A sea of blued titanium: a high-frequency tourbillon and the comfort of a mirror-polished titanium DB28 case. Mesmerising design dedicated to contemporary precision. Beyond the horizon In his relentless quest for perfection, Denis Flageollet crafts a world where De Bethune’s aesthetic codes and technical expertise connect centuries of watchmaking culture with inspiration drawn from Nature, capturing it at its most authentic and unadulterated. His passion for the vast expanse of the sea fuels a drive to excel: to push technical and aesthetic boundaries, to explore new materials and processes – even forgotten artisanal techniques – in order to convey a feeling, a rustle, an echo or an emotion. “Leaving the comfort of the familiar, of that which has already been tested and mastered, to cross the horizon – where our knowledge ends. A new realm of possibilities then emerges; a new chapter begins.” Denis Flageollet, founder and master watchmaker A random guilloché pattern on blued titanium: maritime vibes Within the silent immensity of great depths, light fragments into infinite shades of blue transform the perception of time – rendering it more fluid, deeper, almost cosmic. The DB28xs Sea Tourbillon transmits this sensation through a dial with mesmerising shimmering effects, evoking a surface that is both peaceful and mysterious. A true window onto the movement, its architecture reveals the precision of the hand-finished details crafted in the De Bethune workshops, where polished surfaces interplay with matt textures, creating a striking sense of depth and light. Introduced in 2023 and exclusive to the Manufacture, the random guilloché pattern adorns both the bridge covers and the DB28’s signature central deltoid bridge like a wave of blued titanium. The whitened hour-markers and polished titanium hands interact seamlessly with the titanium finishes: blued microlight on the hours track, circular satin-finished on the minutes and seconds tracks, ensuring optimised legibility without compromising visual dimensionality. An incomparably comfortable, slender 39 mm titanium case featuring floating lugs The DB28’s case, trimmed to 39 mm in recent years to ensure greater comfort and slimness, is crafted entirely from mirror-polished titanium. Surprisingly light and gentle against the wrist, it owes its ergonomic design to the floating lugs (a 2006 patent), designed to adapt naturally to the wrist’s shape and movements. A signature De Bethune design feature, mirror-polished titanium requires years of practice, confident handling and absolute precision. Lightweight and highly durable, it remains difficult to master, as it heats up quickly, marks easily and cannot tolerate any inaccuracy. Our polishing artisans deal with these constraints by meeting the highest level of demanding standards. “The continuous shimmer must remain impeccable, without any ripples or breaks. The sharpness of the edges and the purity of the shapes must be preserved so as not to alter the aesthetics and comfort of the DB28.” Denis Flageollet DB2009V7 and the De Bethune tourbillon: performance, reliability and understated style Viewed from the front or the back, the DB2009V7 mechanical hand-wound movement exudes an aura of confident simplicity. Microlight finishes, a random guilloché pattern and blued titanium characterise the Manufacture’s refined design. A self-regulating twin barrel ensures steady transmission of energy and ensures an over five-day power reserve. Featuring a balance-spring with a flat terminal curve and a silicon escape-wheel, Calibre DB2009V7 – like all the brand’s movements – has been designed to adapt to modern-day wearing conditions, resisting magnetic fields, shocks and accelerations, whilst maintaining unwavering commitment to precision and reliability. Representing the most explicit expression of this quest, the tourbillon has been redesigned around a triptych: high frequency, rapid rotation and reduced weight. Featuring a refined, ultra-lightweight frame, its all-titanium structure acts as an exoskeleton. Weighing just 0.18 g and comprising 63 components, this technical feat enables the De Bethune tourbillon to achieve a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour and complete a full rotation in 30 seconds. “Not only does this exoskeleton offer the advantage of being far lighter than a three-pillar cage such as is generally used for tourbillons, but it is also flexible enough to act as a shock absorber.” Denis Flageollet For devotees of Haute Horlogerie, the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon does not merely measure time – it tells the story of our world. A blue world in constant rotation, where every second becomes an invitation to contemplate infinity.
