Hot Take: The New De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon
Today, we’ll briefly examine the new De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon, a thin titanium watch with a visible movement. Of course, it uses the brand’s characteristic spring-loaded, floating lugs that hug the wrist. It’s a lovely piece worth checking out!
We spent time with De Bethune at Geneva Watch Days 2024 and saw several upcoming releases. One was the new DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon, an immediately recognizable watch. It features the brand’s signature case style and arrow-tipped bridge on the dial. Like most De Bethune watches, this is a limited edition. We may never see one in the wild, but it still deserves a closer look.
The DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon
The latest De Bethune has a 43mm Grade 5 titanium case and is only 9.1mm thick. It features skeletonized, spring-loaded lugs that help provide a tailored fit. The combination of sapphire crystals and a screw-in case back helps the watch achieve water resistance to 3 ATM. Then again, a swim isn’t advised with the navy alligator strap with a matching titanium pin buckle. Other options, such as canvas and Alcantara, are available.
A high-spec’d DB2009v6 tourbillon
The DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon uses the in-house DB2009v6, a hand-winding caliber with an astounding 120-hour power reserve. Its tourbillon cage is on display and rotates every 30 seconds. The tourbillon mechanism is made of titanium and, astonishingly, weighs just 0.18 grams. In addition, the movement has a 36,000vph frequency and consists of 275 parts. It features a titanium balance, white gold inserts, and a silicon escape wheel.
A smart dial
When it comes to funky Haute Horlogerie pieces, I find them polarizing. Thankfully, the new DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon winds up scoring a win. The mix of polished and satin-finished titanium, and blued microlight titanium details look cool and modern. Also, I prefer a watch like this to show off a tourbillon instead of a traditional dress watch with a hole in the dial.
With just 10 of these watches for sale, the De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon will be a rare sight. At US$210,000, it’s an expensive purchase but will appeal to well-heeled De Bethune fans. Have you tried on a De Bethune? What’s your take on their floating lug cases, and do you like this model?
