Results for Côtes de Genève

First Look: De Bethune at Geneva Watch Days 2025

Geneva Watch Days 2023: The De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue

De Bethune DB25 Digitale: The Brand's Digital Legacy Gets a Beautiful New Chapter

Jumping hours, a scrolling minute disc, and that unmistakable De Bethune savoir-faire - the DB25 Digitale is one of the highlights of Geneva Watch Days.

Introducing - The New, and Splendid De Bethune DB25 Digitale

De Bethune, a co-founder of Geneva Watch Days, returns for the seventh edition with a beautiful piece that revisits the brand’s digital time display. Featured across various models, the first digital display appeared in 2006 with a sophisticated in-line calendar displaying the day, date and month, with jumping hours and a scrolling minute disc. Equipped […]

Universal Genève Returns With Three One-Off SAS Polerouter Watches

In December 2023, Breitling purchased Universal Genève and announced that the brand would return to the marketplace in 2026. Since then, speculation about the models and movements has run rampant. We still don’t have any information to share. Still, Universal Genève has announced three one-off Polerouter watches that celebrate the 70th anniversary of the SAS […] Visit Universal Genève Returns With Three One-Off SAS Polerouter Watches to read the full article.

Hot Take: The New De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon

Today, we’ll briefly examine the new De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon, a thin titanium watch with a visible movement. Of course, it uses the brand’s characteristic spring-loaded, floating lugs that hug the wrist. It’s a lovely piece worth checking out! We spent time with De Bethune at Geneva Watch Days 2024 and saw several […] Visit Hot Take: The New De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon to read the full article.

First Look - The Compact and Striking new De Bethune DB28XS Steel Wheels

What happens when you cross De Bethune’s compact DB28XS with the looks and transparency of the DB28XP Steel Wheels? The answer, revealed during Geneva Watch Days, is this stunning, polarizing, fascinating DB28XS Steel Wheels. As master watchmaker and founder of the De Bethune brand, Denis Flageollet points out, this is not merely an exercise in […]

Introducing - De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon

Using its classic codes, De Bethune merges the sleek profile of the ultra-thin DB28XP with the captivating blue hue debuted on the DB28T Kind of Blue to present a quintessentially De Bethune creation. As one of De Bethune’s most iconic models, the DB28 showcases the brand’s signature floating lugs, a crown positioned at 12 o’clock […]

The three watches Borna wore most in 2023 - Tudor, Seiko, Universal Genève

With two clear stand-outs, Borna found it somewhat challenging to figure out his third most-worn watch of the year.The post The three watches Borna wore most in 2023 – Tudor, Seiko, Universal Genève appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The most expensive G-SHOCK ever sold + Breitling acquires Universal Genève

A fan-favourite brand is set to make its return, and the humble G-Shock reaches new heights.The post The most expensive G-SHOCK ever sold + Breitling acquires Universal Genève appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Experts and Collectors Weigh in on the Return of Universal Genève

Early yesterday morning, news broke in the watch world that was both surprising, and felt inevitable. Universal Genève, the highly regarded and historic Swiss brand that has been effectively dormant for years, will be revived and relaunched by the same ownership team currently steering the ship at Breitling. While the news of Universal finally getting a high profile relaunch isn’t exactly shocking (reviving heritage brands shuttered during the Quartz Crisis has been a favorite pastime in the watch industry over the last decade), we weren’t expecting the Breitling connection. The news (and reaction to it) speaks both to the great affection the community feels for the Universal Genève brand, and to the strength and financial turnaround of Breitling under Georges Kern’s tenure.  Universal Genève has a long and rich history, and has grown significantly in esteem in recent years. They were part of an explosion of interest in vintage watches that began more than ten years ago, but unlike other brands that benefited from increased attention on historic vintage pieces (Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet among them), Universal Genève doesn’t exist as a modern watchmaker in a meaningful way. For that reason, there’s always been a mystique to the brand that can’t really be replicated. We can, and do, compare vintage versions of Submariners, Daytonas, and Royal Oaks to their modern equivalents, and can thus relate to these watches through a modern context or l...

Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Universal Genève

Breitling has just announced the acquisition of Universal Genève, a once-storied brand famous for its Polerouter and Compax chronographs but that was dormant for years. Breitling will pay CHF60 million for the brand, but in tranches with CHF20 million upfront and the balance over the next five years. The acquisition marks the first step in chief executive Georges Kern’s ambitions of building a watchmaking group, which will presumably go public. According to Mr Kern, Universal will be revived by a new team and run independently of Breitling, though it is almost a certainty Breitling will bestow upon its sister company some of its in-house movement know-how. A sleeping beauty Since 1989, Universal Genève has been owned Stelux, a Hong Kong watchmaking group focused on the affordable end of the market. The company’s primary business is the lucrative distribution of Seiko in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, while its City Chain stores specialised in low-priced watches. Stelux owns a handful of other Swiss brands, including Solvil et Titus and Catena, none of which are premium brands as Universal might possibly be. Although Universal attempted several halfhearted comebacks, particularly in the 1990s, the brand has gone nowhere for some time, making it a relatively easy turnaround given the starting point. Commenting in the takeover announcement, Breitling chief executive Georges Kern says, “Rebuilding a brand with such a rich narrative is not a quick endeavor-it is a meti...

De Bethune Debuts the DB28xs Starry Seas, a Smaller Version of their Signature Design with a Beautiful Ocean Inspired Dial

The De Bethune DB28 is an absolutely insane watch. As I found out for myself in Geneva earlier this year, the watch’s large proportions play tricks on you: it’s enormous to the eye, but incredibly light on the wrist thanks to the titanium case construction and airy design with those patented hollowed out, articulating lugs. Even though this watch is the ultimate example of “It actually wears a lot smaller…” I think it’s understandable that collectors would call for a version that’s actually smaller, and that’s what De Bethune has delivered with the new DB28xs Starry Seas. This is essentially a scaled down version of the DB28 that incorporates a fantastic and first of its kind dial that applies guilloche in an entirely new way.  The centerpiece here is certainly the dial, which is made from heat blued titanium, taking on the dramatic bright blue shade that has become a De Bethune hallmark of sorts. The decoration is what De Bethune refers to as “random guilloche,” and they say this is the first time this technique has been used in a watch dial design. The cumulative effect is a dial that looks like ocean waves in motion, and it’s been accented with small white gold “stars” to create the impression of the night sky being reflected off the surface of a body of water. It’s a natural extension of other “Starry” De Bethune references, which typically depict a night sky view. The case will be familiar to those who know the DB28 (the lucky few). It...

De Bethune DB25s QP: Near Perfect Is Now Perfect!

When De Bethune released the new DB25s Perpetual Calendar at Geneva Watch Days 2022, the main talking point was just how much the model had shrunk from its previous iterations to become a more perfect proportion. And like any good diet consultation, it was the result of careful and deliberate attention paid to the watch as a whole and how components worked with each other.

HANDS-ON: Bell & Ross BR V2-92 Garde-Côtes

A few months ago we had a look at the Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde-Côtes, an orange-accented twist on their vintage chronograph. Well, today we’re going to pare it back a little further, with the time and date BR V2-92 Garde-Côtes. Looking at Jason’s excellent photos of this watch it should be quite apparent … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Bell & Ross BR V2-92 Garde-Côtes appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Review: Bell & Ross BR V2-94 GARDE-CÔTES

Bell & Ross extends its product line with the vintage inspired V2-94 Garde-Côtes. The Garde-Côtes model is a tribute to France’s coastguards and uses thei

HANDS-ON: The Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde Cotes

For most brands a round 41mm steel chronograph would be unremarkable, but this Bell & Ross stands out precisely because of these features – it’s not an oversize square watch crafted from ceramic or some other highly technical material, which is what we’ve come to expect from Bell & Ross. Even though the BR V2-94 … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde Cotes appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

De Rijke & Co. Capri Joins the Permanent Collection with Silver, Champagne, and Salmon Dials

Laurens de Rijke's ultra-thin rectangular Capri stops being a limited surprise and becomes a catalog staple

Introducing - The Capri By De Rijke & Co Welcomes New Permanent Editions

For those familiar with the work of Dutch independent watchmaker Laurens de Rijke, working under his De Rijke & Co brand name, you’ll know about the Capri as well. Following his Amalfi Series driver’s watch and series of whimsical Miffy Moonphase watches, both featuring rotatable cases, the Capri is cut from a different block yet […]

De Rijke & Co. Makes the Capri Collection a Permanent Fixture of Its Catalog with Three Staple Colorways

At Windup last fall, De Rijke & Co. made a surprise unveiling of the Capri collection, marked by its distinctive ultra-thin rectangular case, unique curved sapphire crystal, integrated shrouded lugs, and stone dials. As the year went on, the brand made an official announcement about the line, launching a poster challenge featuring hidden Easter eggs and offering further previews at other industry events like Milan Watch Week. As the calendar page turned to 2026, pre-orders for the anticipated limited edition Capri finally opened for the initial iterations in black onyx, black aventurine, and blue capri produced in just 50 pieces each. Now, the brand ushers the model into its permanent catalog with three new dial colors: champagne, salmon, and silver. Within each dial variant, there is a balance of subtle nuances and stylistic throughlines. Each version carries a fine textured frosted dial composition that catches and diffuses the light, bringing out the broader spectrum of tones within each of the neutral colorways. De Rijke & Co. has made this effect deliberately subtle. Rather than relying on gloss or decoration, the dials reveal themselves through the curvature across the dial and crystal that’s a defining feature of the Capri. However, each dial shade also has its own cheeky personality. The salmon model offers a fresh take on a hue used throughout the history of watchmaking. Here, the warm pink tone is brought to life thanks to the contrast of the deep blue strap an...

New GWD26 release: De Bethune DB25 Digitale

De Bethune returns to the world of digital timekeeping with the new DB25 Digitale, bringing its distinctive jumping-hours display into the DB25 collection.

De Bethune Revives the Digitale in Style

One of De Bethune’s earliest models was a jumping hours wristwatch and now the brand has returned to concept with the DB25 Digitale. While largely similar to the earlier version in terms of function, the latest Digitale is presented in a new format. This is the third iteration of the Digitale – the second was introduced some 12 years ago – and the most elaborate yet in decorative terms. The case is in the wearable DB25 style, but the dial is decorated with the brand’s hallmark techniques, wavy guilloche and star-studded heat-blued titanium. Initial thoughts The DB25 Digitale revives one of De Bethune’s initial concepts, the “digital” time display, but now presented in the De Bethune greatest-hits livery of expansive blued titanium decorated with both the sea and the stars. With its striking, high-contrast colours, the new Digitale looks more current than its predecessor that carried something of an Art Deco pocket watch aesthetic. Admittedly, the DB25 Digitale is a cosmetic makeover and doesn’t add much novelty in technical terms. But it is still very much up to date in technical terms, illustrating the remarkable technical innovation, driven by Denis Flageollet, which continues to serve as De Bethune’s foundations. The DB2144V3 movement remains a sophisticated calibre even though it’s over two decades old. In fact, it arguably boasts substantially more technical content that “new” movements recently debuted by startup independent watchmakers. At CH...

New releases from Nomos, Maurice de Mauriac, Krayon and more

With Wimbledon having concluded just last week, the tennis inspiration is still strong in our minds. Maurice de Mauriac expands its Rallymaster collection with a new colourway celebrating Swiss tennis. NOMOS introduces two models whose crisp, clean dials would perfectly echo the tournament’s all-white dress code. At the same time, Krayon offers an escape from … Continued

New: De Bethune DB25xs Sand Winds

A new dial for the De Bethune DB25xs which inspired by nature. Introducing the DB25xs Sand Winds. Inspired by nature, and perfected by De Bethune.

Breitling, Universal Genève, and Gallet Join Watches & Wonders 2027

As the summer begins, next year’s Watches & Wonders (and the larger trade show agenda) is beginning to take shape. News broke this morning that Watches & Wonders will be adding several new brands to their show, which is slated for April 5-11 in Geneva, and will once again be held at Palexpo. The big story is that House of Brands, the new group fronted by Georges Kern including Breitling, Universal Geneve, and Gallet, will have space at Watches & Wonders 2027. Breitling has never participated in Watches & Wonders, but for as long as the show has existed, the brand has held parallel events in Geneva or events timed just before the show itself. Now they will be in the thick of it, along with their two sibling brands in a newly formed luxury group, each sitting at different ends of the market. We covered Universal Geneve’s return here. Gallet, to this point, has not made any announcements as far as products or availability, but they are expected to sit at a price point a tier below Breitling.  The Breitling news comes a week after the surprise announcement of an entirely new show to be held in Basel next year. The new fair, Basilia, is set to debut in April and is a product of MCH Group and Informa Markets. According to a press release, Basilia expects to attract more than 400 exhibitors, including “manufacturers, designers, brands, retailers, wholesalers, distributors and sourcing specialists from around the world.” No word yet on any specific brands that have signed...