The DE BETHUNE DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon won best chronograph at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, combining a column-wheel chronograph movement with a tourbillon regulator.
Heritage and Innovation
DE BETHUNE was founded by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet. The manufacture has built its reputation on independent watchmaking, combining hand-finishing techniques with novel mechanical solutions. The DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon demonstrates this approach: it pairs a traditional chronograph architecture with proprietary escapement geometry.
Design Aesthetics
The DB29 Maxichrono houses its movement within a round case measuring 43mm diameter. The dial is deep blue, set against silver sub-dials for the chronograph registers. The case sides reveal the tourbillon cage and jeweled column wheel through transparent sections, exposing the movement’s construction rather than concealing it.
Technical Mastery
The chronograph operates via a column wheel and horizontal clutch, a classical architecture refined here through finishing and tolerances. The tourbillon cage rotates once per minute around a free-sprung balance, compensating for positional errors that accumulate during daily wear. The combination results in chronograph accuracy to within fractions of a second and long-term timekeeping within COSC standards.
A Tribute to Fine Watchmaking
The Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix award reflects the watch’s performance across three measurable criteria: chronograph precision, amplitude stability, and rate consistency across six positions. The DB29 Maxichrono’s victory among competing chronographs confirmed its technical standing within contemporary independent watchmaking.
The DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon serves collectors seeking a chronograph that functions with precision while displaying its mechanism in full view.
For more information on DE BETHUNE’s current collection, click here to explore DE BETHUNE collections.
