BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
De Bethune watches are some of the finest Haute Horlogerie products which are an amalgam of innovative technology and cutting-edge design. While most of the brand’s watches gravitate towards the dressy side, with their latest watch the DB28 GS Grand Blue the brand is entering the world of dive watches. This new watch is the first De Bethune to feature a uni-directional dive time bezel offering water resistance of 100 meters and a unique illumination system for low light visibility.
Right off the bat, the De Bethune design DNA is evident through the unique case design. The 44 mm case is made from titanium which would ensure that despite the relatively large size the case would sit comfortably on the wrist due to the lightness of titanium. Giving the case a distinctive visual identity are the skeletonized floating lugs. Sitting on top of the case is a dive time bezel which features only small circular markings whereas the numeric markings are present on the sapphire crystal which is driven using the bezel. Also, the case is water resistant to 100 meters which makes this watch capable of handling some light swimming, should you wish you to do so.
And just in case you were wondering about how to check the elapsed time underwater worry not as there is a special lighting system to care if that. The blue light source produces light mechanically using the dynamo principle. A small pusher at 6 activates a hear train which with the help of a miniature dynamo generates energy to light up the entire watch for a small period. Apart from this De Bethune has also developed a proprietary luminescent material named blue moon to enhance the legibility of the hands during low light situations.
Powering this watch is a new in-house hand-wound Caliber. The movement operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and offers an impressive power reserve of around 120 hours. Akin to other De Bethune movements this one is also technically impressive featuring things such as the titanium/white gold based balance wheel and the triple parachute system which provides enhanced shock resistance.
Overall, the new De Bethune DB28 GS is a great new watch that brings forth a nice dose of ruggedness and practicality to the brands existing collection. The watch would retail at a price of CHF 93,500 and would come packaged with a canvas and a natural rubber strap with a titanium folding clasp.
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