Our Take

One of the most innovative and exciting brands in independent watchmaking, De Bethune is a major player in the game. Led by master watchmaker Denis Flageollet, the brand has built its reputation on crafting ultra-modern timepieces, both in mechanics and design. For Geneva Watch Days 2024, De Bethune revitalizes one of the brand’s more beloved timepieces – the DB28 Steel Wheels. This is the all-new DB28xs Steel Wheels.

True to De Bethune's pioneering spirit, the DB28xs Steel Wheels embodies the brand’s ongoing quest to push the boundaries of modern watchmaking. By reducing the polished grade 5 titanium case diameter to 39 mm, De Bethune didn’t simply miniaturize the original DB28 Steel Wheels; the Manufacture created a new watch that preserves all the architectural and technical richness of its predecessor, while adapting it to a more intimate size. Behind the scenes, Flageollet is continuously revisiting and rethinking his work, finding ways to improve and modernize timepieces that may be more than a decade old.

When a watch is miniaturized, it often comes with sacrifice. A thinner, smaller movement is usually not a movement that has a larger power reserve. In the case of caliber DB2115V13 in the DB28xs Steel Wheels, things have been meticulously refined to deliver exceptional chronometric performance. The movement boasts a 20% increase in power reserve, now lasting a full six days. Alongside the titanium balance wheel, equipped with gray gold weights, ensures perfect inertia and regulation while the De Bethune balance spring, with its unique flat terminal curve, guarantees unparalleled precision. The movement is a testament to the craftsmanship and technical capabilities of De Bethune.

The openworked dial as well as movement are a masterclass in all of the finest finishing techniques. Mirror polishing, chamfering, satin-finishing, thermal bluing, sandblasting, the DB28xs Steel Wheels is another stunning example of De Bethune’s uncanny ability to create beautiful timepieces with novel mechanics, materials, and textures.

The Details

DB28xs Steel Wheels

Reference: DB28XSSW

Function: Hours, Minutes, Power Reserve on the back

Movement: DB2115V13

Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement

Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)

Technical features of calibre DB2115V13

Number of parts: 241

Jewelling: 36 jewels

Diameter: 30 mm

Power reserve: 6 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

Triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system – De Bethune Innovation (2005)

Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour

Adornment: Hand-crafted finishing and decoration

Display

Display: Polished blued titanium hands

Dial: Circular satin-finish titanium hours and minutes ring with polished blued titanium hour-markers

Titanium barrel bridge with microlight decoration and sandblasted and polished chamfered contours

Polished titanium dial base