Friday, July 5, 2024

De Bethune – CURRENT DB28XP ‘Kind Of Blue’ Tourbillon Titanium Edition

De BethuneCURRENT DB28XP Kind Of BlueTourbillon Titanium Limited Edition 2024

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De Bethune is introducing the latest DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon. A limited edition of 20 pieces, born from the union of the elegant DB28XP and the captivating DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon. 

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In his quest for an ultra-thin watch, Denis Flageollet envisioned the DB28XP as a fusion of technical and aesthetic challenges. It represents a delicate balance between intricacy and simplicity, requiring precise execution and a harmonious blend of design and limitations.

A natural evolution of excellence

The DB28XP Kind of Blue is the natural evolution of two iconic models from De Bethune: the DB28XP and the DB28 Kind of Blue. 

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It embodies the best of both worlds by combining the sleek design and refinement of the DB28XP with a completely blue look, inspired by the DB28 Kind of Blue and bearing the Manufacture’s signature.

A captivating dial

Here, it’s all about levels of interpretation, reliefs, and the interplay of light with shadows and reflections. 

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Crafted from blued titanium, the watch reveals an architectural fusion of space, time, and light at first glance. Its deep and luminous blue is achieved through the natural oxidation of the material, making each watch a unique work of art.

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The dial, entirely made of Microlight, reimagines and modernizes traditional guilloché technique. On its expansive flat surface, this technique gains new meaning and enhances the structure. 

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By playing with shadow and light, it adds depth and delivers a more architectural and dynamic result. The overall effect becomes more contemporary.

Ultra-thin according to De Bethune

De Bethune opened a chapter in the world of ultra-thin watches in 2020 with the launch of the DB28XP, celebrating ten years of mechanical and aesthetic research and work. 

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In his pursuit of an ultra-thin timepiece, Denis Flageollet envisioned it as both a technical and aesthetic challenge—the complexity of slimness, an adventure that demands precision and harmony between design and constraints.

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As if by fate, the De Bethune DB28XP has now become an embodiment of beauty, an elegance that epitomizes purity in its most absolute form.

De Bethune Tourbillon: Why So Small, So Light, So Fast?

In the expansive array of complications and functions that De Bethune has mastered, the tourbillon has often taken a leading role. 

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A tourbillon equipped with an extraordinarily lightweight cage (0.18 gr., the lightest ever created) rotating every thirty seconds, comprising a total of 63 components (the lightest of which weighs less than 0.0001 gram!). Today, a wrist-worn watch experiences significantly more “torture” than a pocket watch. 

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Rapid and erratic wrist movements impose kinetic brutality on watch mechanics, warranting careful consideration. Just as Breguet invented the tourbillon to counteract the effects of Earth’s gravity and enhance the precision of marine watches, De Bethune sought ways to optimize it for today’s wristwatches.

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The equation? To be more effective on a wrist subjected to quick and erratic movements, the tourbillon must have a higher frequency and a faster rotation speed. 

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By creating a tourbillon in titanium and silicon with a frequency of 36,000 vibrations/hour and an extraordinarily lightweight cage rotating every thirty seconds, describing the feat is easier than achieving it. Much like an airborne insect, a true exoskeleton maintains the entire structure. 

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Thus, the De Bethune tourbillon, so small, so light, so fast, simply fulfills its function better for contemporary watches. The futuristic shape of the tourbillon bridge symmetrically and perfectly supports the tourbillon on both sides, keeping it in its position.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection  CURRENT

Name:  DB28 XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon  

Function: Hours, Minutes, 30’’ indicator via the ultra-light De Bethune tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, power reserve on the back
Movement: DB2009v5
Type:
Mechanical hand-wound movement
Adjustment:
Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)

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 Reference: DB28XPTB

🔰Limited edition of 20 pieces


Case
     Case material: Blued polished grade 5 titanium with “microlight” case middle set with baguette sapphire
    Diameter: 43 mm
    Thickness: 9.1 mm
    Lugs: Blued polished grade 5 titanium floating lugs – De Bethune Patent (2006)
    Crystal: Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
    Caseback: Screwed case back in blued polished titanium and open on a linear
power reserve indicator
    Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
    Water-resistant to 30 meters (3 ATM)
Dial and hands
Display: Polished titanium hands
Dial: Titanium hour ring with blued microlight decoration and polished hour
markers.
Blued grade 5 circular satin titanium minutes and seconds ring
Bridge cover on the barrel and triangular central bridge in grade 5
blued polished titanium with blued drawn chamfered contour.
Milky Way patterns produced by laser beam micro milling, gilded with 24-carat gold leaf
Movement
    Caliber DB2009v5
    Mechanical hand-wound movement
    Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means means of the crown (2 positions)
    Diameter: 30 mm
    Number of parts: 380
    Number of jewels: 40
    Frequency: 36,000 vibrations per hour
    Power reserve: 5 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel – De Bethune Innovation (2004)
    Adornment: Hand-crafted finishing and decoration 
 Function
Hours, Minutes, 30’’ indicator via the ultra-light De Bethune tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, power reserve on the back
Specificities
    Titanium balance with white gold inserts, optimised for temperature differences and air penetration –
De Bethune Patent (2016)
"De Bethune" balance-spring with flat terminal curve De Bethune Patent (2006)
Silicon escape wheel
Ultra-light De Bethune 30’’ tourbillon in titanium De Bethune Innovation (2008)
Strap and buckle

 Strap: Extra-supple alligator leather with alligator lining
Buckle:
Blued grade 5 titanium buckle and pin

🔰Limited edition of 20 pieces

🔴Price: 296,830 EUR / US $ 297,750 💰

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Press release -- Geneva 2024
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De Bethune Geneva Office 
25 Grand-Rue 1204 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 310 22 71
Fax: +41 22 310 33 40
Contact: mailto:press@debethune.com

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www.DeBethune.ch

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Concepto Watch Factory – BUGATTI Tourbillon Edition

Concepto Watch FactoryBUGATTI Tourbillon 2024 - 2026

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  CONCEPTO WATCH FACTORY,
PARTNER OF
BUGATTI

Concepto Watch Factory, a Swiss watch company based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, announces a partnership with the prestigious French brand, as an exclusive supplier, developer, and producer of an extraordinary mechatronic instrument cluster, which will be equipped in Bugatti’s latest hyper sports car model, named “Tourbillon”.

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The Tourbillon that will be limited to 250 units. Image – Bugatti

This latest creation from the iconic French brand was presented at a world premiere on June 20th, 2024, to guests from all over the world at Château Saint-Jean in Molsheim.

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Based in Neuchâtel, Concepto has been recognized in the world of watchmaking for almost 20 years as a discreet “engine” manufacturer for several leading brands. Now the company is expanding to new outlets of expression by sharing its experience with the designers and engineers of the hyper sports car brand.

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“The team and I are proud of to have been able to interpret Mate Rimac and his team’s vision and make it a reality. We have been working together on the R&D for nearly 4 years and the fruits of our labor are now finally visible”  

Valérien Jaquet, CEO of Concepto Watch Factory.

Incomparable. BUGATTI

Bugatti has been a pioneer of extraordinary mechanical and technological prowess since 1909. Each new hyper sports car model is developed with the approach that every single component must be incomparable, because it’s this attention to detail in every part that makes for an extraordinary whole

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This leading motif obviously applies to our new Tourbillon model, both in terms of its engine and its aesthetics. The customer experience must always be unique, incomparable, and considered, down to the smallest details.” Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti-Rimac.

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  It’s here that the teams from Concepto Watch Factory could distinguish themselves by materializing a concept that seems contrary to current trends: designing and producing a mechatronic dashboard (combining mechanical and electronic parts) and uniting prestigious Swiss watchmaking mechanisms with the manufacturer’s superlative requirements.

Watchmaking and automobiles, the best of two worlds united again

The symbiotic relationship between watchmakers and automobile manufacturers has existed from the beginning of the 20th century. It started with collaborations on the development of instrument clusters and electromechanical instruments, followed by countless partnerships mainly relating to communication and marketing.

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  The shared vision of Mate Rimac and Valérien Jaquet sparks an innovative reunification and marks a return to the fundamentals of excellence and pure mechanics.  

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The Tourbillon that will be limited to 250 units. Image – Bugatti 

 “When Mate Rimac contacted us, we immediately thought that we would be designing a simple timepiece in connection with the next model from Bugatti. However, we quickly realized that he wanted us to deliver an integral component of the hyper sports car model, with a creative approach combining the best of our two worlds, our two teams. A component with real, precise mechanical functions and that would not only have a purely decorative function.” Valérien Jaquet

Back to basics: Retrofuturistic and uncompromising specifications

Digital dashboards with high-definition displays are now found in every car. This equipment is now commonplace, with fully customizable displays that can connect to the driver’s mobile devices.

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An incomparable approach was proposed instead, with reference to the history of Bugatti and its close relation to exceptional mechanics.  

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The Tourbillon that will be limited to 250 units. Image – Bugatti 

 The assembly has three meters, nested in a “monobloc” aluminum casing which sits in the center of the steering wheel, giving the impression of being suspended above the steering column.

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Each meter has a spectacular look, made up of hand-decorated gears, visible below open-worked components, backlit numbers in 3D and dials made from various metals, comparable to the aesthetics of luxury Grandes Complications timepieces.

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The driver can easily read all the important information from the hands, made with the same finishing as in high-end watchmaking and clearly visible thanks to ingenious lighting systems.

One vision, four years of development, eight engineers and project managers

Bugatti’s and Concepto’s engineering teams worked together to overcome all the constraints and demands of the sports car world, while still offering unlimited possibilities for personalization. The materials, finishes and decorations are presented and sealed under three sapphire-glasses.

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The center dial shows the speedometer with large numbers. The RPM counter is suspended in the middle and partially covers the rack for the coaxial hands, connected to micromotors and then to the electronic components, hidden under the main plate. 

A discreet digital display confirms the analog information from the hands in real-time.

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 The left dial is made up of three smaller subdials and shows the different gauges for the hybrid engine (battery charge and fuel status) as well as the temperature. Lastly, the right dial displays the electrical and thermal power.

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Technical data summary

  • Mechatronic dashboard with hybrid gauges – analog and digital – patented and developed by the Concepto Watch Factory teams in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with the support of local companies, all within a 30km radius.
  • 100% of the mechanical components, micromotors and displays (except for the digital display) are produced in Switzerland.
  • International automotive certification according to the highest standards and requirements.
  • 4 years of development

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Concepto Watch Factory SA, “The silent partner”

Located in the heart of the Swiss Jura in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with over 20 years in its own 7,500m2 industrial building, Concepto is one of the rare independent manufacturers of watch movements, with verticalized manufacturing and specialized knowledge of Grandes Complications.

With a team of 160 highly qualified employees, the company’s workshops deliver on average 30,000 mechanical movements and timepieces each year, made for clients mainly composed of prestigious watch brands.

Concepto is now starting a new chapter in its history as a “silent partner”, by creating a service dedicated exclusively to the automotive sector.

“We had to consider all the necessary parameters to handle and meet the demands of the automotive sector. This required some adaptations to our procedures, which are now in the validation phase for an ISO 9001 certificate. As for our organizational changes, our expansion and renovation work that started in 2020 will soon be complete. This will allow us to allocate a nearly 500m2 area to workshops dedicated to our collaboration with Bugatti.”  Valérien Jaquet

===============   About Bugatti   ==================

Bugatti has been at the pinnacle of the automotive industry for 115 years, creating the world’s most groundbreaking automobiles from its home in Molsheim, France. Every vehicle created since the company was founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909 is praised for its comfort, drivability, design and technology desired by automotive collectors from around the world. A Bugatti is more than a car, it is a timeless piece of automotive art.

With a reputation built in motorsport, and a history of the most innovative, beautiful and luxurious cars ever created, Bugatti continues to follow the vision of its founder: ‘If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti.’
Today, Bugatti is part of the Bugatti Rimac Group, led by CEO Mate Rimac, who is renowned for excellence in high-performance automotive electrification. With the same visionary genius as Ettore Bugatti, Rimac and the Bugatti team are developing the next generation of incomparable hyper sports cars, true to the founder’s vision, while simultaneously expanding Bugatti’s excellence beyond the automotive industry with luxury lifestyle collaborations and products.

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Concepto Watch Factory SA
Rue du Collège 85
2301 La Chaux-de-Fonds
+41 32 911 19 19
info@conceptowatch.ch
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Wednesday, July 3, 2024

OMEGA X SWATCH – Collaboration Speedmaster Moonwatch MISSION ON EARTH

 

OMEGA X SWATCH – Collaboration Speedmaster Bioceramic Moonwatch MISSION ON EARTH 2024

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 MoonSwatch Mission on Earth - Swatch Group

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 THE BIOCERAMIC MOONSWATCH COLLECTION SHOWCASES EARTH FROM SPACE

Three new Swatch models — MISSION ON EARTH – LAVA, MISSION ON EARTH – POLAR LIGHTS, and MISSION ON EARTH – DESERT — pay tribute to the beauty of our planet.

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Three new Bioceramic MoonSwatch watches have just landed. All throughout history, people have wondered what the world looks like from above. Every astronaut who’s ever been to space has said that the most beautiful sight they have ever seen was the Blue Planet. 

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“When I first looked back at the Earth, standing on the moon, I cried,” said astronaut Alan Shepard who, in 1961, became the first American to go into space and, in 1971, the fifth man to walk on the moon.

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The three new non-limited Bioceramic MoonSwatch models — MISSION ON EARTH – LAVA, – POLAR LIGHTS and – DESERT — pay tribute to our magnificent planet, inspired by volcanic lava, the Aurora Borealis and deserts, three natural phenomena, with their magical and enchanting beauty, that can be seen clearly from space. For these watches, Swatch has developed three brand-new colors in Bioceramic.

MISSION ON EARTHLAVA

The Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION ON EARTH – LAVA is inspired by volcanoes, openings in the Earth’s crust that allow lava, ash, and gas to escape. Lava is both dangerous and captivating, with its intense red and orange hues. 

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Today, roughly 1,670 active volcanoes have been identified worldwide. Around sixty of them erupt each year, not including the many underwater volcanoes. 

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The Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION ON EARTH – LAVA is also a nod to OMEGA and its 1968 Speedmaster Moonwatch “Ultraman” model, with its famous orange chronograph hand.

MISSION ON EARTH POLAR LIGHTS

The Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION ON EARTH – POLAR LIGHTS pays tribute to the fabulous Aurora Borealis. 

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Visible from space, and breathtakingly beautiful, these brilliant atmospheric wonders are characterized by extremely colorful “curtains” in the night sky, green and blue being the most common. That’s why turquoise dominates in this watch, reminiscent of the prodigious display of colors in the sky at the North Pole. 

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Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO 

The blue dial itself is studded with little “stars” of tiny silver-colored flakes, inspired by aventurine glass dials. This is another nod to certain OMEGA watches. The layout of the “stars” is different on every model, making the dial on each watch unique. 

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The numerals and indexes on the three subdials use the radial format, just like the Speedmaster in OMEGA’s Alaska II and III projects.
MoonSwatch Mission on Earth

MISSION ON EARTHDESERT

Both the case and hands of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION ON EARTH – DESERT come in a sand color, and the dial and strap come in greige (taupe), bringing to mind the vast expanses of sand that cover over a fifth of the Earth’s landmass and can be found on every continent. 

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The Sahara is the largest desert in the world, spanning over 9 million km² of North Africa. Its climate is very dry, with temperatures capable of reaching over 50°C in the daytime and dropping below freezing at night.

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The three new Bioceramic MoonSwatch  MISSION ON EARTH watches all have their mission statement on the caseback and the OMEGA X SWATCH logos on the dial and crown. 

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A design of planet Earth can be seen on each battery cover. An adjustable VELCRO® strap suitable for spacesuits, adds that finishing touch of astronaut chic and features a contrasting topstitching in the same color as the respective case.

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The hands and indexes are coated with Grade A Super-LumiNova® for a perfect glow in the dark effect. All the main features of the original OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch — the first watch to go to the moon — can be found on these watches: the asymmetrical case, the renowned tachymeter scale with the dot over 90, and the typical Speedmaster subdials. As with all Bioceramic MoonSwatch models, these new watches have a chronograph function.

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MISSION ON EARTH – LAVA, – POLAR LIGHTS and – DESERT, like all the models in the OMEGA X SWATCH collaboration, are made from the Swatch’s patented Bioceramic, a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic, used in high-end watchmaking, and one-third biosourced materials produced from castor oil.

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The three new Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION ON EARTH watches are available from Saturday, June 15, only in selected Swatch stores. As with the whole Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per Swatch store.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS   

Brand:   OMEGA X SWATCH  
🤝 COLLABORATIONS  
Collection: Speedmaster


Model: MoonSwatch Mission On Earth Lava, Polar Lights, and Desert

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  • Turquoise Ref. SO33L103 - POLAR LIGHTS  
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Case
Вiameter: 42.00 mm
Case thickness: 13.25 mm
Lug-to-lug distance: 47.30 mm
Material: Orange, Turquoise, or Sand-colored BioCeramic 
Bezel:  Bioceramic bezel with sand-colored tachymeter scale
Water Resistance: 30m
Dial 
Color: Black, Dark blue with tiny silver-colored sparkle or taupe
Lume: Yes, hands and markers 
Featuring the OMEGA X Swatch logo and the iconic Speedmaster and MoonSwatch logos
Movement
Caliber: Quartz chronograph movement
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Pricing & Availability
Strap/Bracelet
VELCRO® strap with contrasting turquoise topstitching, attachment loop in turquoise Bioceramic

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🔴 Price: CHF 250,00 / $300 💰
🔰Limited Edition: No

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 SWATCH INTERNATIONAL
STEFANIE KRISCH
TEL +41 79 548 4794
E-MAIL : stefanie.krisch@swatch.com
www.swatch.com

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Press releases - 2024
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