De Bethune unveils the DB Kind of Grande Complication
A reversible double-sided grand complication, highlighting 22 years of De Bethune’s technical and aesthetic expertise.
“The DB Kind of Grande Complication is the culmination of a young watchmaker’s dream, as he gazed in wonder at double-sided grand complication models and already anticipated creating such a timepiece. After many years of design and development at De Bethune, Denis Flageollet has at last brought it to life by drawing on all the resources and philosophy of the Manufacture, which perpetuates the innovative spirit of the great classical watchmaking achievements characterising the Age of Enlightenment.”
Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024: April 9th – April 15th, 2024.
De Bethune – the Swiss independent timepiece brand has unveiled the DB Kind of Grande Complication during Watches and Wonders Geneva, which was held during April 9th – April 15th, 2024.
The DB Kind of Grande Complication is a reversible double-sided magnum-opus of a timepiece for Denis Flageollet, Co-Founder, Master Watchmaker and Creative Talent at De Bethune. Its combination of aesthetic design, complications, patents, innovations, materials and finishes, represent over 22 years of De Bethune’s continuous innovation, R&D, and creativity all condensed in a single timepiece. It includes 8 major horological complications.
Contemporary Dial and Display
The “front” or contemporary dial features the following:
– Titanium and mirror-polished signature De Bethune triangle-shaped bridge and concave cover plate.
– Hand-polished and blued-titanium central hours, minutes and jumping seconds hand. The minutes hand is polished on both sides.
– Blued polished retrograde moon age indicator positioned between 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock.
– End of power reserve indicator positioned between 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
– Ultra-light De Bethune 30” tourbillon at 6 o’clock, featuring a polished steel tourbillion seconds hand. This tourbillon is a De Bethune Innovation (2008).
– Minutes track – graduated in increments of 5 minutes – encircles the outer dial.
– The minutes track, 30” tourbillon subdial, and retrograde moon age indicator’s subdial feature a silvered and relief finish.
Classic Dial and Display
The “reverse” or classic dial features the following:
– Its dial features a star-studded sky in blued and polished titanium with hand fitted white gold pins portraying the stars. The Milky Way pattern is created by laser beam micro milling and is gilded and features 24K gold leaf.
– Polished yellow gold hour, minute, and date hands.
– Perpetual calendar functions of day of the week (aperture between 1 o’clock and 2 o’clock), date (subdial at 9 o’clock), month (aperture near 5 o’clock), and leap year indicator (circular aperture at 3 o’clock).
– The discs for day of the week and months are blue and feature a gold relief finish.
– The date subdial is in blued sandblasted titanium and features a gold relief finish.
– Signature spherical moon phase indicator at 3 o’clock.
– A minutes track, graduated in increments of 5 minutes, and an hour ring featuring Roman numerals, encircle the outer dial. Both feature a silvered and relief finish.
Calibre
It is powered by mechanical hand-wound calibre DB2529, designed, developed, and crafted by De Bethune. It has a diameter of 30 mm, comprises of 751 parts, has 48 jewels, and beats at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour. It has a power reserve of 4 days, assured by its self-regulating twin barrel – a De Bethune Innovation (2004).
Calibre Features, Innovations and Patents
– Titanium balance wheel featuring white gold inserts, which is optimized for temperature differences and air penetration. De Bethune Patent (2016).
– “De Bethune” balance-spring featuring a flat terminal curve. De Bethune Patent (2006).
– Silicon escape wheel.
– Ultra-light De Bethune 30” tourbillon crafted in titanium. De Bethune Innovation (2008).
– De Bethune Dead Beat Second. De Bethune Innovation (2011).
– Spherical moon-phase display, which is accurate to a degree of one lunar day every 122 years. De Bethune Patent (2004).
– Retrograde moon age indicator. De Bethune Innovation (2013).
Finishes
– Triangle-shaped motion works bridge and concave cover plate in mirror-polished grade 5 titanium.
– Polished and chamfered barrel bridge.
– Blued-titanium minute and jumping seconds bridge.
– Hand snailed barrels.
– Steel parts are polished and chamfered by hand.
Case and Strap
Its case is crafted in polished grade 5 titanium. It has a case diameter of 43.3 mm and a case thickness of 13.85 mm. Its crown is located at 12 o’clock on the “front” or contemporary side, and at 6 o’clock on the “reverse” or classic side. The crown is integrated into the case.
Winding, and setting of the time and date done via the crown – 3 positions. Month, day of the week, and spherical moon-phase adjustment done via correctors on the case.
Its signature floating lugs are crafted in polished grade 5 titanium, a De Bethune Patent (2006). The reversible case turning mechanism allows its owner to position the “front” or contemporary side or “reverse” or classic side depending on his or her preference.
Both the contemporary and classic side dials feature a sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating.
It is water resistant up to 3 ATM.
It comes with an extra-supple alligator leather strap with alligator lining and featuring a pin buckle crafted in polished grade 5 titanium.
Concluding Thoughts
A De Bethune collector friend once mentioned that if Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747 – 1823) were around today, then De Bethune innovations and timepieces are what he would be doing. A.L. Breguet was one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, renowned for inventing the tourbillon (among other horological inventions), and founder of Breguet.
Founded in 2002, De Bethune is an extremely young timepiece brand. Yet they have achieved horological milestones, innovations and patents in 22 years that other brands, founded decades ago, can only dream of. The DB Kind of Grande Complication with its 8 major complications includes 4 De Bethune Innovations and 4 De Bethune Patents. It is an amazing horological achievement, a fitting tribute to De Bethune’s first 22 years, and a sign of great things to come from them.
Pricing and Availability
Name: DB Kind of Grande Complication
Reference: DBK2TV2
Price: Swiss Franc (CHF) 400,000 excluding taxes.
Only available by order, and De Bethune will only make 5 pieces each year.
Website: https://www.debethune.ch/en/collections/db-kind-two-1/grande-complication
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