De Bethune – DB28XP Meteorite Blue Edition

 De Bethune – CURRENT DB28XP Meteorite Blue Black Zirconium 43 Limited Edition 2021

De Bethune unveils the DB28XP Meteorite
The iconic "DB28XP" now appears with a black zirconium case and a meteorite dial featuring distinctive geometric shapes. Only 10 numbered timepieces will be produced.

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A crystallised moment, testifying to the very birth of a galaxy! De Bethune pays tribute to the pure and unrestrained force of nature. Created from a meteorite, the DB28XP Meteorite inspires and touches the explorer’s heart beating in every human being. 

 Beauty from above and beyond

Ferrous meteorites have already been used at De Bethune, notably to create one of the cases of the famous Dream Watch 5 and then the dial of the DB28 Kind of Blue Meteorite.

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Denis Flageollet, founder and Master Watchmaker of De Bethune, is passionate about meteorites. A passion that he nurtures by regularly trialling iron ore reduction processes with a view to one day making his own metal. His deep-felt interest in the material and his numerous attempts with Russian and Egyptian meteorites have led the Maison to work with a new kind of meteorite: Muonionalusta Meteorite.

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Believed to have struck planet Earth more than one million years BCE, somewhere between Finland and Sweden on the banks of the Muniono river, this is probably the world’s oldest known meteorite to date. The first fragment was discovered in Sweden, in 1906. 

Composed mainly of iron and nickel, it is distinguished by the perfectly geometrical lines of its 60° angle cross-hatched “Widmanstätten” pattern. 

The dial of the DB28XP Meteorite is adorned with an ancestral stone forged in space. A metal alloy that endows the dial with a distinctive texture, along with geometrical patterns aligned in a precise way that makes each timepiece special and unique. 

 
Recreating the magic of the stars amid the vast expanse of the heavens

De Bethune’s mastery of the thermal oxidation of metals has once again enabled it to raise the level of complexity by creating a starry sky accompanied by its Milky Way on a previously blued meteorite dial. This azure shade results from the heat released by the chemical reactions of the heated meteorite.

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Dotted across this blue dial surface is a multitude of small white gold pins, delicately driven in between the different shapes and thicknesses of the octahedral geometrical structures.

Like tiny suspended marbles, these glittering flashes of light endow the celestial vault with its aura of timeless depth. 

In addition to bringing a unique fragment of space to the wrist, each sky is different: the customer can choose a given constellation, according to a precise sky map, at a specific date, time and place.

The watchmaking art according to De Bethune

Alongside its classically inspired round, ultra-thin crown at 12 o'clock and its hunter-type back typical of pocket watches, the DB28XP Meteorite's ultra-light, polished black zirconium case with patented floating lugs nevertheless asserts the watch's modern and futuristic character.

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The DB28XP Meteorite features the distinctive graphic codes of the Manufacture, with a zirconium hour circle, minutes ring bearing Arabic numerals and the discreet De Bethune signature at 12 o'clock, complemented by pink gold hands identical to those on the DB28XP Starry Sky dial.

The design of the Microlight engraving and the slenderness of the case reflect De Bethune's contemporary expression of watchmaking art. 

Black zirconium case middle

Stemming from De Bethune’s research into materials and new processes, the use of zirconium for the case represents a natural and sustainable alternative for achieving a black colour. 

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The hardness of the metal and its stable oxidation, which does not deteriorate at room temperatures, are key assets in guaranteeing the resistance and durability of a watch exterior.

Chronometry expertise

The hand-wound movement is equipped with the De Bethune balance, visible through the 6 o’clock dial aperture. It represents the outcome of a consistent physical and mathematical approach to improving its operation undertaken by De Bethune. It is equipped with the latest technical advances, including an adjusted diameter, the use of titanium, as well as small white gold weights placed around the rim and endowing it with remarkable inertia, reliability and regulating properties.

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De Bethune has equipped this model with its very own balance spring, the extremely thin component regarded as the soul of the mechanical watch. Its centre of gravity is maintained in the very centre by means of a flat curve affixed to the outside of the balance spring. Differences in the thickness of the blade further enhance the almost perfect precision of its concentric development. The numerous advantages include reduced thickness, improved adjustment of the concentricity quality, finer adjustment of the index (regulator) and no more need for its pins, while the shape of the curve even acts as a shock absorber in case of impacts.

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 Imbued with ancestral knowledge along with the latest technical and scientific breakthroughs, all expressed in a resolutely avant-garde spirit, the DB28XP Meteorite subtly celebrates and reinterprets traditional fine watchmaking.

As Denis Flageollet explains: "No other metal is as strongly charged with pure energy and emotion as the ferrous meteorites that have taken shape in the furnace of the star-studded heavens.”

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection  CURRENT

Name:  DB28XP Meteorite Blue Edition

    Name: DB28XP Meteorite
    Reference: DB28XPZM
    Function: Hours, Minutes
    Movement: DB2115v7
    Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement
    Adjustment: Winding and setting the time by means of the crown (2 positions)

Technical features of calibre DB2115v7

    Number of parts: 175
    Jewelling: 27 jewels
    Diameter: 30 mm
    Power reserve: 6 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel, De Bethune Innovation (2004)
    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
        Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour
        Adornment: Hand-crafted finishing and decoration
Display

    Display: Polished pink gold hands
    Dial:
        Anthracite hours ring with transferred Arabic numerals in pink
        Transferred circular satin-brushed titanium minutes ring
        Titanium dial with “microlight” decoration – De Bethune Innovation (2007)
        Starry sky with white gold stars
        Dial featuring an opening revealing the balance, surrounded by a chamfered blue polished steel rim

Case

    Material: Mat anthracite zirconium with “microlight” case middle
    Diameter: 43 mm
    Thickness: 7.2 mm
    Lugs: Mat anthracite zirconium floating lugs – De Bethune Patent (2006)
    Crystal: Sapphire (1,800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
    Caseback:
        Solid, in mat anthracite zirconium
        Engraved ring in blued circular satin-finish titanium
        Mat anthracite zirconium plate with “microlight” decoration and De Bethune logo
    Water resistance: 3 ATM

Strap
    Strap: Extra-supple alligator leather with alligator lining
    Buckle: Mat anthracite zirconium buckle and pin
 

PRICE: CHF 120,000 

 Limited to Only 10 Pieces 

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Press release -- Geneva 2021
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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
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BLANCPAIN – Fifty Fathoms No Rad Edition

 BLANCPAIN – Fifty Fathoms No Rad Steel Limited Edition 2021

Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad: a limited-edition
reinterpretation of an iconic model

Blancpain reinterprets one of its emblematic historical timepieces, the Fifty Fathoms "no radiations". This mid-1960s diving instrument, of which one version was used by the German Navy's Combat Swimmers, had the characteristic feature of being stamped with a "no radiations" logo indicating that Blancpain was not using luminescent materials composed of radium.

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This distinctive symbol on the watch dial has forged its success; the timepiece and its variants are now among the most iconic Fifty Fathoms models, which the new Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad intends to honour. Collectors take note: this watch is issued in a 500-piece limited series. 

The Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad watch revisits the historical model that inspired it. Its matt deep black dial is punctuated by geometrical hour-markers, combining traditional round dots as well as rectangles and a diamond-shaped mark at 12 o'clock.

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The chapter ring, the hands and the time scale on the bezel all feature "old radium"-coloured Super-LumiNova® reprising the beige-orange hue of vintage indicators bearing the patina of time. At 3 o'clock sits a date aperture highlighted by a white rim, as seen on one of the 1960s models. The yellow and red "no radiations" logo remains the dominant element on the dial, adding to the already strong character of this timepiece.  

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The unidirectional rotating bezel, featuring a graduation typical of the initial Fifty Fathoms models, is fitted with a sapphire insert, a distinctive feature of the contemporary collection. Its domed profile contributes to the depth effect of the watch face, already enhanced by the use of a glassbox-type sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 300 metres, the steel case measures 40.3 mm, a diameter exclusive to limited-edition Fifty Fathoms watches. 

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It houses Blancpain Calibre 1151, a self-winding movement equipped with a silicon balance spring and endowed with a four-day power reserve. Its two barrels are wound by means of a rotor with a cartouche-shaped aperture, a nod to some of the historic timepieces in the collection, including the very first Fifty Fathoms. This now atypical detail was formerly used to increase the suppleness of the oscillating weight in order to safeguard the movement in the event of impacts. The watch comes with a strap in "Tropic"-type rubber, a material very popular with divers back in the day because of its durability and wearer comfort.

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With this limited series, Blancpain is restoring a cult instrument from its past as a supplier to the navies of numerous armed forces worldwide. In 1953, French Combat Swimmers were the first to use the Fifty Fathoms for their underwater missions. Thanks to its watertightness, legibility, safety and robustness, the watch immediately became an indispensable component of their equipment. 

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🔺 BLANCPAIN – Fifty Fathoms RPGA 1 "BUND No Rad" - VINTAGE MODEL 1960

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Others were to follow, including the German military, which in the mid-1960s acquired the Fifty Fathoms RPG 1 model, now better known as "BUND No Rad". This name refers to the term "Bundeswehr" (armed forces), engraved on the back of the watches that equipped the "Kampfschwimmer", the elite German frogman commando unit, until the early 1970s. The distinguishing attribute of the RPG 1 model was the "no radiations" logo, featured for the first time on the dial of a Fifty Fathoms. In the early 1960s, radium – a radioactive element used in watchmaking for its luminescent properties – was declared harmful to health. To reassure professional divers, as well as experienced amateurs who purchased their Fifty Fathoms watches from specialist equipment providers, Blancpain thus decided to clearly indicate that its timepieces were radium-free – and hence harmless. 

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The special symbol consisting of three red segments on a yellow background with a black cross was accompanied by the words "no radiations" designed to ensure that the message was easily understood. The same logo subsequently appeared on the Fifty Fathoms RPGA 1 model, a calendar-based variant of the "BUND No Rad", for which it would remain the main criterion.

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These diver's watches, whose dial indicated the absence of radium through the "no radiations" logo, have become particularly sought-after collector's items. They now form part of the Fifty Fathoms’ legendary heritage spanning almost 70 years.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection: Fifty Fathoms 

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References:  5008D-1130-B64A - strap

Model:  Fifty Fathoms No Rad Edition for Only Watch

Case
Stainless steel satin-brushed
Unidirectional satin-brushed steel bezel, sapphire insert
Diameter:  42.30 mm
Thickness: 13.23 mm
Between horns:  20.00 mm
Back:   Sapphire crystal
Antimagnetic properties
Water-resistant: 30ATM/300m/1000ft
Dial
Black dial with "No Rad" logo at 6 o'clock
Date and seconds
Liquidmetal® large vintage and  beige-orange hue hour-markers
"Old radium» indexes in cream-coloured Super-LuminNova® 
Date  3 o'clock
Functions                
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date 
Movement
Calibre 1151
Self-winding Ultra-slim
Diameter: 27.40.mm 12'''
Thickness: 3.25 mm
Power reserve in hours: 100 hours
Jewels: 28
2 mainspring barrels
Silicon sprung balance with gold regulation screwsComponents: 210
Strap
Rubber tropic-like strap
Buckle engraved with the BLANCPAIN logo.

EDITION  Limited edition  500

Price   EUR 13,180, CHF 13,200 or USD 14,100.

New Model - 2021

*Each bar corresponds to a 10-metre water column.

* Blancpain reserves the right to modify this model and its technical characteristics.

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Press release - 2021
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Blancpain S.A.
Le Rocher 12
1348 Le Brassus
Suisse
International PR: Aude Rosati
Tel.  (+41) 21 796 3636
Fax (+41) 21 796 3637
E-mail: pr@blancpain.com
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