De Bethune Dream Watch Two
In the world of haute de gamme horlogerie (the highest of high watchmaking), unique complications and limited editions happen so often that collectors
are in danger of becoming more than a little jaded. The only resolution is to step outside time, so to speak. What does a house of fine watchmaking
do when dreaming up such a piece? If the maison in question is De Bethune, the answer to this question is “create the future,” and the
result is this towering achievement, which Harry SK Tan was privileged to shoot.
Before we get into that, we must address the production volume for this watch because there is some disagreement. Revolution magazine
reports that only one will ever be made but there are conflicting reports that a limited number will be produced. This may simply mean that there
is indeed a piece unique which will be followed by a limited series production. We will be certain to update you on the situation as more facts come
to light.
The De Bethune Dream Watch Two is a grand complication of course, featuring a tourbillon, minute repeater and perpetual calendar alongside the
now-famous three-dimensional moonphase and simple time functions. It is also much more than the sum of its parts. To understand it better, one must
understand a little about De Bethune.
With roots in THA (Techniques Horlogeres Appliquees) – the horological hothouse that also gave us Francois Paul Journe and Vianney Halter – De
Bethune co-founders David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet do indeed have a dream, as they told Watch Tribune Editor Ron De Corte: the pursuit of excellence
in mechanical chronometry. For this purpose, technical maestro Flageollet proposes using applying new and better mechanical solutions to the basic
chronometric performance of the mechanical wristwatch.
This means De Bethune dreams of reinventing the wheel and indeed, Flageollet and Zanetta did just that. The traditional balance wheel has been completely
reworked since their debut watch in 2004, the DB 15. Today, as you can clearly see, the balance is a four-armed device rendered with bullet-shaped
platinum weights and arms made of silicon. You might notice also the tourbillon assembly here, with its Spartan aesthetics. Given Flageollet’s
well-publicized disdain for traditional tourbillons in wristwatches, the nature of this tourbillon is not a surprise.
The cage is largely in silicon, as are the escape wheel and anchor. This has resulted in an impossibly light assembly (potentially the lightest
in the world). The lightest part is said to weigh in at merely 0.0001 gram. Interestingly, the pallets are executed with rubies (not pictured), in
stark contrast with what has been proposed by Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin, themselves no lightweights in the silicium arena.
As always with De Bethune watches, it is worth paying attention to the moonphase. Made of platinum and blued steel, this display revolves once every
29.5 days and is powered by a shaft with beveled gearing (inserted via the axis of the sphere before the platinum and steel halves are soldered together).
This display is so compelling that other brands have taken to imitating it.
As for the other functions, the minute repeater uses bells instead of the traditional gongs while the perpetual calendar is instantaneous, as are
all De Bethune perpetuals. This means the day change is immediate, not gradual, and needs no correction even on leap years.
Speaking plainly, it is this combination of clear thinking in terms of functionality and courageously progressive thinking in terms of chronometry
that fascinates us. The fuss-free styling of the dial is confirmation of this, not typically the case with perpetual calendars, as are the flexible
lugs that adapt the watch to wrists of all sizes. 
www.debethune.ch