{"product_id":"de-bethune-db26-perpetual-calendar-moonphase-db26rs1","title":"De Bethune DB26 Perpetual Calendar Moonphase DB26RS1","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eLong before De Bethune became one of the most celebrated names in independent watchmaking, the brand was quietly redefining what a modern high-end watch could be. Founded in 2002 by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet, De Bethune quickly distinguished itself by combining traditional Swiss watchmaking with genuine technical innovation. Rather than looking to the past for inspiration alone, the brand developed its own visual language, inventing new balance wheels, hairsprings, moonphase displays, and case constructions that would eventually become synonymous with De Bethune itself. Today, many of these features are instantly recognisable, but in the late 2000s they represented an entirely new direction for contemporary watchmaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe DB26 Perpetual Calendar Moonphase stands among the most important watches from those formative years. Introduced in 2008, it was not simply another complicated De Bethune, but a showcase for many of the innovations that would come to define the brand over the following two decades. Production was exceptionally limited, with just twenty examples made, of which only sixteen were produced in white gold like the present watch. Even by De Bethune standards, the DB26 remains one of the rarest complicated references ever created.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHere we have the De Bethune DB26 Perpetual Calendar Moonphase Ref. DB26RS1 in white gold. While the perpetual calendar naturally attracts attention, it is the case that immediately reveals the watch's significance. The DB26 marked the first appearance of De Bethune's patented floating lug system, a feature that has since become one of the brand's defining signatures. The articulated titanium lugs pivot to follow the shape of the wrist, dramatically improving comfort while giving the watch an unmistakable profile unlike anything else in modern watchmaking. Combined with the brushed white gold bezel and polished case middle, the result is a design that feels every bit as contemporary today as it did when first introduced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe dial is unmistakably De Bethune. Executed in silver with vivid heat-blued titanium hour markers, it possesses an architectural clarity that belies the complexity beneath. Sapphire hands capped with blued titanium allow the indications to remain perfectly legible while revealing rather than obscuring the displays below, an ingenious solution first introduced on the DB26 before becoming a hallmark of later De Bethune watches. The perpetual calendar is arranged with remarkable balance, displaying the day, date, month, leap year, and central pointer date without ever appearing crowded. At three o'clock sits one of the brand's earliest spherical moonphase displays, crafted from blued steel and palladium. Requiring correction only once every 122 years, it remains one of the most technically accomplished and visually beautiful moonphase displays in modern watchmaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTurning the watch over reveals another glimpse into De Bethune's formative years. The manual-winding Calibre DB205 features the distinctive delta-shaped twin barrel architecture that has become a signature of the brand, here presented in one of its earliest executions. Delivering a five-day power reserve while beating at a modern 4Hz, the movement also showcases many of Denis Flageollet's patented innovations, including the early triple pare-chute shock protection system, the self-regulating twin barrels, the proprietary balance construction, and De Bethune's patented flat terminal curve. Beautifully finished throughout, with mirror-polished bevels, black-polished steelwork, Côtes De Bethune across the bridges, and meticulous hand-finishing throughout, it is a movement that rewards prolonged study as much as it does admiration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAs far as wearability goes, the 44.4mm case wears very differently from what its dimensions might suggest. Thanks to the floating titanium lugs, the watch wraps naturally around the wrist, making it considerably more comfortable than most complicated watches of similar size. Measuring just 12.8mm thick, it remains surprisingly elegant given the complexity of the movement, while the inverted crown at 12 o'clock further reinforces the unconventional character that has always set De Bethune apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eCollectors today rightly celebrate the brand's contemporary creations, yet comparatively little attention has been paid to De Bethune's earliest references. It is a familiar pattern in independent watchmaking. There was a time when early brass movement F.P. Journe watches traded at little premium over their later counterparts, before collectors came to appreciate just how historically significant those formative pieces were. Whether early De Bethune follows a similar path remains to be seen, but references such as the DB26 already represent an important chapter in the brand's history, capturing many of the innovations that would go on to define one of independent watchmaking's greatest success stories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"2008","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44090979582039,"sku":null,"price":80000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1872\/9369\/files\/De-Bethune-DB26-Perpetual-Calendar-Moonphase-DB26RS1_0031_Layer-47_93d68088-718c-45aa-a0eb-42df05a8a97a.png?v=1785488056","url":"https:\/\/www.ssongwatches.com\/products\/de-bethune-db26-perpetual-calendar-moonphase-db26rs1","provider":"S.Song Watches","version":"1.0","type":"link"}