28,193 articles · 2,554 videos found · page 7 of 1025
Revolution
Wei sits down with Laurens de Rijke of De Rijke & Co., to understand how a small Dutch independent brand created an iconic watch featuring one of the most well-loved cartoon characters on the planet, Miffy. Our latest collaboration with De Rijke & Co. is an inspired take on De Rijke & Co’s original sold-out […]
Worn & Wound
The De Rijke & Co. “Miffy” watches have unexpectedly launched the Dutch brand to a level of acclaim over the last few years that would have been hard for most people to predict. That isn’t because the watches they make aren’t worthy (we’ve been following them closely since the excellent Amalfi 1S, reviewed here in the pre-Miffy days), but because the Miffy character is quintessentially Dutch, and not an internationally known and obvious subject for a character watch. And also because, well, who would have thought that the “elegant driver’s watch” format would lend itself so well to a character at all? There’s an obvious sense of whimsy here, a youthful playfulness combined with De Rijke’s eye for great design that just really works. And the latest Miffy watch is perhaps the most impressive yet: a limited edition run made in collaboration with Revolution, featuring a unique perspective on De Rijke’s Miffy moonphase execution. The previous Miffy watches (which we wrote about here and here) were essentially opportunities for De Rijke to experiment with bold colors and work in an aesthetic defined by the illustrations of Miffy creator Dick Bruna. The moonphase disc captures Miffy riding a crescent moon, surrounded by stars, with luminescent material applied to the nighttime scene. It’s one of the largest moonphase indicators we know of in a wristwatch, with the width of the disc itself coming in at 20mm. The artwork takes advantage of the large size ...
Revolution
Team Revolution sits down and discusses the newest and cutest limited edition with De Rijke & Co, the Miffy Double Moonphase. The simple yet distinctive design of Miffy, created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, has a timeless appeal that has resonated with audiences of all ages; Miffy’s stories and adventures are relatable and often teach […]
Revolution
We are unveiling our latest collaboration - the De Rijke & Co. x Revolution Miffy Double Moonphase! Join us on a whimsical journey with the world’s most beloved cartoon bunny, Miffy, as she graces this exquisite timepiece. Limited to just 100 pieces, this watch is priced at an accessible EUR 3,100. Imagine Miffy, the symbol […]
Worn & Wound
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...
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SJX Watches
The latest version of De Bethune’s signature watch shrinks the case and ups the level of dial decoration. The DB28xs Starry Seas has a compact case of just 38.7 mm and an eye-catching dial finished a wave pattern and inlaid white gold stars in typical De Bethune style. Initial thoughts Originally a large watch with a case of 43 mm, the DB28 nonetheless became the brand’s trademark watch thanks to its distinctive styling and hinged lugs. So a more wearable version of the DB28 will certainly have is audience. In fact, the case of 38.7 mm is more than manageable, it is almost small by the standards of highly contemporary independent watchmaking. With the reduced case, however, the DB28xs might have lost some of the presence that made the original DB28 interesting, although that will have to be judged in the metal. Besides the case, the other novel feature of the watch is the wave pattern on the dial that’s complemented by inlaid gold stars, which is meant to evoke the night sky reflected on water. The wave pattern is new for De Bethune, adding some originality to this variant of the DB28. While the dial is beautiful – De Bethune’s blued titanium dials usually are – and the case remains appealing even on a smaller scale, I would have hoped that the brand did something more inventive, rather than create variants of existing designs and movements. Apart from the dial and case, the DB28xs is largely identical to its larger siblings, including utilising the same...
Deployant
De Bethune releases their smallest case that they ever made in a new DB28XS Starry Seas. Press Release information with commentary in italics. New: De Bethune DB28XS Starry Seas The new De Bethune DB28XS Starry Seas will have a retail price of CHF 77,000 / USD 90,000 excluding VAT. Commentary De Bethune has always beenRead More
SJX Watches
While De Bethune is best known for its avant-garde designs and signature spring-loaded floating lugs, the brand’s early years were characterised by more traditional styling. Fresh off the press, the DB Eight calls to mind the brand’s early products, most notably the DB1 mono-pusher chronograph from 2002, but adds many of the technical refinements that De Bethune has become known for. Dressed in a polished titanium case and guilloché dial, the DB Eight fills a hole in the brand’s current line-up by offering collectors a simple, manually wound mono-pusher chronograph, albeit one that lacks the technical and decorative refinement collectors expect at this price point. Thanks to its wide but slim case and narrow bezel, the DB Eight will likely wear larger than its 42.4 mm diameter would suggest Initial thoughts I’m probably in the minority when it comes to my preference for De Bethune’s more classically styled models like the original DB1. Given this preference, I naturally I gravitated towards the new DB Eight more than I have to some of the brand’s other recent offerings like the DB28XP. But while I like the design of the DB Eight, the substance does not meet my expectations for the brand. Let’s start with the good news. De Bethune has addressed the cross-eyed look of the DB1 with a new movement that offers an instantaneous 60-minute counter for the elapsed time at six o’clock. This creates a balanced look that at first glance might even pass for a time-...
Revolution
In 2022, when De Bethune relaunched their incredible DB25 Perpetual Calendar in an all-new case size of 40mm, collectors sat up and took notice as it made an already thoughtfully-designed grand complication watch even more well-proportioned for the wrist. Wei and Jeremiah discuss the genesis of this sea change in the DB25 Perpetual Calendar’s case […]
Revolution
Wei visits De Bethune Co-founder and Master Watchmaker Denis Flageollet’s private atelier, a place where he finds solitude to seek inspiration and conduct research for the brand’s next concept watch. Denis is probably the only independent watchmaker to have his own metal forge where he can experiment on different materials and craft his own watch […]
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Worn & Wound
One year ago we showed you the delightful De Rijke Miffy Moonphase, a playful take on De Rijke’s distinctive design language honoring the iconic Dutch cartoon character created by Dick Bruna, Miffy. We remarked then about the watch’s universal appeal beyond the character thanks to the exquisite execution of the character etched into a brass plate alongside the moonphase display. This year, De Rijke returns to the concept with three new dial colors that once again breathe new life into Bruna’s uniquely Dutch creation. The Miffy character has been incorporated into the design of the moonphase disc rotating underneath the dial, which is visible through an oversized aperture that dominates the top half of the dial. The character, which is a bunny, appears within the moon itself, with a slew of stars trailing. The entire design has been laser etched out of brass, polished and black rhodium plated. The recesses are then filled with different colors of lume, creating not only a vibrant illustration, but also an impressive sight in the dark. We’ve talked about our feelings on cartoon characters within the confines of watches before in this editorial, and sadly I neglected to mention the original De Rijke x Miffy as an example that works. According to Laurens de Rijke, the brand’s founder, it’s a reminder that we needn’t always take ourselves too seriously, explaining: “ For me though, it makes a lot of sense, the world of watches is one that is often very serious...
Deployant
De Bethune expands their DB 27 Titan Hawk lineup with a new watch influenced by motorsports, and the Lotus F1 team's John Player Special colourway.
Quill & Pad
In the newly introduced Breguet Reine de Naples References 9835 and 9838, the minute hand has become a sporty, elegant declaration of love. These intriguing hands feature a unique mechanism that traces the minute track around the edge of the oval dial in a singular way, at times looking like a heart.
Quill & Pad
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.
SJX Watches
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...
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Deployant
The Reine de Naples 8918 is one of the Maison’s iconic pieces.This novelty introduces two new white gold cased models - with enamel dial and MOP dial.
Deployant
Czapek releases two new models for its Quai de Bergues lineup with enamel guilloché dials in a deep emerald green and a iridescent marine blue.
Revolution
In Part 2 of our inside look at De Bethune, Wei traces the manufacture’s history of balance wheel development with founder and master watchmaker, Denis Flageollet. Very few watchmakers have been as singularly focused like Denis has; his being a 20-year relentless pursuit of chronometric performance of the most important component of a wristwatch, the […]
Deployant
De Bethune enhances their spectacular DB25 Starry Varius lineup with a 5 piece a year limited edition rendition in a magnificent meteorite dial.
Quill & Pad
Marc Newson‘s original Hourglass was one of Joshua Munchow's favorite objects of the last decade. And now it’s back and as good as ever, only this time the collaboration is with independent boutique brand De Bethune because it is these artisans who possess the unique ability and knowledge to create the color necessary for the new blued nanoballs inside the shaped, tempered glass.
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Quill & Pad
De Bethune’s watches can be equally as technical and eyebrow-raising on the outside as they are on the inside. Nonetheless, Elizabeth Doerr is still surprised every single time that she catches a glimpse of one of the Kind of Blue beauties: the depth, shimmer, and shine of this particular color is mesmerizing. And surely not only to her. Find out how she felt wearing one of these for a while!
Time+Tide
Named after Czapek’s third boutique – as it was the third collection released by the brand – the Czapek and Cie Faubourg de Cracovie is the company’s take on an integrated chronograph. It follows the brand ethos of intricately finished dials in vivid colours, and the Purple Panda and California Blue models we look at … ContinuedThe post A funky take on serious watchmaking with new Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
De Bethune’s latest DB28GS JPS is a sports watch inspired by F1 and driven by one of the most incredible movements ever designed
Deployant
Czapek extends their chronograph line - Faubourg de Cracovie model with 2 additional dial colourways in an Panda Purple and California Blue.
Revolution
Joining the harvest of green-dialled watches released this year, De Bethune’s green iteration of its DB25 Perpetual Calendar is anything but conventional.
Video
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