Swiss luxury watch brand De Bethune presents the DB Eight, a manual-winding mono-pusher chronograph. Equipped with the Calibre DB3000 (31st in-house movement by De Bethune), this new timepiece continues a long tradition of classic single-button chronographs, including the DB1 and DB8.
The DB Eight is an evolution in De Bethune’s exploration of the single-pusher chronograph. While the DB28 Maxichrono is De Bethune’s most technically unusual chronograph, the Maison’s very first watch featuring this function – the DB1 – was a classic two-counter monopusher chronograph in the purest tradition of stylish 20th century chronographs.
The DB Eight boasts an elegant, pure, and subtly balanced design. Together, Denis Flageollet and Claire Wolf designed a supremely refined classic guilloché dial with a counter at 6 o’clock so that it could be as large as possible in order to provide a highly readable 60-minute indication.
When the chronograph is reset to zero, the tail of the chronograph hand subtly covers that of the minutes counter in such a way that the hands are overlaid.
This 42 mm watch in titanium features a perfectly designed maxi dial with a railway type outer seconds track, framed by a slender bezel. The case middle, case-back, bezel and hands of DB Eight are made of grade 5 titanium.
De Bethune DB3000, 31st In-House Calibre
Beating inside is a new chronograph calibre: the 31st produced by De Bethune and its fourth monopusher chronograph base calibre after the DB1, DB8 and Maxichrono.
This movement incorporates a classic column-wheel mechanism with an instantaneous minutes counter, which is quite a technical feat for a single-pusher calibre with a 60-minute counter. The extreme thinness of the wheel’s teeth makes it a veritable technical challenge.
Although the calibre remains traditional, the technology of the functions is on the cutting edge of the knowledge acquired by the Manufacture. All the elements of the escapement and balance are based on the finest elements featured in De Bethune calibres, notably its patented balance-spring with flat terminal curve, titanium balance with white gold inertia-blocks, along with the silicon escape-wheel.
Technical details
Model: De Bethune DB Eight
Reference: DB8RETIS1
Functions
Hours, Minutes, chronograph mono pusher button with 60 s seconds counter and 60 min instantaneous minute counter
Movement
Calibre DB3000
Mechanical manual-winding calibre
Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)
Monopusher button integrated in the crown for chronograph functions
Number of parts: 281
Jewelling: 31 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm
Power reserve: 60 hours
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
Frequency: 28’800 vibrations per hour
Adornment: All steels are hand-beveled and polished
Chromium-plated steel chronograph bridges with drawn lines
Hand-snailed barrels
Handmade finishing decorations
Dial
Silver, radiating guilloche 12 sectors
Blue Arabic numbers
Indication of the 60-minute counter by a silvered barley grain engine-turned subdial at 6 o’clock
Hour hands, minutes, polished titanium seconds and minutes counters
Case
Polished grade 5 titanium
Case diameter: 42.4 mm
thickness: 9,2 mm
Lugs: Ogival lugs
Crystal: Sapphire crystal (1 800 Vickers hardness), with double anti-reflective coating
Case back: Open back with sapphire crystal (1 800 Vickers hardness), with double anti-reflective coating
Water-resistance: 3 ATM
Strap
Extra-supple alligator leather, alligator lining
Pin buckle in grade 5 titanium
