De Bethune’s impressive DB Eight turns colourful

De Bethune has launched its DB Eight, a classic and elegant timepiece featuring a monopusher chronograph, in two new dial and case versions. These include a royal blue dial in a polished white gold case, and a chocolate colour dial in a polished yellow gold case. Apart from the new dials and use of precious metal cases, both versions are identical to the original DB Eight, which features a silver dial in a polished grade-5 titanium case.

Functions and Dial Versions

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The DB Eight’s functions are as follows:

– Central Hours and Minutes.

– Central 60-second counter and 60-minute instantaneous minute counter (subdial at 6 o’clock) activated by a monopusher button integrated in the crown at 3 o’clock.

Royal Blue Dial

– The DB Eight with royal blue dial features an inner radiating guilloche dial, divided into 12 sectors.

– Its central hours, minutes and 60-seconds hands, and 60-minutes hand (subdial at 6 o’clock) are crafted in polished titanium.

– Its outer dial features silver Arabic numerals.

– Its outer dial features a 60-second track in silver markings.

– It features a “barley grain engine-turned”  60-minute subdial at 6 o’clock. On the subdial’s outer edge, it features a minute track in silver markings.

– The royal blue dial version features a polished white gold case (more on case details below.)

Chocolate Colour Dial

– The DB Eight with chocolate colour dial features an inner radiating guilloche dial, divided into 12 sectors.

– Its central hours, minutes and 60-seconds hands, and 60-minutes hand (subdial at 6 o’clock) are crafted in polished yellow gold and polished yellow titanium.

– Its outer dial features golden Arabic numerals.

– Its outer dial features a 60-second track in gold markings.

– It features a “barley grain engine-turned”  60-minute subdial at 6 o’clock. On the subdial’s outer edge, it features a minute track in gold markings.

– The chocolate colour dial version features a polished yellow gold case (more on case details below.)

Case and Strap

The DB Eight’s royal blue dial version features both a polished white gold case and buckle, and a dark blue leather strap. The chocolate colour dial version features both a polished yellow gold case and buckle, and a dark brown leather strap. Apart from this difference, all other case and strap details are the same for both. They are as follows:

– Its case diameter is 42.4 mm and case thickness is 9.2 mm.

– Its case features Ogival design lugs.

– On its dial and caseback side, it features a sapphire crystal (both 1800 Vickers hardness), with anti-reflective coating on both sides.

– It is water resistant up to 30 metres or 3 ATM.

– It comes with an extra-supple alligator leather strap, featuring an alligator leather lining. Royal blue dial version features a dark blue strap and chocolate colour dial version features a dark brown strap.

– Its buckle is made of gold, polished white gold for the royal blue dial version and polished yellow gold for the chocolate colour dial version.

Movement

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The DB Eight is powered by mechanical hand-wound calibre DB3000, designed, developed, and crafted by De Bethune. Its features include:

– Winding and setting the time is done via its crown at 3 o’clock – 2 positions.

– The monopusher button is integrated in the crown to activate chronograph functions.

– It has a diameter of 30 mm.

– It comprises of 281 parts and has 31 jewels.

– It beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph or 4 Hz.

– It has a power reserve of 60 hours.

Calibre Features, Innovations and Patents

The DB Eight features the following De Bethune 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.

Movement Finishing

The DB Eight features the following movement finishing elements:

– All steel parts are polished and chamfered by hand.

– Steel chronograph bridges are flat beveled, flat polished, and chromium plated.

– It features hand snailed barrels.

– It features extensive hand finishing on the calibre.

Additional Details

Name: De Bethune DB Eight

Reference:

DB8REWS3 – Royal Blue version.

DB8REYS2 – Chocolate colour version.

Price: Swiss Franc (CHF): 90,000 (excluding taxes).

De Bethune crafts very few timepieces, somewhere between 150 to 250 timepieces each year. The DB Eight in both the royal blue and chocolate colour versions will be extremely limited, making it among the most prestigious and rarest of monopusher chronographs in the world. There might be a long wait list to acquire one. Please contact De Bethune for further details.

Also Read: https://thecorneaimpression.com/de-bethune-unveils-the-db-kind-of-grande-complication/

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