered by 'Self Winding Big Power', the De Bethune tag for the DB22 Power movement that's assembled by hand and uses 53-jewels. Operationally, most significant is a patented device that allows the owner to adjust the self-winding rate (essentially the rotor speed) to 'sport', 'normal', or 'slow' modes. This function is activated by the crown and indicated by a hand on a lever visible on the movements reverse. Switch into the 'sport' mode before you hit the links and the increase in the amount of inertia required to move the rotor will insure that even your most aggressive swings won't result in any damage to your watch.
Somewhat less obvious, but no less interesting, is the De Bethune "pare-chute" system that promises Triple Shock Proofing. This 'system' is a combination of a silicon and platinum balance wheel (an industry first), and a silicon balance spring held in place by a titanium bridge. As a nice extra touch, the blued titanium contrasts and design elements present on the dial are carried over to the movement aesthetic.
De Bethune will certainly be at the forefront of watch design for the foreseeable future and the De Bethune DB 24 is an important example of the creative latitude and cutting edge technology exhibited by the brand. Much more importantly, we've finally found a watch that looks great on your wrist and doesn't need to be relegated to the car console or locker when you're out on the golf course!
