Backstory
BY MICHAEL THOMPSON
REAR VIEWS OF NOTE
De Bethune
DB25 WORLD TRAVELLER
While much was made of the visually arresting
dial of this 2016 De Bethune DB25 World Traveller,
with its concentric layout, graduated channel and
three-dimensional blue steel/pink gold moon, we
also enjoy gazing at its inventive backside.
This mechanical caliber DB2547 with manual
winding was the 25th caliber designed, manufac-
tured and assembled in-house (utilizing multiple
patented techniques) by De Bethune when it
debuted. The reverse side of the 455-component
movement clearly shows how carefully De Bethune
finishes its calibers. The idea is to reflect as much
ambient light as possible.
To make this happen, De Bethune finishes the
majority of the components to a mirror-polish. A
number of the parts, whether they are steel or tita-
nium, are also blued, reflecting De Bethune's signa-
ture color (note the blue bridge and the rim of the
balance wheel, and the leaf spring of the triple
shock absorber).
In part, the movement’s visual allure is the
expertly finished central delta-shaped bridge,
which is embellished with a “Côtes De Bethune"
decoration. But even more striking is De Bethune’s
own micro-engraving technique called Microlight.
First the polished plate is hollowed out to become
concave, then it’s engraved. This intensifies the
reflections of light, much to our delight.
The regulator itself is also of note here, both
technically and visually. It is equipped with a new
titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts,
developed particularly to perfectly manage tem-
perature variations.
De Bethune’s expertise using silicon is clear here
with a silicon escapement wheel. As for the regula-
tor, it is completely maintained by a triple pare-
chute shock-absorbing system exclusive to De
Bethune. The partially visible twin barrels accumu-
late five days of power reserve through a patented
self-regulating power mechanism.
THE ESSENTIALS
CASE
45mm by 13.7mm white gold
MOVEMENT
DB2547 manual winding to indicate local and travel time (GMT),
455 parts, 5-days power reserve, titanium balance wheel with
white gold inserts, optimized for temperature differences and
air penetration, De Bethune balance-spring with flat terminal
curve, silicon escape wheel, triple blue-steel pare-chute shock-
absorbing system, 28,800 vibrations per hour, curved
mirror-polished steel plate cover, steel barrel bridge cover,
mirror-polished and decorated with “De Bethune stripes”
enhanced with Microlight decoration, hand-snailed barrels,
hand-polished, chamfered steel parts
PRICE
$150,000
130 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2018
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