De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon

In the last few years, De Bethune has unveiled a series of exceptional updates to the iconic DB28 timepiece. Both more streamlined, smaller case (DB28xs) models as well as ultra-thin “XP” (extra plat, extra flat in French) timepieces, all have become a hit with collectors and opened new doors for the brand. As we covered, the arrival of DB28xs’s was a game changer for our dear friend Tom T. and his journey to find a watch to run marathons in. Here, we have the privilege to present another in the series of recent updates to the DB28 – this is the DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon. 

There is a bit of a genealogy to this timepiece. The original DB28 Steel Wheels arrived in 2018. In 2020, the model incorporated a tourbillon. Then, the DB28XP Steel Wheels came on the scene in 2022. This is the last step in that progression, the DB28XP Steel Wheel Tourbillon launched in 2024. At 43mm in diameter and a mere 9.1mm in thickness, it’s an exceptional ergonomic timepiece with the brand’s signature articulated lugs. 

The dial of this timepiece accentuates the movement, Caliber DB2009V6 – hand-wound with 5-day power reserve. The hallmark delta-shaped bridge sits front and center with De Bethune’s blued micro-light finish. Blue micro-light inserts on the twin barrels beneath the bridge add an additional pop of color alongside the three-dimensionality that comes with openworking. The blue micro-light chapter ring with its polished hour markers encloses and frames everything on the dial in an aesthetically pleasing way.

The star of the show here, the namesake of the timepiece, is the tourbillon pulsing in the large aperture at 6’clock. It’s a fast-paced tourbillon, rotating a full 360 degrees every 30 seconds. Mesmerizing for its speed, De Bethune is often underappreciated for its capabilities as a manufacturer of tourbillon complication timepieces. The tourbillon cage weighs 0.18g, the lightest in existence, while the complication is composed of some 63 components with the lightest coming in at less than 0.0001g. This is Denis Flageollet’s interpretation of a modern tourbillon, faster and lighter with titanium and silicon. It serves a practical function, there’s much more movement on the wrist than in historical pocket watches and to combat the effect of everyday wear and tear, the tourbillon must have a higher frequency and higher rotational speed. 

Limited to only 10 pieces, there are not many DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon watches in circulation. Pre-loved and available now.