Our Take

With master watchmaker, Denis Flageollet, leading the manufacture, De Bethune has become one of the darlings amongst independent brands. Every year, there’s simply more and more to admire from their catalog of ultra-modern designs, technical innovations, and impeccable finishing. Excited to offer another hit, this is De Bethune’s DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon.

Part of the brand’s commemoration for the DB28’s ten-year anniversary, we’ve beared witness to the arrival of updated “XP” (stands for extra-plat, “extra-thin” in French) editions from the DB28XP Kind of Blue as well as DB28XP Steel Wheels. Here, the “Steel Wheels” is elevated with the addition of an ultra-fast, 30-second tourbillon.

Compared to the DB28XP Steel Wheels, released originally in 2022, there are a few design and aesthetic upgrades in this new tourbillon edition. The hour ring, barrel bridge, and triangular central bridge all showcase a beautiful blued microlight decoration. The tourbillon at six o’clock features the brand’s ultra-light 30-second rotation – this hums at a much faster, more spectacular pace than the traditional 60-second tourbillons. Alongside the tourbillon, the DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon showcases patents for the brand’s signature balance spring with flat terminal curve and titanium balance with white gold inserts for improved performance across different temperatures.

In-house caliber DB2009v6 is a manual-wind movement with an impressive five-day power reserve. Beating at 36,000VPH and composed of 275 components and 40 jewels, it’s everything that collectors have come to expect from De Bethune. Something about the blued, openworked dial pushes this edition of the Steel Wheels even further into an ultra-futuristic aesthetic. With production limited to only 10 timepieces, the DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon is sure to be an ultra-rare sight in the wild.

The Details

Function: Hours, Minutes, 30’’ indicator via the ultra-light De Bethune tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, Power Reserve on the back
Movement: DB2009v6
Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement
Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)

Technical features of calibre DB2009v6

Number of parts: 275
Jewelling: 40 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm
Power reserve: 5 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel – De Bethune Innovation (2004)
Specificities: Titanium balance with white gold inserts, optimised for temperature differences and air penetration – De Bethune Patent (2016)
"De Bethune" balance-spring with flat terminal curve De Bethune Patent (2006)
Silicon escape wheel
Ultra-light De Bethune 30’’ tourbillon in titanium De Bethune Innovation (2008)
Frequency: 36'00 vibrations/hour
Adornment: Hand-crafted finishing and decoration
Barrels adorned with snailing, featuring blued microlight titanium inserts and polished blued beveling

Display

Display: Polished titanium hands
Dial: Hour ring in titanium with blued microlight decoration and polished hour markers
Minute ring and 30-second dial in circular satin-finished titanium
Barrel bridge with polished beveling and blued microlight decoration
Polished titanium triangular central bridge
Polished titanium dial base

Case and strap

Case material: Polished grade 5 titanium with “microlight” case middle
Case diameter: 43 mm
Case thickness: 9.1 mm
Lugs: Polished grade 5 titanium floating lugs – De Bethune Patent (2006)
Crystal: Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Caseback: Screwed case back in polished grade 5 titanium opened on a linear power reserve indicator
Sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Strap: Extra-supple alligator leather with alligator lining
Buckle: Grade 5 titanium buckle and pin