The technical creativity of De Bethune seems boundless, Denis Flageollet – the brand’s co-founder and master watchmaker – spent decades restoring pieces made by the great masters of the 18th and 19th centuries and he used his abyssal knowledge of historical watchmaking to invent 21st century watches like no other, in his words “the tradition of watchmaking is innovation”.

Instantly recognizable by connoisseurs due to their distinctive design and appeal, De Bethune enjoys widespread interest from collectors all around the world trying to get their hands on these rare timepieces. While the firm has released numerous models over the years since its founding in 2002, one model certainly stands out among the rest as being the model that best interpretates the brand’s vision and aesthetics, the DB28.

Released in 2010, the DB28 Collection features flexible, floating lugs, replacing traditional fixed lugs, and enabling a more comfortable fit for wrists. Another emblematic feature is the spherical moon phase found on several models providing a realistic, 3-D representation of the lunar cycle. The design is contemporary with the traditional dial replaced by the movement plates with exposed balance wheel and triple pare-chute shock absorbers, along with the winding performance indicator between the 2 and 3 o’clock hour markers.

The present DB28 from circa 2011 is accompanied by its original accessories, appealing to collectors for its futuristic design and innovative movement.