What We Know
For me, a De Bethune has to take a cue from Miles Davis. It better be “Kind of Blue.” Over at EsperLuxe, the indie retailer outside of Boston, it seems like they agree with me. There are a few firsts in the new DB27 “Night Hawk,” at least for the DB27 collection. Normally called the “Titan Hawk,” it’s previously come in a slightly more straightforward package, with concentric “microlight” circles engraved on the dial, the patented articulating lugs, and the crown at 12 o’clock. But there are many features here that the DB27 hasn’t had before.
For the first time, a titanium flame-blued “Starry Sky” motif appears on the dial, with stars laid out to mark the date and location where EsperLuxe finalized its partnership with De Bethune in 2021. Not new, but a good look, are the printed silver Roman numerals on the sloping middle dial, the printed railroad track, and the 5-minute intervals. The watch features mirror-polished flame-blued titanium hands with silver tips. The case is polished grade 5 titanium, with a midcase engraved in De Bethune’s microlight style. But the kicker is the super-cool (again, first time ever) matte-blue titanium short, articulating lugs.
I know that it’s weird to go on and on about lugs, but some of you haven’t had a chance to try on a De Bethune. Yes, the case is 43mm in diameter, 9mm thick (which is pretty good, considering it has an automatic movement), but with the hinge on the lugs, the lug can vary in range from about 50mm to 47mm, shortening it up while not necessarily raising the watch on the wrist. Instead, the watch just hugs your wrist better, even if the case sits a bit more unusually than most. Here are a few photos that prove that.
The caseback shows an unusual view—not like most movements, but still plenty nice. An automatic rotor with some microlight engraving. There’s a titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts. The watch uses the De Bethune balance-spring with a flat terminal curve and the De Bethune steel escape wheel. With 29 jewels, the watch runs at 4Hz and has 60 hours of power reserve.
De Bethune doesn’t produce many watches a year, so you probably won’t be shocked to hear this is a limited-edition release via the retail partner. Ten pieces, plus one prototype, will be made, each with a retail price of $70,000.
What We Think
I said it up top, but this has pretty much everything I’d want out of a De Bethune. It’s got a clean dial with my favorite (or second-favorite, next to the Starry Seas) motif from the brand. It’s wonderfully blue, yet it taught me how great the blue can be when it’s two-tone with silver. It’s a great watch, in my opinion. No notes. Even the price feels fair, considering that De Bethune has occasionally felt like it was creeping up with other brands. Of course, I wish there could be more, but then again, I still wouldn’t be buying one, so it’s all good.
The Basics
Brand: De Bethune
Model: DB27 “Night Hawk”
Reference: DB27V2EL
Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 9mm
Case Material: Polished grade 5 titanium with mid-case in microlight engraved titanium and matte blued grade 5 titanium “short” lugs
Dial Color:
Indexes: Chapter ring with Roman numerals and outer ring with minute markers and 5-minute intervals (printed); Matte blued hands with mirror-polished tips
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Blue fabric strap, second bespoke Alex Crown strap; Pin buckle in polished grade 5 titanium.
The Movement
Caliber: AUTOV2
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Diameter: 30mm
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 29
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, optimized for temperature differences and air penetration
Pricing & Availability
Price: $70,000
Availability: Now, via EsperLuxe
Limited Edition: Yes, 10 pieces (plus 1 prototype)
For more, click here.
