hile reducing the diameter for a better fit on slender wrists necessarily involves resizing the entire case, for the technical team in L’Auberson it also means taking a more holistic approach to the materials and finishes.

“It’s about rethinking the model’s entire aesthetic balance. By that, I mean the light it reflects on the wrist. It is composed of an infinite number of details that are defined by an extremely rigorous choice of materials, lines, surface finishes and volumes. Each material is chosen and crafted according to its intrinsic qualities and its propensity to absorb or reflect light to a greater or lesser extent.” - Denis Flageollet

Blue is a colour with a strong identity that is deeply embedded in the brand’s DNA, appearing from the very beginning of its history in each of its creations, in small touches here and there: a balance wheel, a hand or a bridge, to the point of entirely covering the DB28 Kind of Blue in 2018.

The resolutely compact DB28xs Kind of Blue Tourbillon offers a modern exploration of the quintessence of De Bethune’s blue: a natural hue obtained through the thermal oxidation of materials. Steel and titanium lend themselves to the process, offering a palette of shades that only natural light can reveal to perfection.

This blue-themed stylistic exercise harnesses the expertise acquired by the Manufacture’s artisans in this exclusive bluing process, which is crafted and refined according to the materials and finishes as exemplified on the microlight gracing the dial bridges. This modern guilloché technique unique to the Manufacture uses fine, regular patterns to plunge the viewer into the depths of blue and subtly accentuate the shapes and curves of the dial’s highly contemporary architecture. The result is a tone-on-tone effect that does not compromise legibility.

“De Bethune blue is the result of research into light and its reflections on materials. Blue on blue: the possibilities are endless. It’s like a musical score, it’s a rhythm. It’s about finding the rhythm of light through the watch.” Denis Flageollet

As always with De Bethune, the artisans’ meticulous aesthetic work serves a beautiful watchmaking technique dedicated to function. The understated, innovative De Bethune tourbillon is the polar opposite of the spectacular kinematics seen on many watch models representing scaled-down interpretations of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s pocket-watch tourbillons. Adapting this beautiful invention to wristwatches necessarily involves mathematical recalculation taking account of sudden random wrist movements. To ensure better timekeeping, protection against these regular shocks requires a lightweight system with high rotational speed and frequency, while maintaining a high-inertia balance wheel.

The engineers based in L’Auberson designed a titanium tourbillon with an ultra-light and refined frame, composed of 63 components and weighing just 0.18 grams (the lightest of which weighs less than 0.0001 g!). This major technical challenge enables a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour and a rotation every 30 seconds, while maintaining a remarkable five-day power reserve.

Entirely crafted from delicately polished and blued grade 5 titanium, the new DB28xs is soft to the touch and – like all models in the collection – extremely lightweight. Compact and exceptionally comfortable, its 39 mm case is equipped with a patented system of floating that adapt to wrist size and movements. Complemented by an extra-supple double-lined alligator leather strap and a titanium buckle, this carefully designed exterior contributes to the exceptional comfort of this timepiece.