Exploring the third dimension
De Bethune draws nurture and inspiration from several centuries of history in forging its vision of 21st century watchmaking art, profoundly rooted in contemporary culture. Each development is governed by a constant quest for aesthetic excellence, subtly interacting with the pursuit of high technical standards. The architecture of objects is driven as much by its beauty as by its sturdiness or its function, without any one factor outweighing the others. Like the classic chef d'oeuvres of historical master-watchmakers, De Bethune creations are authentic sculptures in which every component is designed to occupy all three spatial dimensions.
Spherical moon
The De Bethune spherical moon epitomises this vision by providing a poetic and yet highly technical display of the motion of this heavenly body.
Inspired by a longstanding tradition stemming from astronomical clocks, this depiction of the moon is also a tribute to Leonardo da Vinci, whose sketch of it appeared in the Madrid Codex. Composed of two hemispheres, one in flame-blued steel and the other in palladium, carefully assembled using a push-in technique, the sphere is driven by an extremely precise mechanism and requires adjustment only once every 122 years.
Delicately detached from the dial as if floating in a weightless state, the De Bethune spherical moon opens a symbolic window onto the cosmos.
De Bethune hands
The hands also contribute to reconquering the third dimension. De Bethune achieves the impressive feat of giving them authentic volume while preserving their slenderness and their readability.
Sculpted in steel, titanium, silicon, gold or sapphire, they testify to the expertise of the Manufacture. The subtle nature of their design, which is reinvented for each new creation, reveals the delicate treatment of the materials and the audacious touch of their designers.
The blued steel rims of the sapphire hands, achieved by differential thermal treatment, is a unique accomplishment within the watch industry, thereby striking a refined balance between their daring aesthetic and the need to ensure their lightness, accuracy and readability.
Floating lugs
For De Bethune, exploring space does not stop inside the case. It encompasses the watch as a whole, particularly when it comes to combining wearer comfort and timing precision.
In order to enable the timepiece to mould the shape of the wrist and naturally follow its movements, De Bethune has developed a unique system of titanium floating lugs. An integrated drawback-spring automatically directs them towards the ideal position, thereby guaranteeing optimal hold and a reduction in undue impacts.
GRAND TRADITIONS MEET FUTURISTIC MATERIALS
A pioneer in the use of titanium and silicon within the watch industry, De Bethune has acquired perfect mastery in this field, ably combining state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies with fine traditional skills.
Expert hands constantly reinvent and enhance age-old gestures so that each part is given full attention, right down to the smallest details. The noblest finishes and decors are interpreted through new materials and revisited to ensure an harmonious match with the specific De Bethune creative codes.
The Manufacture has for example transposed to titanium its expertise in the time-honoured techniques of blueing steel, thereby giving it a unique colour while optimising its surface resistance and its stability.
The titanium dials are meticulously adorned with pure gold stars, creating a unique star-studded sky
for each timepiece, or guilloché-worked using the exclusive De Bethune microlight process.
The bridges are embellished by a splendid ribbed pattern inspired by the famous Côtes de Genève, but also reinvented in order to enhance its radiance and direct the gaze towards the heart of the watch. Setting the perfect finishing touch, a polished steel circular surround replaces the traditional bevelling of the bridge.
This characteristic De Bethune procedure avoids any chamfering irregularities due to the decoration, while maintaining the depth effect of the motif.
