De Bethune celebrates the 40th Anniversary of The Hour Glass
The “DB28 Steel Wheels Blue” comes in a commemorative edition of just numbered exemplars available exclusively at The Hour Glass
In honour of The Hour Glass’s 40th anniversary, De Bethune has found a unique way to pay tribute to the longstanding special relationship with the Tay family, built on trust and mutual respect. The Swiss “Maison Horlogère” focused its creative spirit and technical skills on rethinking the legendary DB28 Steel Wheels: the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue, entirely blue for the occasion.
Awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” of the Geneva Grand Prix d'Horlogerie as Best Watch of the Year in 2011, the bestselling DB28 has since its inception set a reference for the elegant, distinguished watch. Openness and light come together in a compelling theme, with a large dial affording stunning views of the movement’s mesmerising architecture.
“We have chosen to create the DB28 Steel Wheels in a special edition to pay homage to the creative passion for mechanical excellence in watchmaking, an ethos shared dearly by The Hour Glass. Taking a distinguished watch as such and combining it with De Bethune’s signature blue hue, a colour that is synonymous to perpetuity - is our way of showing appreciation to our long-time partner and friend, The Hour Glass, for their dedication to cultivating watch appreciation globally,” says Mr Pierre Jacques, CEO of De Bethune.
DB 28 Steel Wheels Blue: The Hour Glass Commemorative Edition
Eschewing a colour code or Pantone reference, to create its own blue De Bethune uses its famous technique of gently oxidizing steel or titanium grade 5 to naturally colour its surface. This ritual-like process conjures a rare, uniform, extraordinary blue, that is now immediately recognisable as purely De Bethune.
And so the famous central deltoid bridge of the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue, which is decorated with "Côtes De Bethune" using the Microlight micrometric scale engraving technique, but also the plates and gears were entirely blued in the workshops of the De Bethune factory in Auberson. The result is ground-breaking, revealing cutting-edge technology as it serves art, and perpetuating the Maison's heritage: bold aesthetics and exceptional mechanics.
Also deserving of mention, the double self-regulating barrel providing a 6-day power reserve, the balance spring with a flat terminal curve – a De Bethune exclusive – and the silicon escape wheel, the proprietary “triple pare-chute” shock absorption system, and an even more powerful new titanium balance wheel with inserts to complete this beautiful meeting of art and science.
The Manufacture's signature spherical moon made of palladium and blued steel, rounds off this compelling demonstration of watchmaking artisanship. Set against a night-sky backdrop at 6 o’clock, it spins on its axis with such precision that it will take 122 years to accumulate a one-day discrepancy.
Like all De Bethune timepieces, the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue surprises with its lightweight all-titanium case, complemented by the floating lugs that make for a perfect wrist fit and feel, a system also patented by De Bethune.
This work of art, all dressed in blue, which so well combines the grace of audacious beauty with uncommon mechanical prowess, reflects the constant evolution of De Bethune creations in their most contemporary form.