De Bethune DB25 Digitale Reimagines Digital Time Beneath a Starry Night
A sculptural display of jumping hours, analogue minutes and a spherical moon phase brings De Bethune’s contemporary horological language to the DB25 collection.
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Photo Courtesy: De Bethune
A Contemporary Interpretation of Digital Time
De Bethune returns to one of its distinctive approaches to displaying time with the new DB25 Digitale, a contemporary interpretation of digital horology inspired by the Maison’s emblematic DBD model. Rather than treating the digital display as a purely technical solution, De Bethune uses it as the foundation for an elaborate composition of light, colour, texture and three-dimensional elements.
The result is a watch designed as much for contemplation as for legibility, with the display combining jumping hours, analogue minutes and a spherical moon phase.
A Nocturnal Landscape in Titanium
The dial is conceived as a miniature nocturnal landscape, drawing on the imagery of a calm river beneath a star-filled sky.
According to De Bethune, 82 individual elements contribute to the composition. Multiple finishes and layers create depth across the dial, while a combination of traditional and contemporary decorative techniques reinforces the Maison's distinctive aesthetic.
Among the defining details are:
A barleycorn motif referencing classical watchmaking decoration
Random guilloché applied to blued titanium
Multiple heat treatments producing graduated shades of blue
A central spherical moon
Layered surfaces designed to evoke reflections in moonlight
The combination of random guilloché and flame-treated titanium gives the dial a distinctly modern character while maintaining a connection with traditional hand-finishing.
Three Ways to Read Time
The DB25 Digitale abandons a conventional arrangement of hands and hour markers in favour of three separate indications.
The system combines:
Jumping hours for the hours
Analogue minutes through a rotating minute disc
Spherical moon phase at the centre of the dial
This unusual arrangement lets the dial function as both a time display and a decorative composition. The central moon is particularly prominent. Its two polished hemispheres are made from palladium and flame-blued steel, rotating to represent the lunar cycle.
De Bethune states that the moon-phase indication achieves an accuracy of one lunar day every 1,112 years.
A Spherical Moon at the Centre
The moon serves as the visual anchor of the DB25 Digitale. Its two hemispheres contrast polished palladium with flame-blued steel, creating a small three-dimensional astronomical display against the layered blue dial.
The precision of the moon-phase mechanism reflects De Bethune's broader focus on astronomical complications and chronometry, while its sculptural construction gives the display a distinctly visual character.
The DB2144V3: Third-Generation De Bethune Mechanics
Behind the display sits the third-generation DB2144 calibre, designated DB2144V3. The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback, where De Bethune's technical and decorative work is exposed.
For the first time, the Maison's random guilloché decoration extends onto the deltoid bridge, creating a visual continuation between the front and rear of the watch.
The movement incorporates several De Bethune innovations and patented technologies, including:
Self-regulating twin barrel
Latest-generation titanium-and-grey-gold balance wheel
De Bethune balance spring with a flat terminal curve
Triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system
Micro ball-bearing system driving the jumping-hour and minute displays
The architecture demonstrates how the unusual dial configuration is supported by a sophisticated mechanical system beneath it.
A Micro Ball-Bearing System Behind the Display
One of the technical elements central to the DB25 Digitale is a micro ball-bearing system.
The mechanism drives both the jumping-hour indication and the rotating minute disc, allowing the unusual display to operate with the precision expected from De Bethune's in-house movements. The result is a mechanical interpretation of digital timekeeping rather than an electronic one the changing hour indication is generated entirely through the movement.
42 mm Grade 5 Titanium Case
The DB25 Digitale is housed in a 42 mm case crafted from Grade 5 titanium.
The lightweight material complements the watch's substantial diameter, while the case architecture follows the established DB25 design language.
The case is:
42 mm in diameter
Made from Grade 5 titanium
Mirror-polished
Fitted with a discreet bezel
Defined by rounded, openworked lugs
Finished with De Bethune's characteristic “bullet” lug profile
The sloping geometry of the case and rounded lugs are designed to follow the contours of the wrist, keeping the visual emphasis on the dial.
Blue Alligator Strap
The watch is paired with an extra-supple dark blue lined alligator strap, selected to complement the blue tones of the titanium dial. A matching polished titanium pin buckle completes the configuration. The restrained strap treatment allows the intricate dial and polished titanium case to remain the dominant elements of the design.
Availability
The DB25 Digitale by De Bethune is available through the official website.
For further information, visit: https://www.debethune.ch/
