De Bethune presents its latest cosmic inspired timepiece, the DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite. Blended with the iconic Swiss watch manufacture’s horological innovations, this mechanical timekeeper features a starry sky dial created from a meteorite.

Denis Flageollet, founder and Master Watchmaker of De Bethune, is passionate about meteorites. Previously, the brand used ferrous meteorites to create one of the cases of the famous Dream Watch 5, and the dials of the DB28 Kind of Blue Meteorite and the DB28XP Météorite models. In the new DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite watch, the Maison has used a new kind of meteorite: Muonionalusta Meteorite.

Believed to have struck planet Earth more than one million years BCE, somewhere between Finland and Sweden on the banks of the Muniono river, this is probably the world’s oldest known meteorite to date. The first fragment was discovered in Sweden, in 1906. Composed mainly of iron and nickel, it is distinguished by the perfectly geometrical lines of its 60° angle cross-hatched “Widmanstätten” pattern.

The DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite’s Muonionalusta Meteorite dial has a distinctive texture, along with geometrical patterns aligned in a precise way that makes each timepiece special and unique.

Master of the thermal oxidation of metals, De Bethune has created a starry sky accompanied by its Milky Way on a previously blued meteorite dial. This azure shade results from the heat released by the chemical reactions of the heated meteorite.

The blue dial surface boasts a number of small white gold pins, delicately driven in between the different shapes and thicknesses of the octahedral geometrical structures. The customer can also choose a given constellation, according to a precise sky map, at a specific date, time and place.

Measuring 42mm diameter, the ultra-light polished titanium case of the DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite is perfectly integrated open-worked lugs characteristic to the brand.

This new timepiece features a Roman numeral hour circle and an Arabic numeral minute track on a silvered disc, complemented by hand-polished steel hands identical to those already featured on the dial of the DB25 Starry Varius.

The watch is equipped with the DB2109V4 mechanical manual-winding calibre, entirely designed, developed and produced within the De Bethune workshops in L’Auberson, Switzerland.

The DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite incorporates an innovative and more efficient tourbillon mechanism with high frequency and fast rotation speed. The titanium and silicon tourbillon by De Bethune has a frequency of 36,000 vibrations/hour. Spinning on its axis every 30 seconds and comprising a total of 63 components, this tourbillon has an extraordinarily light carriage (0.18 grams, the lightest ever created in the industry)

The ultra-light De Bethune 30 seconds tourbillon is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.

The balance wheel, also visible on the back of the watch, benefits from the latest advances by De Bethune. With an adapted diameter, the patented titanium balance wheel is equipped with small white gold weights placed on the outside, which gives it a remarkable quality of inertia, reliability and regulation.

The De Bethune DB25VTM model features a patented, in-house balance spring. Its centre of gravity is maintained in the very centre by means of a flat curve affixed to the outside of the balance spring. Differences in the thickness of the blade further enhance the almost perfect precision of its concentric development. The numerous advantages include reduced thickness, improved adjustment of the concentricity quality, finer adjustment of the index (regulator) and no more need for its pins, while the shape of the curve even acts as a shock absorber in case of impacts.

The De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite will be limited to a production of five pieces per year.

Technical details

Model: De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite
Reference: DB25VTM

Movement
Calibre DB2109V4
Type: Mechanical manual-winding caliber
Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)
Number of parts: 260
Jewelling: 43 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm
Power reserve: 4 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel – De Bethune Innovation (2004)
Titanium balance wheel 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 – De Bethune Innovation (2008)
De Bethune Dead Beat Second – De Bethune Innovation (2011)
Frequency: 36,000 vibrations per hour
Adornment: Silver plate and barrel bridge cover polished
Hand-snailed barrels
Hand-polished, chamfered steel parts

Functions
Hours, Minutes, jumping seconds, 30’’ indicator via the ultra-light De Bethune tourbillon cage on case back

Dial
De Bethune star-studded sky in blued and polished meteorite with hand-fitted white gold pins depicting the stars
Milky Way patterns gilded with 24-carat gold leaf
Silver-toned hours and minutes ring
Hands in hand-polished steel
Central jumping seconds hand

Case
Material: Polished grade 5 titanium
Case diameter: 42 mm
Case thickness: 10.3 mm
Lugs: Integrated, hollowed lugs
Crystal: In sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double antireflective coating
Case back: Open back, De Bethune 30 ” silicon/titanium Tourbillon, 36,000 vph
Sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Water-resistance: 3 ATM

Strap
Extra-supple alligator leather, alligator lining
Buckle: Pin buckle in grade 5 titanium