Introducing The De Bethune DBD Evergreen For Dubai Watch Week
The latest version of the DBD Digitale goes green.
Dubai Watch Week brings people together, but it’s also primarily an opportunity for enthusiasts, collectors, and brands to join in launching and viewing a whole plethora of new timepieces, often with a design that reflects the location of the exhibition in one of the most dynamic markets for watches in the world. De Bethune’s latest piece is a new version of the DBD, which was introduced in its first incarnation in 2006. The latest version for Dubai Watch Week features the same in-line triple calendar, with a new green dial.
The first version of the DBD was released in 2006, and derived its design from several influences, including the digital and in-line perpetual calendars produced during the Art Deco period, including pocket watches and wristwatches by Cartier and Patek Philippe. Many of De Bethune’s designs have been notable for dials which open up the interior of the watch and put the mechanism on full display, but some of DB’s most successful designs, such as the DBD and DB28 Digitale, make a virtue of simplicity, and use the generous amount of dial real estate to emphasize the relationship between a few carefully chosen elements.
The basic case shape is a sort of modified pocket watch design,with the crown at 12:00 and an asymmetrical lug system, articulated at the top and with the lower lugs in the modified ogival shape that characterizes so many De Bethune case designs. Earlier this year, De Bethune introduced a new version – the Season 2 – in collaboration with musician and producer Swizz Beatz, with a burgundy dial.
The Evergreen has all of the technical features found in the earlier watches. The case is in grade 5 titanium, 42.6mm x 9.4mm, and the green dial is decorated with Geneva stripes. The day, date and month can each be set with 3 separate correctors. Inside is the caliber DB2044, with a five day power reserve from two mainspring barrels, and with De Bethune’s patented titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, as well as the De Bethune flat balance spring with terminal affix (the design provides the same benefits as a Breguet overcoil, but in a flatter design) and the company’s triple pare-chute antishock system.
The caliber DB2044 is not only a technically advanced movement, it’s also unique in the watch world in terms of aesthetics. At Dubai Watch Week, The 1916 Company’s Tim Mosso sat down with DB’s CEO, Pierre Jacques, for an in-depth conversation about the design and launch of the Evergreen.
Generally speaking, the layout of mechanical movements is very similar from one watch to the next, and even from one company to the next but De Bethune’s approach to movement design means that both front and back, you’re seeing something very few others will ever see.
Despite the rather avant-garde design and the advanced technical features in the DBD Evergreen, the overall impression you get from the watch is, while not exactly conservative, that of an extremely dignified and even classically oriented design. The connection to Art Deco design is kept from being too slavish by the unusual case design and in this case, the unusual dial color and the DBD Evergreen has enormous character without the slightest sense that it’s relying on novelty or trying too hard for an unusual effect. This is thanks to the great care taken with the original design – a great foundation for variations on a theme.
The De Bethune DBD Evergreen: case, grade 5 titanium, 42.6mm x 9.4mm, cone shaped lower lugs and articulated upper lug, sapphire crystals front and back; water resistance, 30 meters. Green dial with Geneva strips and hour, minute, day, date, and month disks adjustable with case correctors; jumping day, date, month, and hours with dragging minutes. Movement, De Bethune caliber DB2044, 5 with blued titanium balance and white gold inserts; De Bethune balance spring with flattened terminal curve for improved concentricity; triple pare-chute antishock system. Power reserve, 5 days, running at 28,800 vph in 29 jewels. Limited edition of 20 pieces world wide. Find out more at De Bethune, and view our collection of pre-owned De Bethune timepieces at The 1916 Company.