foversta
[PuristSPro Moderator]
20814
A masterpiece: the DB25 from De Bethune
The DB25 is for me, maybe the most beautiful De Bethune watch with the DB15. And without any doubt, it was one of the most captivating watches of the Salon Belles Montres.
This watch seems to have a very classic style but beneath the mask, you will find innovative features which demonstrate the talent of Denis Flageollet.
Denis Flageollet at the Salon Belles Montres:
The DB25:
The large guilloché dial is awesome. Hopefully, there is no second hand which could have spoiled it in this context. The figures have a small thickness due to the method used to print them on the dial: a wonderful effect, they are not "flat" figures. The original steel hands have been designed to be easy to read (the contrast between them and the silvered dial is perfect) and also to have a very "light" style. They bring a touch of originality to the watch.
You will notice the power reserve indicator at 12 : it's readable, discrete and clever at the same time. This indicator is not useless: the caliber has a very large power reserve: 6 days.
The caliber used in this watch is the automatic DB2024. You may already know it because it was used in the DB22 and DB24 before. But it's the first time we can find it in a more "classic" watch.
Of course, its features are still impressive:
- titanum/platinum rotor with a central shock absorber system
- double self-adusting mainspring barrels
- titanum/platinum balance protected by a triple parachute anti-shock system
- flat terminal curve (the spiral is much thinner than a classic Breguet spiral)
- 274 componants
The diameter of the caliber is 30mm (I think it's the size without the rotor) so it's large enough to be perfectly inserted into the case of the watch (the diameter is 44,6mm). Its architecture gives a nice contrast with the classicism of the dial. Of course, as you may expect it with any De Bethune watch, the finishings are great.
The case seems to be very large but hopefully the watch is not that thick (the thickness is 11,1mm): so the allure is still elegant, slender I must say.
But the magic starts when you wear the watch. There is something difficult to describe which happens when it's on your wrist. Is it the overall harmony of the DB25? The purety of its dial? Its comfort? I don't know but it was impossible for me to give it back to Denis Flageollet. 
One week after I tried it, I haven't found any flaw to this watch. Classic with a touch of originality, discrete and innovative, featuring one of the top automatic calibers of the industry, the DB 25 is the perfect watch for any watch collector who wants to enjoy a mecanism developped by Denis Flageollet in a more "quiet" context than in the "sportive" collections of De Bethune.
Try it and you won't forget it.
The DB 25 hasn't left my mind for one week...
Congrats to the whole De Bethune team for this great achievement.
Fr.Xavier
PS: please note that the DB25 will be available with a silvered dial (as pictured in this post) or with a titanum dial. PG or WG cases are available too.
This message has been edited by foversta on 2008-12-06 14:30:10
A masterpiece: the DB25 from De Bethune
Beautiful
