In recent years, watchmaking mastermind Denis Flageolet and De Bethune have modernized their collection with the arrival of “XP” and “xs” timepieces. Standing for “extra plat” (extra thin in French) and “extra small,” these new models are as much about transitioning to more favorable case dimensions for today’s collectors as they are about updating the underlying technique and mechanics of foundational timepieces in De Bethune’s catalog.

We take a side-by-side look at both the DB28XP Starry Sky and DB28xs Starry Seas. Amazing timepieces, they showcase exactly how Denis Flageollet is using history to find new ways to innovate.

Co-stars, the DB28xs Starry Seas (left) and DB28XP Starry Sky (right)

Going back to move forward

It should first be mentioned, the DB28 is one of the icons of modern independent watchmaking. We’ve covered this topic at length in another article here, and in brief, it’s avant-garde and comfortable, ultra-innovative mechanically as well as in its design. It has also laid the foundation for a whole slew of DB28 timepieces, many of which we have had the privilege of handling over the years. The legacy of the original DB28 from 2011 is our focus today with both the DB28XP Starry Sky and DB28xs Starry Seas.

The star of the DB28XP Starry Sky – the dial with open regulating organ

Compared to the original edition, one of the obvious differences in these timepieces is their more streamlined profile, both for different reasons. The DB28XP Starry Sky bears the same case diameter at 43mm, but is much slimmer in profile (7.2mm vs. 9.2mm). While the DB28xs Starry Seas is a much smaller case (38.9mm vs. 43mm).

From a mechanical perspective, the DB28XP Starry Sky features a tourbillon caliber (cal. DB2115V7) – a six-day manual-wind movement with some of the brand’s core technical patents in both the balance wheel and balance spring. Unlike the DB28xs Starry Seas, this timepiece features a screwdown crown and closed caseback. The star of the show aesthetically is the dial – balance wheel seated at six o’clock with the surrounding “Starry Sky” dial design. The brand’s constant quest to represent the most beautiful sky is front and center. Here, De Bethune creates a blue “microlight” firmament – a first for the brand – where collectors can observe sloping lines that provide texture, valleys and mountains, as backdrop to the small white gold pins representing the stars. This dial does justice to the timepiece’s name. It’s a beautiful representation of a clear night’s sky.

The DB28xs Starry Seas does an equally excellent job staying true to the timepiece’s name. Powered by caliber DB2005, the DB28xs Starry Seas also features a six-day reserve. No high complication on this timepiece, but it does offer an exhibition caseback to observe the fine finishing and remarkable “De Bethune” signature bridge design.

Cal. DB2005 is a beautiful movement in the DB28xs Starry Seas

To bring the seas alive on the dial, De Bethune leaned into the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. Centered on finding beauty in small things, atypical things, and modest things, wabi-sabi is fundamentally focused on accepting the imperfections and impermanence of everyday life. We observe on the dial that the brand has created the world’s first randomized guilloché. Featuring a blued titanium wave reflecting a starry sky, it’s incredibly beautiful while imperfect and chaotic with its absence of symmetry. Like the waves in the sea, it’s chaotic yet somehow beautifully organized.

A rare and amazing feat in aesthetic innovation with the randomized guilloché pattern

Compared to the DB28XP Starry Sky, we can see that the xs features different hands. These are slightly less stylized, assuming that there should be no distractions from the star of the show – the guilloché and reflected starry sky in its waves.

When thinking through these modernized editions of the DB28 – both XP and xs models – it’s important to keep in mind that these are no simple repetitions of the past. Each represents a fresh canvas for master watchmaker, Denis Flageollet, to pursue new ideas, develop new techniques, and evolve. This is not a return for the sake of nostalgia. This is revitalization to find new paths into the future.

Side by Side – De Bethune's DB28XP Starry Sky and DB28xs Starry Seas

Going back to move forward