De Bethune DB25 Digitale: 42mm titanium, Calibre DB2144V3, spherical moon phase, jumping hours. A contemplative time display for GCC collectors.
Early Impressions
- Eighty-two dial elements set the DB25 Digitale apart from every other reference in the DB25 collection, replacing hands and hour markers with a jumping digital display, a rotating minute disc, and a spherical moon phase at the centre.
- The 42 mm grade 5 titanium case carries De Bethune’s signature mirror polish and bullet-lug geometry, paired with a dark blue lined alligator strap.
- Calibre DB2144V3 introduces random guilloché on the deltoid bridge for the first time, creating a visual link between dial and movement.
- Moon phase accuracy is rated to within one lunar day every 1,112 years, via two polished hemispheres in palladium and flame-blued steel.
Eighty-two components assemble the DB25 Digitale’s dial, according to the maison, and the count itself signals De Bethune’s ambition with this reference. Co-founder and master watchmaker Denis Flageollet frames the intent precisely: “To break free from the traditional codes of telling the time is to open up a space for creation: working deep into the material, exploring finishes, playing with light, until an almost painting-like harmony emerges. Time is no longer something you register — it becomes something you contemplate.”
Dial Artistry and the Nocturnal Composition
Two guilloché techniques sit side by side across the dial surface. A barleycorn motif grounds the piece in classical decorative vocabulary; random guilloché on blued titanium introduces an improvisational quality that disrupts any sense of formula. The layered finishes are heat-treated to produce a deep blue gradient, and the overall composition is organised to evoke moonlight reflected on still water.
At the centre, the spherical moon phase rotates on two polished hemispheres, one in palladium and one in flame-blued steel. Accuracy is rated to within one lunar day per 1,112 years. A micro ball-bearing system beneath the dial drives both the jumping-hour window and the rotating minute disc, keeping the surface clear of any conventional hand or index.
Case, Setting and Finishing
Grade 5 titanium keeps the 42 mm case light on the wrist. The mirror polish runs across the full case body, while the bezel is kept deliberately narrow so nothing competes with the dial’s layered composition. Bullet lugs, slender and openworked, follow the case’s sloping geometry and hug the wrist’s natural curvature.
The dark blue lined alligator strap and matching polished titanium pin buckle complete the palette, anchoring the piece within the DB25 collection’s visual language. For collectors at Watches and Wonders or in the Gulf region handling this reference in person, the weight reduction relative to steel or gold is immediately apparent.
Movement and Material Engineering
The sapphire exhibition caseback exposes Calibre DB2144V3. For the first time on a De Bethune movement, the random guilloché motif crosses from the dial onto the deltoid bridge, so the decorative thread is unbroken front to back. The calibre incorporates a self-regulating twin barrel, a titanium-and-grey-gold balance wheel, De Bethune’s balance spring with flat terminal curve, and a triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system.
| Movement | Calibre DB2144V3, in-house; self-regulating twin barrel; titanium-and-grey-gold balance wheel; De Bethune flat-terminal-curve balance spring; triple pare-chute shock absorption |
| Case size | 42 mm |
| Case material | Grade 5 titanium, mirror-polished |
| Dial | 82-element layered construction; barleycorn and random guilloché on blued titanium; jumping-hour digital display; rotating minute disc; spherical moon phase in palladium and flame-blued steel |
| Strap | Extra-supple dark blue lined alligator with polished titanium pin buckle |
| Availability | On request from the maison or an authorised GCC retailer |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What calibre powers the De Bethune DB25 Digitale?
The DB25 Digitale houses the Calibre DB2144V3, the third generation of De Bethune's in-house movement. It incorporates a self-regulating twin barrel, a titanium-and-grey-gold balance wheel, a De Bethune balance spring with flat terminal curve, and a triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system.
How accurate is the moon phase on the DB25 Digitale?
The spherical moon phase display on the DB25 Digitale is accurate to within one lunar day every 1,112 years, achieved through two polished hemispheres — one in palladium, the other in flame-blued steel.
What case material and size does the DB25 Digitale use?
The DB25 Digitale uses a 42 mm mirror-polished case in grade 5 titanium, paired with slender openworked bullet lugs and a dark blue lined alligator strap with a polished titanium pin buckle.
Is the De Bethune DB25 Digitale available in the GCC?
The DB25 Digitale is available on request from De Bethune or an authorised GCC retailer. Collectors in the Gulf region are advised to contact the maison directly for allocation details.
How does the DB25 Digitale display time differently from a conventional watch?
Rather than hands and hour markers, the DB25 Digitale combines a digital jumping-hour window, an analogue rotating minute disc, and a spherical moon phase at the dial's centre, leaving the full surface free for De Bethune's layered decorative composition.
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