De Bethune DB25Vxs Monopusher Chronograph

Watches & Wonders 2025 has arrived, and with it, all of our favorite brands are showcasing their latest creations. De Bethune returns with a few additions to the brand’s catalog. One of the fascinating things about De Bethune is that it straddles the lines between ultra-classical and hyper-modern. Denis Flageollet, the master watchmaker behind the brand, is a man of differing tastes – high praise and admiration for the history of horology while creating timepieces, modern in designs and materials. On the side of classical watchmaking, De Bethune showcases an all-new, elegant and understated timepiece – the DB25 Monopusher Chronograph in a sleek, 40mm polished titanium case. 

Working from the classic foundation of silvered dial and blued hands, the DB25 draws inspiration from the refined aesthetics of the 1920s and 1930s. This timepiece pays homage to the craftsmanship of 18th-century horological masters like Jean-Antoine Lépine and Julien Leroy. The dial, minimalist and elegant, showcases meticulous craftsmanship, particularly in how it interacts with light and material finishes – a hallmark of De Bethune’s approach. Hand-decorated, the DB25 Monopusher Chronograph features a prominent 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock with barleycorn guilloché, subtly contrasting against the radiant, hand-engraved background to ensure optimal legibility of the elapsed time.

In recent years, we’ve observed De Bethune modernize a series of timepieces with new, often significantly smaller dimensions. Miniaturization without sacrificing chronometric performance, the brand continues this trend with the new 40mm case in this timepiece. Fitting a chronograph movement into the smaller case posed a challenge for De Bethune, but caliber DB3000 fit all of the requirements and is a beautiful sight to behold through the exhibition caseback. 

Introduced in 2023 as De Bethune’s 31st movement, designed and manufactured entirely in-house, caliber DB3000 is a classic reinterpretation of a chronograph with a contemporary and innovative spirit. The movement features an ultra-thin column wheel and an instantaneous 60-minute counter—an impressive technical feat for this type of mechanism. Additionally, it integrates De Bethune’s latest innovations, including a titanium and white gold balance wheel, a flat terminal curved hairspring, and a silicon escape wheel. The movement’s distinctive architecture is revealed through the case back, showcasing fully mirror-polished steel bridges and an array of intricate details that highlight the artisans’ exceptional craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail.

The DB25 Monopusher Chronograph is another fine example of why De Bethune is one of the titans in modern independent watchmaking.