e Bethune expresses a contemporary aesthetic, alive with glints of light, riffing on its own codes while drawing its inspiration from nature.

The dial of the DB25 Digitale is a meticulous study in evoking the delicate imagery of a nocturnal scene beneath the stars. The layered, refined finishes recall the reflections of a tranquil river in the moonlight.

Eighty-two elements combine to create this contemplative tableau. Every detail, from the starlit sky to the guillochage, contributes to its sense of serenity and wonder. The barleycorn motif evokes the language of classical watchmaking, while the random guilloché on blued titanium introduces a distinctly contemporary expression.

This multifaceted display — digital for the jumping hours, analogue for the minutes, spherical for the moon phase — frees the watch from hands and hour markers, giving full expression to a richly considered work of aesthetic composition.

The dial’s concentric architecture is anchored by the spherical moon at its centre. Its two polished hemispheres — one in palladium, the other in flame-blued steel — indicate the moon phase with an accuracy to within one lunar day every 1,112 years.

The way the materials are worked, together with the various heat treatments applied to the titanium, produces a deep gradient of blue that underpins the technical complexity of the piece.

Beneath this serene display lies a sophisticated micro ball-bearing system that drives both the jumping-hour display and the rotating minute disc.

The sapphire exhibition case-back reveals the latest evolution of an in-house De Bethune movement. For the first time, the Maison’s random guilloché motif extends onto the deltoid bridge, creating a visual dialogue between dial and movement. Through this window, a number of patents and innovations on the Calibre DB2144V3 come into view — among them the self-regulating twin barrel, the latest titanium-and-grey-gold balance wheel, the De Bethune balance spring with its flat terminal curve, and the triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system.

Crafted from grade 5 titanium for lightness, the DB25 Digitale’s 42 mm case is mirror-polished, with a discreet bezel that leaves the dial to take centre stage. The slender, openworked and rounded lugs, with their hallmark ‘bullet’ aesthetic, accentuate the case’s sloping geometry — a design that underlines the roundness of the piece and hugs the wrist.

Paired with an extra-supple, dark blue, lined alligator strap and a matching polished titanium pin buckle, the DB25 Digitale joins the Maison’s signature DB25 collection.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Name: DB25 Digitale
• Reference: DB25VD
• Functions: Jumping hours in an aperture, analogue minutes on a rotating disc, central spherical moon-phase indication (inclined at 60°)
• Movement: DB2144V3
• Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement
• Adjustments: Winding, setting the spherical moon phase, and time adjustment via the crown (3 positions)
• Number of Components: 416
• Jewels: 32 rubies
• Diameter: 30 mm
• Power Reserve: 5 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel (De Bethune innovation 2004)
• Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
• Special Features: Titanium balance wheel with grey-gold inserts (De Bethune patent 2004, optimized for temperature variations and aerodynamic efficiency, De Bethune innovation 2016)
• “De Bethune” balance spring with flat terminal curve (invented in 2004, De Bethune design registration 2006)
• Silicon escape wheel (De Bethune innovation 2005)
• Central spherical moon-phase indication, accurate to within one lunar day every 1,112 years (De Bethune patent 2004)
• Blued triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system (De Bethune innovation 2005)
• Decoration:
• Concave titanium mainplate (De Bethune innovation 2013)
• Titanium barrel bridge, hand-bevelled and hand-polished
• Central insert in blued titanium with random guilloché (De Bethune innovation 2023)
• Jumping-hour aperture at 12 o’clock
• Analogue minute indicator on a rotating disc at 6 o’clock
• Central spherical moon-phase indication in palladium and flame-blued steel, accurate to within one lunar day every 1,112 years (De Bethune patent 2004)
• Dial Details: Blued titanium with random guilloché (De Bethune innovation 2023), Silvered minute sector with hand-guilloché barleycorn motif, Fixed chapter ring and spherical moon surround in polished, blued Grade 5 titanium, set with grey-gold stars
• Case Material: Polished Grade 5 titanium
• Case Dimensions: 42 mm diameter, 11.9 mm thickness
• Lugs: Integrated, openworked
• Crystal: Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
• Case-Back: Screw-down, open case-back in polished Grade 5 titanium with sapphire crystal (1,800 Vickers hardness) and double anti-reflective coating
• Water Resistance: 3 ATM
• Strap: Extra-supple alligator leather, alligator-lined and hand-stitched
• Buckle: Polished Grade 5 titanium