Independents

Enough of hyperbole and admiration, I know many of our Purists have these gorgeous pieces (off the top of my head, sleepy_templar and kykw’s DB 28s, and Magnus’s superb piece on the DB25 Quetzalcoatl) and I try not to go a deep, dark green whenever I see one posted in wrist shot - I am sure many others are busy doing the same. 

One can, and must, live in hope lol.

Again, I digress… my reason for posting is this (first) question:

Has De Bethune succumbed to the vagaries of traditional horological marketing?

You may think that’s an odd question, but I was just curious and wanted to ask the experts here, as I read this from a New York Times article, and I quote:

 ‘‘There is not always room on the dial for our name… A name means nothing…Flashing a logo is in poor taste, and those who buy a watch to show its brand do not buy a De Bethune,’’ said David Zanetta, one of the company's founders.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/fashion/25iht-acaw-debethune25.html

So, what happened (see below), and why did this belief change, was it out of necessity, or just a change in direction? 

That’s my first question…

My second, and I may be getting confused, refers back to the same article:

“The watch that won that acclaim, the DB28, lightweight with its mirror-polished titanium case and silicon balance and escape wheels, represented a significant technical achievement for a 10-year-old brand. It featured a rare complication, the jumping second, only known to date to have been mastered by F.P. Journe and A. Lange & Söhne.”

Is this statement correct?

I seem to remember seeing foudroyant(e) complications by several other makers – Girard Perregaux being one if I’m not mistaken.

Or am I mistaken?

Thank you in advance for reading and any light shed on these two questions would be much appreciated – purely for my own education (and I apologise in advance if these questions have been asked, and answered, before).