Oceans And Whirlwinds: De Bethune Launches The DB28xs Sea Tourbillon

For many years, De Bethune watches have embraced a wide range of design languages, but one thing which, historically, these watches have tended to have in common are diameters of 40mm or larger. The decision generally fits well with De Bethune’s designs, in which there is a plethora of details which benefit from a large canvas, but at the same time, those dimensions naturally tend to limit the appeal of the watches to those in search of greater size (or at least, greater size than found in classically proportioned wristwatches). In recent years, however, De Bethune has begun to produce a range of smaller watches as well, which give up nothing to their larger stablemates in terms of attention to detail, and the latest is the new DB8xs Sea Tourbillon.

A DB28 tourbillon generally comes in at 42mm, although as is the case with any DB28 watch, wearability on smaller wrists is better than you’d think from numbers alone, and that’s thanks to the so-called “floating,” or articulated, lugs, which are hinged at the middle of the case and which can flex downwards in order hug the wrist. In the case of the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon, the case itself is smaller as well, at 38.7mm. In addition to the floating lugs, the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon shares the other design features of the DB28 collection, including the delta shaped central bridge for the twin mainspring barrels, and the placement of the crown at 12:00.

Also present is De Bethune’s signature Microlight engraving, which is present on the rehaut and on the ring surrounding the aperture for the tourbillon. Microlight is a very fine pattern of parallel lines designed to reflect and scatter light, and was first introduced by De Bethune in 2007, in the DB22. A common feature to many De Bethune watches, is also the use of heat-blued steel and titanium, and in the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon we have a number of surfaces which have received this treatment, including the upper tourbillon bridge, the balance, and the delta mainspring barrel bridge.

The mainspring bridge carries the engraving from which the Sea Tourbillon gets its name. The pattern is De Bethune’s “random guilloché” which is meant to evoke the appearance of ripples on the ocean at night. The pattern was first used by De Bethune on the DBxs Starry Seas and Purple Rain models. The pattern is quite interesting for its decorative properties but also because, despite the name, and despite the first impression you get, the pattern is not in fact, random; a close examination shows that the ripples are actually bilaterally symmetrical along the vertical axis of the dial.

Technically, the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon shares a number of features common to many other De Bethune watches. These include De Bethune’s self-centering balance spring, which provides the advantages of an overcoil balance spring but without the additional height; a balance in blued titanium with white gold rim weights; a five day power reserve; and finally, De Bethune’s high speed, high frequency tourbillon, which beats at 36,000 vph and which rotates once every thirty seconds.

As is always the case with De Bethune, with the DB28xs Sea Tourbillon, you get a combination of design and technical features not found in any other watches – and, just as important, you get a piece of horological art in which technical and design features are on a seamless continuum of aesthetics and functionality as well.

The DB28xs Sea Tourbillon, ref. DB28xsT: case, polished grade 5 titanium, 38.7mm x 8mm, with polished grade 5 titanium floating lugs; sapphire crystals front and back; water resistance 30M. Dial and display, titanium hour ring and seconds ring, blued, with microlight engraving; delta bridge for the mainspring barrels with “random guilloché” engraving; mirror polished titanium hour and minute hands. Movement, De Bethune caliber DB2009v7, 30 second tourbillon running at 36,000 vph in 33 jewels, 30mm diameter; patented De Bethune balance spring, and titanium and white gold balance; silicon escape wheel; ultra-light tourbillon cage. Price, $210,000, with 14 pieces planned for 2026.

The 1916 company is proud to be an authorized retailer for De Bethune watches. Please contact us for current pricing and availability.