De Bethune spent years developing the skills and knowledge to be able to successfully heat treat titanium components of all shapes and sizes into a pleasing and uniform shade of blue.

And their now signature blue hue has become one of the brand’s most iconic visual identifiers. That and the space age shape and articulated lugs of the DB28 case.

De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon

Now De Bethune has blended their Kind of Blue and DB28 case with their fast ultra-light rotating 30-second tourbillon/5 Hz escapement and a Starry Sky. The result is one of the best looking watches on the market and certainly one of the most comfortable – the others all being other De Bethune’s with articulated lugs.

The 20-piece limited edition DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon is a union of the DB28XP and the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon.

From the press release:

De Bethune introduces the latest DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon. A limited edition of 20 pieces, born from the union of the elegant DB28XP and the captivating DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon.

In his quest for an ultra-thin watch, Denis Flageollet envisioned the DB28XP as a fusion of technical and aesthetic challenges. It represents a delicate balance between intricacy and simplicity, requiring precise execution and a harmonious blend of design and limitations.

A natural evolution of excellence

The DB28XP Kind of Blue is the natural evolution of two iconic models from De Bethune: the DB28XP and the DB28 Kind of Blue. It embodies the best of both worlds by combining the sleek design and refinement of the DB28XP with a completely blue look, inspired by the DB28 Kind of Blue and bearing the Manufacture’s signature.”

Captivating dial

Here, it’s all about levels of interpretation, reliefs, and the interplay of light with shadows and reflections. Crafted from blued titanium, the watch reveals an architectural fusion of space, time, and light at first glance. Its deep and luminous blue is achieved through the natural oxidation of the material, making each watch a unique work of art.

Dial of the De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon

The dial, entirely made of Microlight, reimagines and modernizes traditional guilloché technique. On its expansive flat surface, this technique gains new meaning and enhances the structure. By playing with shadow and light, it adds depth and delivers a more architectural and dynamic result. The overall effect becomes more contemporary.

Ultra-thin according to De Bethune

De Bethune opened a chapter in the world of ultra-thin watches in 2020 with the launch of the DB28XP, celebrating ten years of mechanical and aesthetic research and work. In his pursuit of an ultra-thin timepiece, Denis Flageollet envisioned it as both a technical and aesthetic challenge—the complexity of slimness, an adventure that demands precision and harmony between design and constraints.

De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon

De Bethune Tourbillon: Why So Small, So Light, So Fast?

In the expansive array of complications and functions that De Bethune has mastered, the tourbillon has often taken a leading role. A tourbillon equipped with an extraordinarily lightweight cage (0.18 gr., the lightest ever created) rotating every thirty seconds, comprising a total of 63 components (the lightest of which weighs less than 0.0001 gram!).

Today, a wrist-worn watch experiences significantly more “torture” than a pocket watch. Rapid and erratic wrist movements impose kinetic brutality on watch mechanics, warranting careful consideration. Just as Breguet invented the tourbillon to counteract the effects of Earth’s gravity and enhance the precision of marine watches, De Bethune sought ways to optimize it for today’s wristwatches.

De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon

The equation? To be more effective on a wrist subjected to quick and erratic movements, the tourbillon must have a higher frequency and a faster rotation speed. By creating a tourbillon in titanium and silicon with a frequency of 5 Hz/36,000 vibrations/hour and an extraordinarily lightweight cage rotating every thirty seconds, describing the feat is easier than achieving it.

Much like an airborne insect, a true exoskeleton maintains the entire structure. Thus, the De Bethune tourbillon, so small, so light, so fast, simply fulfills its function better for contemporary watches.

The futuristic shape of the tourbillon bridge symmetrically and perfectly supports the tourbillon on both sides, keeping it in its position.

For more information, please visit www.debethune.ch/en/collections/db28-collections/db28xp-l

Quick facts: De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon
Functions: Hours, Minutes, 30’’ indicator via the ultra-light De Bethune tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, power reserve on the back
Hands: Polished titanium hands
Dial: Titanium hour ring with blued microlight decoration and polished hour markers; blued grade 5 circular satin titanium minutes and seconds ring; bridge cover on the barrel and triangular central bridge in grade 5 blued polished titanium with blued drawn chamfered contour.Milky Way patterns produced by laser beam micro milling, gilded with 24-carat gold leaf
Case: Heat blued polished grade 5 titanium with “microlight” case middle
Dimensions: 43 mm diameter x 9.1 mm high
Lugs: Blued polished grade 5 titanium floating lugs – De Bethune Patent (2006)
Crystal: Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Caseback: Screwed case back in blued polished titanium and open on a linear power reserve indicator
Water resistance: 30 meters/3 ATM
Movement: DB2009v5 hand-wound movement
Number of components: 380
Jewels: 40 jewels
Power reserve: 5 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel
Specificities: Titanium balance with white gold inserts, optimized for temperature differences and air penetration –  De Bethune Patent (2016)  “De Bethune” balance-spring with flat terminal curve  De Bethune Patent (2006)  Silicon escape wheel  Ultra-light De Bethune 30’’ tourbillon in titanium
Frequency: 5 Hz/36,000 vibrations per hour
Strap: Extra-supple alligator leather with alligator lining
Buckle: Blued grade 5 titanium buckle and pin
Price: 220,000 Swiss francs (excluding taxes)

You might also enjoy:

De Bethune DB25 Midnight Blue Reviewed by Tim Mosso

De Bethune DB28xs Purple Rain

De Bethune DB Eight: The Ultimate in Chronograph Refinement!

De Bethune DB28XS Starry Seas Reviewed by Tim Mosso

De Bethune DB28: How I Launched It, Why I Bought It, And Why It’s The Perfect ‘One Watch’