The Blueprint
Friday, 30 October - Friday, 6 November 2026

De Bethune, Piece Unique "DB25" DB28 Digitale

Lot Details

- Manufacturer: De Bethune - Model name: Piece Unique "DB25" DB28 Digitale - Functions: Jumping hours, minutes, moon phase - Year: 2019 - Case/movement : Commande Spéciale, CS165 - Material: TItanium - Calibre: Manual, in-house Cal. DB2144 - Bracelet/Strap: Mesh & leather strap - Clasp/Buckle: Titanium pin buckle - Dimensions: 43mm - Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed - Accessories: Original presentation box & certificate of authenticity What You Should Know: Some unique pieces stand apart through an unusual dial or a special finish. Others offer something considerably more interesting: a glimpse into a design that would only become part of a manufacture's regular collection years later. The present De Bethune DB28 Digitale belongs firmly to the latter category. Created in 2019, it appears to belong to the original DB28 Digitale generation, but is uniquely delivered in a DB25-style case, replacing the model's characteristic floating lugs with a more traditional fixed-lug construction. The result is not merely an aesthetic variation, but a fundamentally different wearing experience, particularly appealing to collectors with smaller wrists. Crafted in titanium, the watch retains the beloved time display that made the original Digitale so distinct, combining jumping hours, a sweeping minute indication and De Bethune's celebrated spherical moon phase. Powered by the manually wound calibre DB2144, it brings together the manufacture's technical ingenuity and unmistakable design language, while the more conventional case architecture gives the watch a surprisingly restrained character. It is a fascinating combination, offering the mechanical personality of the DB28 Digitale in a configuration that feels considerably more versatile on the wrist. What makes this unique piece especially compelling today is the perspective afforded by De Bethune's recent introduction of the DB25VD Digitale series, which revisits the concept in a DB25 case seven years after the present watch was created. In retrospect, this 2019 example can be seen as a remarkable missing link between the original DB28 Digitale and its latest interpretation. Accompanied by its original presentation box and certificate of authenticity, it offers a rare opportunity to acquire a genuinely singular creation whose significance within De Bethune's design history has only become more apparent with time.