Description

Winner of the 2011 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève “Aiguille d’Or” award the highest distinction awarded by the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix. fast forward three years, we followed it up with something special…

Welcome to the DB28 ‘Dark Shadows” a matt black interpretation of our iconic model, produced in a limited run of just 50 pieces.

Adorned with its famous crown at 12 o’clock, the DB28 which is known for the surprising lightness of its case and the comfort of its floating lugs – a patented system that adapts to the size of the wrist and its various movements, but now instead of the lightweight titanium, you find zirconium!
In our search for materials and new processes, we saw the choice to machine zirconium as a natural and sustainable alternative to titanium.

Zirconium has the perfect properties for a watch, the hardness of the metal, together with stable oxidation that is unaffected by daily changes in temperature, are twin assets that guarantee the resistance and durability of the exterior of a timepiece. Plus the colour of black.

By ultra heat-treating the Zirconium a deep black colour is formed, which can be polished like the dial which opens a window onto the movement, displaying a wealth of nuances including multiple ways in which the light plays across the material and its different finishes to reveal a variety of shades ranging from anthracite grey to intense black. A touch of ruthenium and hand-polished blackened steel accompany the sandblasted bridges and the refined elegance of Côtes de Genève reinterpreted by De Bethune.

The case however satin-brushed giving pure matt all-black look, and it only takes one glimpse of the Dark Shadows to see how the colour change from the titanium version gives a completely different look and feel. More of a play of tones, monochromatic intense and stealth-like.

Our iconic three-dimensional moon-phase also gets the black treatment, the sphere is made from palladium and anthracite zirconium hand-polished. Spinning on its axis and boasting a degree of precision equivalent to a mere one-day difference every 122 years.

Equipped with the Calibre DB2115 the DB28 Dark Shadows is endowed with the numerous technological innovations developed and produced within the Manufacture. Its precision is further consolidated by the self-regulating twin barrel and by the presence within the regulating organ of a silicon/palladium balance wheel and a balance-spring with a flat terminal curve, protected by the triple pare-chute system.
Combining classical and contemporary codes, highlighting the technical breakthroughs achieved by the Manufacture and the meticulous decoration work of its artisans, custodians of age-old expertise, the DB28 Dark Shadows is a great example of what we as De Bethune can achieve, plus let's face it, it looks really cool!