De Bethune DB25 Moon Phase

The Swiss watch manufacture De Bethune was established only seven years ago, but has already acquired enough R&D potential to integrate a balance wheel made of silicium (a chemical element, which widely used not only in metallurgy, but also in the microelectronics industry as a key component for creating semiconductors that work inside you mobile phone) into their new De Bethune DB25 Moon Phase hand-wound watch, which is an actually working timekeeper, not a prototype device.

De Bethune initially introduced its silicium balance wheel with platinum weights and bimetallic compensation for temperature variations almost four years ago at the Basel 2006 trade show.

The Swiss manufacture hopes that some day the new technology will allow for creation of automatic watches as precise as today’s quartz movements.

Back to the DB25 Moon Phase, though.

This classic-looking 44.6 mm watch is powered by the Caliber DB2105si hand-wound in-house movement featuring a self-adjusting double spring barrel and a silicon angular balance with flat terminal curve.

Decorated by hand, the movement is good enough to provide the watch with 6 days (144 hours) of power reserve.

The movement is packed into a 44.6 mm drum case, which is available either in rose or gray gold and features a silvered gold dial with hand applied solar guilloche pattern.

The moon phase indicator is displayed at 12 o’clock. It features De Bethune’s signature spherical moon and a heat-blued “sky” with nine applied gold stars. The moon, which consists of two hemi-spheres –one in blued steel and one in platinum– is rotating on its own axis, always showing you the actual phase of the moon.

The moon phase indication mechanism is so accurate that you won’t have to correct it in your lifetime, unless you plan to live another 122 years.

Photos: De Bethune

De Bethune DB25 Moon Phase watch specification

Price range: TBD, very expensive
Movement: DB2105si, hand-wound, 29 jewels, 28,800 vph
Complications: Moon phase, power reserve
Power reserve: 144 hours (6 days)
Case material: Rose gold or gray gold
Case shape: Round
Case size: 44.6 mm
Case height: 11.1 mm
Dial: Silvered gold
Hands: Flame-blued steel, hand-polished
Water resistance: N/A
Strap: Leather
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated on both sides