With the De Bethune DB28 GS Grand Bleu, the model offered what it referred to as “its first 100% sports activities watch.” First issues first, that’s cute. De Bethune has earned its repute as an horological sculptor of kinds — typically fairly actually sculpting watches out of meteorite, for instance. With swiveling case sections, arched and skeletonized lug constructions, spaceship-like actions and so forth, this small, but notable impartial has been amongst these few who ventured past the cliché of “watchmaking artwork” and turned it into a piece that really resembles artwork. With all that mentioned, allow us to see how nicely artwork and sports activities go collectively.
I can’t dwell on the inventive facet for much longer — largely as a result of the “watches are like artwork” cliché is so terribly dangerous and so awfully over-used in horological discussions that in these few situations like this one the place it may probably be relevant, it’s a moot level already. Anyhow… A brand new caliber, water resistance “to greater than 100 meters,” wonderful legibility within the darkest depths because of ingenious lighting contained in the motion, a rotating bezel, a titanium case, a rubber strap and a five-day energy reserve.
That’s the purchasing listing that De Bethune had thrown at their DB28 vary when creating the DB28 GS Grand Bleu. Again in 2015 there had already been a DB28 Grand Sport — although, apparently, that was “Grand” and never “100%” sport. A fast look on the new piece reveals a giant push from the submarine-like Grand Sport’s brutalist exterior to a slightly extra sports activities instrument impressed presentation.
Like a correct instrument, the DB28 GS Grand Bleu can mild up at midnight. A completely mechanical mild, primarily based on the dynamo precept, is activated by the pusher on the 6 o’clock place: a small gear prepare, pushed by the dual barrel, supplies the mandatory power to mild the watch. De Bethune says a few seconds of sunshine is greater than sufficient to learn the time which is difficult to argue with. Although I’m positive they know that the fortunate house owners of the Grand Bleu shall be utilizing this characteristic not only for the tedious exercise of checking the time, however to amuse themselves and impress their friends… One thing a mechanical torch characteristic nestled inside a De Bethune will greater than suffice for.
De Bethune neatly disguised the truth that this new mannequin has a rotating timing bezel. The knurled fringe of the titanium bezel may give this characteristic away, however nothing extra. When you do attempt to rotate the bezel, you will note that the crystal and its 60-minute graduations transfer proper together with it, permitting you to arrange the zero marker towards the present time and start your timing process. This answer, developed within the workshops of the manufacture in L’Auberson, permits the DB28 GS Grand Bleu to have a slim bezel with a timing chart that seems to be a daily 60-minute commencement set on the periphery of the dial. Kudos for such a chic method of avoiding the recurring dive watch look.
The DB28 GS Grand Bleu sports activities a brand new caliber — a whopping 27th within the line of De Bethune calibers. With its hand-wound twin barrels, it permits for five days of energy reserve, even on the fashionable and extra steady working frequency of 28,800 vph. De Bethune had thrown a variety of high-end watchmaking options at this in-house caliber: “optimized effectivity, reliability, regulating high quality, thermo-compensation and anti-magnetism” are all on the listing, together with a 20% enhance of energy reserve attained simply from the improved effectivity of its “sprung-balance-escapement ensemble.” In different phrases, the purpose is that any De Bethune buyer can sit with the crew, undergo a 6-pack of Deutz Brut Basic and spend the evening speaking the ooh’s and aah’s of horological fiddling. This, as is straightforward to see, each small model has to do — as a result of for them it takes various diamonds or a 50¢ Tiffany & Co. emblem stamped on a dial to maneuver a high-five-figure watch.
De Bethune praises its new DB28GS Grand Bleu for its watertightness, shock-resistance and wearer consolation — the latter we may get a really feel for at SIHH 2019 once we caught certainly one of these beauties within the wild. To achieve long-term consolation and a really perfect match for all kinds of wrist sizes, De Bethune depends on its patented floating lugs, whereas the higher and decrease lug arms can swivel up or down, independently from the opposite, whereas the center case itself raises or lowers like a pod. It’s a neat engineering answer that, as soon as its titanium parts have been drizzled with De Bethune’s trademark hand-finished decorations, is as spectacular to understand as it’s enjoyable to work together with. Even the crown has been moved to the 12 o’clock place for enhanced consolation — an considerable transfer given the hefty, 44mm diameter of the case and its rectangular footprint.
Priced at $93,500, is the De Bethune DB28 GS Grand Bleu a “100% Sports activities Watch?” In fact not. It’s artwork, like all De Bethune watches are. Nevertheless it’s artwork that you would be able to bump round, if you’re a spoiled noveau riche brat — and isn’t that liberating? For each different buyer of the 30 items made yearly, it’s a succesful bundle that’s to the brim with De Bethune’s novel and distinctive engineering options and design quirks. You may study extra about these creations at debethune.ch.
