The probability of being able to acquire the new De Bethune JPS is virtually nil, given that the brand is currently riding high and struggling to keep up with demand. And that’s a great shame, since it’s one of its best ever.
A colour change can never legitimately be passed off as a new launch. The relentless parade of ‘facelifts’ that punctuate the watchmaking year and, in some cases, represent the bulk of watch industry news, are not actually… new.
Except in the case of De Bethune.
The manufacture has built its identity around a very precise set of aesthetic and technical codes. Love it or hate it, a De Bethune is always immediately recognisable. Lots of blue and titanium, a crown often at 12 o’clock, mobile lugs, space-inspired decorations, perfect clarity and legibility. These motifs, aggregated over the years, are what make a De Bethune a De Bethune.
So when the DB28GS JPS was revealed, a frisson could be felt in the air of Geneva. Black? Gold? And… a motor racing theme?
So Seventies
Motor racing aficionados will already have recognised the acronym of the John Player Special: the famous Formula 1 cars from the 70s, with the black and gold livery of the eponymous cigarette manufacturer. Back then, the JPS livery was as famous as Ferrari red, Benetton green or the blue and orange of Gulf. It racked up seven Constructors’ World Champion titles and six Drivers’ World Champion titles, which were shared by such legendary drivers as Jim Clark and Graham Hill.
Ardent F1 and watchmaking fans will enjoy drawing comparisons between the two worlds. Precision, endurance, technique – the similarities are as broad, as easy and as obvious as an eight-lane highway. So let’s explore some more interesting avenues.
Black gold
A detailed examination of the watch’s construction reveals the remarkable fact that its extreme complexity opens up the possibility of some completely unexpected colour plays.
This applies from the inside, right up to the mobile lugs, whose gold-coloured insert accentuates the unapologetically modern geometry of the piece. The high gloss of the bezel, punctuated by gold-coloured spheres, contrasts markedly with the satin-brushed case and hands. The central bridge displays a very modern linear guilloche motif, which has echoes of F1 and the famous Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which is also black and triangular. That’s all that’s visible. At least, in the daylight.
At 6 o’clock, De Bethune has placed a switch. Given the context, we should probably call it a pusher. But it is in fact a switch, because its primary function is to turn on the lights. On the basis that a sports watch should be perfectly visible at all times and in all possible situations, the movement was designed from the outset to supply light to the dial and the movement, from the inside. A white light source is powered by a completely mechanical procedure, using the dynamo principle. No electronics, no batteries, just a clever mechanism, similar to what we have already seen in products by HYT and Van Cleef & Arpels.
De Bethune has opened a creative and innovative door that is both striking in its execution, and extremely promising. At a time when we thought the brand aesthetic had reached full maturity we discover, to the contrary, that it has only just begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities of the DB. Without a doubt, the best is yet to come.
Limited series of 50 pieces: CHF 105,000.-
