De Bethune’s Bonkers New Blue Titanium Watch Looks Like Something Out of ‘Star Trek’
Geneva Watch Days kicked off its fourth installment on Tuesday with a showcase of new releases by independent watchmakers such MB&F, H. Moser & Cie., and Laurent Ferrier. Not to be left out of the horological party, De Bethune dropped its own showstopping new timepiece at the event.
Christened the DB2X8XP Kind of Blue, the 43 mm watch is a combination of the brand’s previously released DB28XP and DB28 Kind of Blue models. The brand says it is intended to embody the “best of both worlds” with a sleek otherworldly deign crafted from polished blue-tinged grade 5 titanium. The dial is made using a microlight technique—which modernizes traditional guilloché crafting—to add depth to the watch, which bears a striking resemblance to the Star Trek logo.
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The microlight finish of the mainplate seeps to the outer edge of the caseband. According to De Bethune, this detail was particularly challenging because of the absence of classic geometric elements on the watch. The piece’s luminous blue, its most striking feature, is achieved by via natural oxidation.
The innards are no slouch either, of course. Under the hood of this space-age timepiece lies the manual-winding DB2115v12 movement, which is visible through the openwork dial display at 6 o’clock. It comes equipped with De Bethune’s ultra-thin hairspring, which keeps the watch’s center of gravity precise by using a flat curve fixed on the outside of the feature.
DeBethune made a point to create a blade with varied thickness, which helps to reduce height and provide finer balance-wheel adjustment. The curved shape also acts as a de facto shock absorber. Through these horological sleights of hand, the watchmaker was able to bolster the new model’s power reserve to an impressive six days, a full day more than the the DB28 Kind of Blue.
Though the watch is open worked, the DB2X8XP Kind of Blue’s exclusive triple shock-absorbing system, another feature visible from the dial, helps to protect its structure. A symmetrical bridge stabilizes the balance wheel, while two shock absorbers at each end and the balance wheel’s own absorber work together the fortify the watch. An alligator strap with a titanium buckle completes the lightweight timepiece.
De Bethune’s DB2X8XP Kind of Blue retails for $125,000 and will begin deliveries between September and October. Live long and prosper indeed.
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