The L’Auberson brand has us seeing double at Geneva Watch Days, thanks to the release of two new De Bethune DB28xs models.
De Bethune is not your average watchmaker – a fact they may hold in high regard. However, the quirks in their watch designs belie one of the most talented brands in the industry. Co-founded in 2002 by fourth-generation watchmaker Dennis Flageollet and Pierre Jacques, they and the fifty highly skilled members of their team focus on the research and development of the latest and greatest technology horology has to offer.
To date, they’ve made at least 31 watch movements, registered countless patents, and even made several hundred unique pieces. Their aesthetic is unmistakably their own, none more so than in the DB28 collection. An aerodynamic and contemporary piece thanks to its floating lugs, the DB28 is a ruthlessly modern and exceptionally engineered timepiece that pays tribute to the strides in watchmaking made by those long since past. However, there’s just one problem: the 42mm frame of the DB28 is, to say the least, quite imposing for a slim-wristed person such as myself
Thankfully, there exists the DB28xs collection, a 39mm variant that caters to a wider variety of wrist sizes without compromising on all the features that make De Bethune stand out even in a veritable ocean of haute horlogerie legends. For Geneva Watch Days, De Dethune has elected to expand the roster by two, giving the consumer a wider range of choices for what inevitably ends up on their wrist.
The first of the two is the DB28xs Steel Wheels. Encased in grade 5 titanium, the Steel Wheels is embodied through the complete exposure of its movement to the wearer, showcasing the immaculate finishing signature to all De Bethune watches as well as the completely blued escapement matching the hands. This has been done by way of a new movement, the DB2115V13, which is a miniaturised version of the original and larger Steel Wheels timepiece. Carrying a whopping 6-day power reserve indicated on the case back, the DB28xs Steel Wheels carries on the delicate and neo-futuristic artistry of the original in a smaller package for everyone to enjoy.
Speaking of neo-futuristic, the DB28xs Aérolite. My personal favourite of the two, De Bethune’s fascination with astrology and the wonders of space truly shines through in this masterpiece. As opposed to the open-worked Steel Wheels, the Aérolite’s dial has been outfitted with one of the most spectacular guilloché patterns – which De Bethune calls ‘random’ – that I’ve ever seen.
Bespeckled with white gold stars, it almost looks like a scene from a surrealist Sci-Fi film, as if you were about to go into hyperspace or travel through the multiverse. The otherworldly feel is only enhanced by the black zirconium construction of the case, which gives the Aérolite its name. Extremely light to the touch and backed by the classic DB2005 movement, this watch will feel like no other when you put it on – because it will feel like almost nothing at all.
Final Thoughts
De Bethune’s expansion of the DB28xs collection for Geneva Watch Days is small, yet highly exciting. After all, De Bethune has always sought beauty in minimalism, and their slogan of ‘not doing more, but instead doing better’ is not just some marketing gag. It’s an exacting way of operation, and with only about 50 employees under their charge, you can guess that their dedication to the craft is unparalleled.
While I do appreciate the whimsical un-seriousness of brands like Studio Underd0g and H. Moser and Cie., brands like De Bethune that take themselves extremely seriously help to balance the watch industry out. They represent a different kind of passion – the kind that doesn’t just lift you up to heights you thought was improbable, but smashing through the clouds and aspiring to achieve the impossible: the perfect designs, engineered perfectly. With that, De Bethune’s pursuit will always be destined to continue, but in my opinion, they may just be the closest that anyone could possibly be.
References: DB28xs Steel Wheels & DB28xs Aérolite
- Dimensions: 38.7mm case diameter x 8mm thickness (Steel Wheels), 38.7mm case diameter x 7.4mm thickness (Aérolite)
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium (Steel Wheels), Black zirconium (Aérolite)
- Dial: Open-worked with Circular satin-finish titanium hours and minutes ring with polished
- blued titanium hour-markers (Steel Wheels), Blue meteorite dial with a random guilloche dial and a starry sky with white gold stars (Aérolite)
- Movement: Manual wind DB2115V13 movement (Steel Wheels), manual wind DB2005 movement (Aérolite)
- Beat Rate: 4Hz (28,800VpH)
- Power Reserve: 144h/6 days
- Strap: Black textile/alligator leather with pin buckle
