SJX Watches
De Bethune Introduces Custom Regulation with the Sensoriel
De Bethune’s latest invention aims to customise the regulation of a mechanical watch to suit the individual owner. Dubbed the Sensoriel Chronometry Project, it takes the form of a electronic wrist instrument that measures the wearer’s activities and environmental conditions over a two week period – gathering two million data points per hour according to the brand. With this voluminous quantity of data, De Bethune will then regulate a DB28GS Grand Bleu sports watch specifically for the particular owner, optimising timekeeping based on the wearer’s activities. [Updated to include response from Denis Flageollet.] Initial thoughts On paper the Sensoriel is interesting and impressive, but on reflection it raises several questions. For one, the two million data points recorded per hour – for a two-week period – results in an extraordinary amount of information on the wearer’s activities. Can any mechanical watch be regulated to a fine enough resolution that makes even a fraction of that data useful? My knowledge of watchmaking is certainly inexpert but I am sceptical. Mr Flageollet points out De Bethune utilises an algorithm to process the data and sieve out the “elements specific to the wearer, in a way to bring out a specific chronometric DNA for each wearer”, allowing the watch to be regulated according to a smaller number of data points. The second salient point is more philosophical. Historically the pursuit of chronometry meant good timekeeping regardless...
