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The arrival of my grail
Dec 13, 2023,05:17 AM
Over the years, I have been blessed and privileged to own a number of extraordinary watches including a Roger Smith Series 1, a Gronefeld Remontoire, a Daniel Roth Tourbillon and a Patek Phillipe skeleton to name a few. None however have made me tinge with excitement when I set eyes and tried on the De Bethune DB8 monopusher chronograph in Geneva in May, a few months after its launch. At 42.4mm, it can easily be dismissed as too large a watch for many but I always say, it is the shape of the lugs that count most. For this, I must salute Denis Fageollet at De Bethune for creating the beautiful lugs that allow the supple strap to come right down and wrap the wrist perfectly.
So what is the attraction of this watch you might ask? For a start, I love the simple and legible dial. How often do we get to see a chronograph with a dial as clean as this one? In fact, it might even be mistaken for a three handed dress watch! And I just love dress watches! The blued hands are equally as gorgeous and the egg shell dial colour ticks another box. At 9.2mm which is almost unheard of for a monopusher chronograph, this watch is very wearable and the titanium case strikes the right balance for me between lightness and heft making it an excellent daily wearer. And I love the movement which although not as stunning as the Gronefeld Remontoire remains a delight to the eyes.
Approximately ten DB8s will be produced annually and I was fortunate to be allocated one this year and had it shipped to Hong Kong where I collected it last week. What I did not expect was to meet Denis Fageollet who was there to present me my watch! I was genuinely lost for words! Denis was there to launch a limited edition watch for the Hong Kong market. He also kindly autographed a De Bethune book to complete this surreal experience.
After one week of ownership, I can attest that the DB8 keeps excellent time, is a joy to wear and the crown is a delight to wind. Unlike the other watches I had mentioned earlier, this watch is without compromise and has lived up to my expectations as my grail. It is the ultimate for me.