Tag: De Bethune

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Swiss Replica

REPLICA DE BETHUNE : DBSTourbillon

DBSTourbillon3

It’s interesting how much impact young independent brands have had on the cheap replica watch industry. Established in 2002, De Bethune is known for its distinctive mold-breaking designs for what are, at their heart, often quite classical pieces of replica watchmaking. Even their least dressy piece, this year’s DB28GS (Grand Sport) still exhibits all of those design cues that make it distinctively De Bethune.

This year they created a special DBS Tourbillon that was released at Baselworld 2015 and which Sydney had its first opportunity to see when Alessandro Zanetta brought one with him during a recent visit. The DBS holds a special place because the first DBS was made a decade ago for the 2005 Only Replica Watch Auction, and this DBS Tourbillon was created to mark this tenth anniversary.

The unusual lugs and the crown at 12 o’clock are some of the distinctive features (even by De Bethune standards) of this new limited edition (ten pieces) 45mm x 42.5mm white gold replica watch. If you look to its top you will see a pivoting gold plate connecting the upper section of the strap and  the case middle. When the original replica watch was released, this was the forerunner of what developed into the brand’s famous patented floating/ articulated lugs. This means that even at this size, it sits surprisingly snugly on varied wrists.

Inside the birthday DBS is a 30-second tourbillon featuring a high 36,000VPH frequency. The tourbillon’s cage is made of 63 parts weighing a total of 0.18g. Powering it all is the manual-wind De Bethune Calibre DB2019 with a power reserve of five days.

Now to the dial – the signature deltoid-shaped bridges are anthracite with ruthenium finishing and accompanied by hand-polished and blued spherical hour indicators and a silver-toned minute ring.

The case back is solid but for a small window with a linear power reserve indicator and an anniversary nod. It comes on a black alligator strap.

As mentioned, this is to be made in a limitation of ten pieces in honour of the tenth anniversary of the DBS. The price is 195,000 CHF.

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Swiss Replica

Luxury Replica De Bethune DB28GS Hands On

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The just-finished Baselworld 2015 was where De Bethune formally launched the DB28 GS for which they did a ‘soft launch’ in late January. Those of you who follow Horologium on Instagram will have seen a photo that posted on the Sunday when we saw it.

This replica watch is the second of the two big releases that they announced at that time, the other being the DB25T Zodiac which was covered earlier in this post.

Meet the DB28 GS (Grand Sport), the first DeBethune marketed as a sports replica watch and also their first replica watch to come on a rubber strap,  rather interestingly molded into the lugs.

With the familiar 44mm DB28 at its design core, this new piece is in titanium with a matte finish, making it both incredibly light and comfortable on the wrist. It comes on the classic De Bethune short or long floating lugs which are also in Grade 5 Titanium.

Designed by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet, the signature DeBethune elements such as the lugs and ‘Star Trek’ deltoid shaped bridge are all present on the dial, which features both titanium and polished steel.

Inside is the hand-wound Calibre DB2115 with a six day power reserve, whose ‘performance’ can be seen via an indicator between 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock. The ‘H’ and ‘B’ on the indicator stand for ‘haute’ and ‘bas’, or ‘high’ and ‘low’, referring to the barrels and whether they are fully wound (H) or not. The ideal status is for the indicator to sit in the middle, indicating that the replica watch is running consistently (constant force).

The movement consists of two hundred and sixty two parts including the patented Triple Pare-cute shock absorption system and the usual high level hand-finishing, polishing and decoration seen in De Bethune replica watches.

The bridges are finished with what De Bethune calls ‘microlight’, a pattern of finely engraved lines, and this finishing contributes to what makes the replica watch ‘sporty’ to look at. It makes it seem ‘less’ formally finished than many other De Bethunes because it gives the dial a very strong contrasting texture of a type that is not ‘delicate’. The large flat bezel and the use of a large open hand with a blued steel insert whose shape is almost like a nod to the deltoid shape give this replica watch a far more informal feel than other De Bethune pieces, and the blued needle-like minute hand is a nice continuity of De Bethune’s famous ‘blue’.

You will notice the many layers and textures to the dial. It is a very good looking replica watch but there is a relaxed elegant ruggedness to it that is not present in its more dressy stablemates. With so many variations to the DB28 theme over the years, this new piece is a great way to refresh the line and a welcome option for those who like De Bethune but who wanted something more ‘casual’ (it’s all relative).

I had a discussion recently with a collector about De Bethune and whether particular models are dress or sports replica watches. What was interesting was how differently we stand in terms of what makes a replica watch a ‘dress’ replica watch versus what makes a replica watch a ‘sports” replica watch. How do you define ‘dress’ vs ‘sports’, and is the ‘grey’ area ever growing?

If you are looking for a new sports replica watch to not wear when you are engaged in sporting pursuits or to wear when you’re replica watching rather than participating, the price of the DB28 GS is CHF 75,000. The DB28 GS has a water resistance of 100m but I remain doubtful that owners will be tempted to test this.

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Swiss Replica

LIVE PHOTOS : Replica De Bethune DB25TZodiac

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In my replica watch wanderings before the start of SIHH week it has become customary for me to visit De Bethune to see some of their pre-Baselworld launches. This time we had a new replica watch companion, London’s #thewatchnerd; be sure to check his website for an upcoming post on De Bethune called ‘The sky’s the limit’ that I know is in the works.

This new Zodiac model uses the standard DB25 case with its short openworked lugs – a 44mm white gold case with a thickness of 10.6mm, and is basically the same replica watch in a different manifestation.

Design wise it features one of the magical shades of De Bethune blue to represent the sky. This blued titanium forms the backdrop of the hand-engraved twelve zodiac signs. The dial so features silver guilloché in the centre, yellow gold hands a a blued seconds hand for the jumping/ deadbeat seconds and the movement indicator beneath 12 o’clock that is a feature of all DB25 models.

The zodiac figures are solid gold inserts and hand engraved by Master Engraver Michèle Rothen whose work can be seen on previous De Bethune pieces DB25 Imperial Fountain and DB25 Maya.

Hidden from view on the back is the manual-wind 36,000 VPH DB2109 movement with a silicon-titanium tourbillon with 30-second indicator. The tourbillon comprises of sixty-three parts which weigh between 0.0001g and 0.0276g. The movement itself consists of 320 parts with ‘Côtes De Bethune’ blued titanium bridges and parts, silicon/ white gold balance and a power reserve of four days.

For those who are interested, here is a short film (2011) from the FHH about Master Engraver Michèle Rothen. The Zodiac will be made in a limited edition of twenty pieces.

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Swiss Replica

HANDS-ON :Replica De Bethune DB28 DarkShadows

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With a series of DB28 replica watches having already proven to be amongst De Bethune’s most popular lines and perhaps its most well-known, Baselworld 2014 saw the release of the seemingly all-black DB28 Dark Shadows, which I had the opportunity to see at The Hour Glass when Alessandro Zanetta visited Sydney.

To be produced in a limited edition of fifty pieces, the 42.60 mm case with the brand’s most well-known floating lugs is made in sandblasted, oxidised zirconium – this is what gives it the black colouring and its hardness as well as its lightness.

The Dark Shadows features the already familiar manual-wind Calibre DB 2115 with its triangle bridge that reminds so many of Star Trek, the flat terminal curve balance spring and patented triple pare-chute shock absorbing system. Not to mention their special spherical moonphase indicator – a palladium and anthracite zirconium hand-polished sphere with an accuracy to one lunar day every 122 years. Power reserve, for which there is an indicator on the back of the replica watch, is six days.

As mentioned above, the case and floating lugs are sandblasted anthracicte zirconium. The matching dial has an anthracite zirconium mirror-polished hour ring with spherical hour-markers in black mirror-polished steel, and hands in black-polished steel. The case is satin-brushed and therefore matte, as opposed to the bright and shiny cases in other De Bethune models.

Perhaps it is somewhat incorrect to call this an ‘all-black’ piece, as the different finishes, textures, materials, are in varying shades from the currently popular anthracite, through to pure black. As is the case with the brand’s replica watches, the way the light plays on each of the surfaces is important, wth these colour nuances showing up best in good natural light. The name ‘Dark Shadows’ is an apt one, and as ever, when viewed under a loupe, De Bethune’s renowned levels of finishing are a delight.

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Swiss Replica

HANDS-ON :Replica De Bethune DB28Maxichrono

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During Baselworld 2014 De Bethune introduced a new chronograph with what they call the ‘Absolute Clutch System’. With a price tag of some CHF 166,000, exactly what sort of chronograph this is, has been the prevailing question. Well I recently got to find out, when Alessandro Zanetta visited Sydney and I had the opportunity to see it (and other new releases) at The Hour Glass, Sydney.

At first glance you will notice the first special aspect of this swiss replica watch – that the (monopusher) chronograph’s seconds hand, 60-minute counter and 24-hour counter are all co-axially mounted in the centre, along with the hour and minute hands.

The DB28 features the recognisable De Bethune case and floating lugs, which mean that, as with all their pieces with this lug system, it is incredibly comfortable on the wrist. The case is 5N rose gold, 45mm and with a thickness of 11mm. You will note that the (dual-setting) crown, which is also monopusher for the chronograph function, is at 12 o’clock.

Through the open case back, with its 1800 Vickers sapphire crystal, can be seen the manual-wind DB2030 Calibre with a frquency of 36,000 VPH. The calibre conssits of three hundred and eighty-four parts, and is hand finished and decorated, including hand-polished steel bridges. There is a silicon/white gold balance wheel and a balance-spring with flat terminal curve.


As an explanatory segue, the small spiral balance-spring is the heart and most important part of a replica watch movement, its beat regulating the energy delivered from the main spring barrel and gear train at fixed intervals. The balance spring is attached in a small slot in the collet on the balance staff and its outer end is attached to a stud fixed to the balance bridge or cock. To compensate for the spring’s irregularity of the expansion and contraction, the terminal curve was invented, with the last turn of the spring (that is connected to the fixed stud) bent in a non-concentric manner.

For those who do not know, the development of its own balance wheels, balance spring with flat terminal curve and a silicon escape wheel are a crucial part of De Bethune, and they have a dedicated website devoted to it called ‘De Bethune Résonique’. Click on this link to read more about it.

The DB28’s dial is silver-toned and multi-layered, with an interesting contrast of the rose gold case and black lugs. The five centrally mounted hands are skeletonised hand-polished blackened steel for hours and minutes, flame-blued (that very De Bethune ‘blue’) for the hours and seconds chronograph counters. The chronograph minutes hand is in rose gold. Starting from the outside and working your way in you can see separate chapter rings for measuring elapsed intervals of 60 seconds, 60 minutes and 24 hours of elapsed time respectively.

According to De Bethune, the ‘Total Clutch System’ used in this piece improves the chronograph performance by correcting issues existeng in those replica watches with vertical and/ or horizontal clutch systems e.g. the friction that the vertical clutch is known for will be reduced and the slight delay when starting a chronograph with horizontal coupling is also eliminated.  As they put it, the absolute clutch operates in a system engaging the two traditional clutch methods to allow the different chronograph counters to function semi-autonomously:

1) The chronograph seconds are governed by the new absolute clutch system
2) The minutes counter is controlled by a shifting pinion
3) The hours counter is engaged by a horizontal clutch

This is a total of three different types of clutches, behind three semi-independent systems, controlled by three column-wheels.

The design of this chronograph, apart from being ingenious, is also very clear and easy to read. The one part about which I cannot quite make my mind up is the typeface for the hours/ minutes; in particular whether I prefer the less blocky typeface used on the DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon. It makes the DB28 MaxiChrono more sporty than its tourbillon sibling (as do the different lugs) but perhaps it’s a case of becoming accustomed to it.

This version is rose gold, with short or long floating lugs in mirror-polished blacked zirconium, but it also comes in a polished titanium version that unfortunately was not travelling with Alessandro.

Although not a limited edition, the complexity of the piece means that there will be a limited annual production, with only twenty made in 2014.

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Swiss Replica

HANDS-ON : Replica De Bethune DB28Digitale

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Baselworld 2014 was where De Bethune formally launched the DB28 Digitale. Fortunately, I was able to see this piece in Geneva in January, and of the two pieces I saw that day, this was the one that lingered for longest on my wrist.

Digital by name and nature, this is a jumping hours with a digital display for the hours at 12 o’clock, and analogue minutes indicator on a silver-toned rotating disc set against an arc of distincitvely DeBethune blue sky made of polished blued Grade 5 titanium, with white gold stars.

The famous De Bethune spherical moon-phase also makes an appearance here, set at the dial’s centre and surrounded by more star speckled sky, but still somehow managing to be discreet. The moon’s two hemispheres are polished palladium and polished flame-blued steel, and it has an accuracy of one lunar day every 1,112 years. The dial is hand-guillochéd barleycorn motif, a textural contrast to the smoothness of the two skies.

Size wise it is 43mm with the De Bethune trademark ‘flloating lugs’, all in Grade 5 titanium. The crown is at 12 o’clock and the case back transparent, through which you can see the manual wind Calibre DB2144 with a power reserve of five days.

This is an elegant and beautiful replica watch that to some degree, photos don’t do proper justice, as it has quite a wrist presence, the blue vivid and alive.

So far, this rates as one of my favourite replica watches for 2014. For those interested, this is not a limited edition but a regular production model.

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Swiss Replica

DE BETHUNE : Dream Replica Watch5

DeBethuneDreamMachine5a

During ‘Geneva week’, before the start of SIHH 2014 I visited a couple of brands, of which De Bethune was the first. As it was also the brand that I first visited during my inaugural ‘Geneva week’ in 2013 it felt right to start once again, with them. I had already seen a press photo of one of the two pieces they were presenting as ‘novelties’ during this week, but this is the first, the one that I’d not been expecting.

The Dream Machine 5 is the latest in the Dream Machine series for which De Bethune perhaps most memorably created the Dream Machine 4, a 12-piece LE ‘spaceship-inspired’ titanium iPhone shield with a blued titanium sky containing gold and diamond stars and silvered hour and minute disks. This new Machine is, in fact, seen as a combination of the first and fourth Dream Machines. One might not at first glance think that it looks like a De Bethune, but the tell-tale signs are there.

As you can see from the photos, its surface is highly reflective. That’s because its 49mm x 39mm x 11mm case is mirror-polished grade 5 titanium. With its jump hour at 3 o’clock in polished blued grade 5 titanium, minutes disc and the signature De Bethune moonphase indicator (the small globe), this is both futuristic and retro. In a way it reminds me of 1950s and 1960s (especially Hollywood) notions of what future technology might look like. The one carat cabochon-cut ruby in the crown adds a great dash of colour and contrast to the case.

Inside the number 5 is the manual wind DB calibre 2144, which has 329 components including a palladium balance wheel, and five days of power reserve.

The sleek and sexy Dream Machine 5 is made to order and priced at 150,000 CHF.