The De Bethune DB28 Kind of Blue

An exercise in incredible watchmaking, the DB28 Kind of Blue is a rare bird indeed and we have the very first example to come out of De Bethune’s workshop. Let’s dive deep and find out what makes this watch so unique

A Science Experiment on the Wrist

In 2002, De Bethune burst onto the independent watchmaking scene with hi-tech materials, innovative movements and stunning avant-garde design. Founded by speciality watchmaking house partners from THA, Denis Flageollet and David Zanetta, De Bethune has an unapologetically experimental design aesthetic that has since enabled their watches to look as though they would feel at home on alien planets.

The De Bethune DB28 on the wrist Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Ever since their first watch, the DB1, De Bethune’s modus operandi has clearly been to break the mould. Even within the DB1’s slightly more ‘traditional’ silhouette, compared to their modern standards at least, it has been clear that De Bethune has never been fine with the idea of creating anything even remotely ordinary. With that, I bring you the DB28 Kind of Blue from 2016. Bringing their science fiction-esque design flair to a whole other level, and perhaps demonstrating a rather uncharacteristic sense of humor (at least for the Swiss), the Kind of Blue is a cacophony of eccentric color usage, sci-fi design and other-worldly craftsmanship. So let's jump in.

De Bethune’s launched its first-ever watch in 2002: the De Bethune DB1 chronograph ©Phillips

A Unique ‘Kind of Blue’

The blue case, dial and movement of the 42.6mm Ref. DB28BMW, together with its distinctive shape, create a watch that is unlike anything you've probably seen before Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Without a doubt, this watch’s most striking feature is its use of color. The DB28’s blue case, dial and movement combined with its distinct silhouette, present a watch that’s ultimately unlike anything you’ve probably seen before. And that’s De Bethune’s goal – create watches you haven’t seen before. Bringing futurism to an industry plagued by tradition to the point where brands are often crippled by the anxiety of doing anything out of the ordinary, De Bethune’s relentless desire to push boundaries is impressive and worth mentioning. While the rest of the DB28’s design speaks for itself, its use of blue everywhere you look could be skipped over as a design choice for choice’s sake. Instead, this use of blue is part of De Bethune’s story. 

De Bethune's bluing method has been fine-tuned to provide one of the world's most distinctive monochrome looks, showcasing its array of colors Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

The Bluing technique has been used in watchmaking for a long time now. While originally reserved for steel and iron, bluing watch components protect the metal from rust and corrosion by oxidizing the metal with heat, thus creating a blue film around the surface of the metal. However, Denis Flageollet and his team at De Bethune discovered that titanium could be heat-blued too, like steel and iron. And so, by hand bluing the titanium balance wheels, De Bethune struck their most important vein of inspiration.. From there, De Bethune looked to the sky as a source of inspiration in what is a rather natural move from the color blue. 

The team at De Bethune have fine-tuned their bluing technique to create one of the most unique monochromatic aesthetics in the world of watchmaking, with the DB28 Kind of Blue acting as a sort of “look at what we can do,” and in the world of modern watchmaking where brands try to show off what they can do that others can’t by further complicating movements and functions, I have to say that I really enjoy De Bethune’s approach. While it might look simple, to achieve the Kind of Blue’s level of chromatic consistency by hand-bluing is far from easy and therefore it acts as a subtle ‘if you know you know’ kind of statement for other brands and watchmaking enthusiasts alike. 

The DB28 is as ergonomic as they come, with floating skeleton lugs, torpedo-style lug caps and a flawlessly round 42.6mm titanium case Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

A Curious Case

Beyond its striking use of color, DB28’s most fascinating feature is its construction. Known for their avant-garde design, the DB28 sports the design that De Bethune has championed for several years. With its floating skeleton lugs, torpedo-style lug caps and perfectly round 42.6mm titanium case, the DB28 is as ergonomic as they come. While some watches like the Cartier Tank Cintree are praised for their curved design, the DB28 takes an original design aesthetic to a new level with spring-loaded articulating lugs that curve to wrap around the wrist no matter its size or shape. 

The DB28 takes its design aesthetic to a whole new level with spring-loaded articulating lugs that curve to wrap around the wrist, regardless of size or shape Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Light as a feather, thanks to its titanium construction, the DB28 is a pleasure to wear, just as it is a pleasure to look at. Incredibly unique and incredibly comfortable, I have to admit that the DB28 really does do it for me. Entirely polished and radiating soft purple tones depending on the angle of light hitting it, the DB28 is what modern independent horology is supposed to be about. But, again, taking the sky as its inspiration, the DB28 appears like a spaceship – reflecting the brand’s overwhelmingly futuristic aesthetic. I have a hard time accepting this as a stroke of pure luck or an accident.

It might be a bit of a stretch but the DB28’s side view – with its lugs pulled down all the way – reminds me of the alien tripods in War of the Worlds with its crown at 12 o’clock acting as a sort of cockpit or turret. But, of course, I’m letting my imagination run wild. 

Light as a feather, thanks to its titanium construction, the DB28 is a pleasure to wear, just as it is a pleasure to look at Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Aesthetic Consistency

 One of the most telling signs of a watchmaker’s devotion to their craft is the level of aesthetic consistency they put into their designs, at least I think so. With De Bethune, this is absolutely undoubtful. While you can obviously point at the DB28’s “Kind of Blue” construction and say, “well, they didn’t have a hard time achieving aesthetic consistency, did they?” I would say that you need to look further. An independent watchmaker like De Bethune won’t do the exploring for you. Instead, the DB28 Kind of Blue is filled with design aspects that are interlinked across the watch.

The Kind of Blue is a kaleidoscope of eccentric color combinations, science fiction design and other-worldly craftsmanship Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Beginning with a grade 5 polished and satin-polished blued titanium dial, the DB28 features a delta-shaped arrowhead-style motif upon which the movement is semi-exposed. Utilizing the very same shape, the DB28’s delta-shaped polished steel hour markers shine wonderfully bright. Jumping through the watch like stepping stones in a river, there are numerous design consistencies like these.

The skeletonized framework that surrounds the DB28’s case and forms its articulating lugs is linked to its skeletonized Breguet-style hands in terms of construction, which further complement the skeletonized blued titanium buckle on the black and navy 26mm alligator leather strap. A cacophony of intricate design, the DB28 Kind of Blue delights in more ways than one indeed. 

The watch is powered by the manual wind Calibre DB2115V4 and has a mirror-polished steel motion-work bridge, a ruthenium plate, and a barrel bridge cover with "côtes de Bethune" ruthenium circular-grained power reserve decoration Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

The Marvelous Movement

Powered by the manual wind Calibre DB2115V4, the DB28 Kind of Blue features a breathtaking array of finishing that goes toe-to-toe with its dial, such as a mirror-polished steel motion-work bridge, a ruthenium plate, and the barrel bridge cover adorned with “côtes de Bethune” ruthenium circular-grained power reserve decoration – and several hand-polished, chamfered steel parts. This displays the level of detail that De Bethune can put into their watches while creating less than 200 pieces a year.

The tourbillon at 6 o'clock reveals the Cal. DB2115V4's magic on the dial side Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck

Of course, the DB2115V4’s magic is revealed on the watch’s dial side, with its tourbillon spinning mystically at 6 o’clock just above the moon-phase indicator. Made of palladium and flame blued steel, this rather unique indicator provides a 3D sense of the moon’s position in the sky and is so accurate that it will require an adjustment through the recessed pusher on the case flank once every 1112 years. 

Final Thoughts

An exercise in incredible watchmaking, the DB28 Kind of Blue is a rare bird indeed, and we have the very first example to come out of De Bethune’s workshop. It offers everything that one expects of a timepiece constructed by a watchmaker of De Bethune’s caliber. The DB28 Kind of Blue merges futuristic aesthetic with traditional timekeeping in such a charming manner that if you were to see it in Star Wars, you probably wouldn’t even realize you were looking at something from this world, and that’s certainly praiseworthy in my book.  

Specifications

DB28 Kind of Blue

Reference: DB28BMW
Case size: 42.6mm
Thickness: 9.3mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Double Anti-Reflective Sapphire Crystal
Water-resistance: 50m
Movement: Cal. DB2115V4
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Tourbillon, Moon phase
Winding: Manual-winding
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hours)
Power reserve: 144 hours (6 days)
Bracelet: Extra-Supple Alligator Leather, Alligator Lining
Availability: Limited edition, 5 pieces.

Available now on Wristcheck.

For more information, visit De Bethune.