Almost a dress watch done in sci-fi style, the most compact version of De Bethune’s trademark model gained a striking new look this year with the DB28xs Purple Rain. Clad entirely in purple – or more accurately, titanium heat treated to purple – the DB28xs Purple Rain is distinctive and striking because of its sheer colour.

Though the colour is novel for De Bethune, the watch incorporates many of the brand’s signature design elements, including a “starry sky” dial and the DB2005 movement with a proprietary titanium and white gold balance wheel.

Initial thoughts

De Bethune didn’t invented flame-blued titanium, but the material has become something of the brand’s signature. It has been used extensively across its product line, arguably so much that it’s not as novel as it was. De Bethune later tried titanium heated to a bronze-gold finish, but that doesn’t have the vivid hue of blue.

Titanium that’s been flamed to purple, however, is as vivid as blue. And the finish is still fairly unique, since it has only been applied to the DB28xs Purple Rain as well as a handful of one-off creations. As a result, while the Purple Rain is only a colour variation of an existing model, it is usually compelling because it is both different and striking.

Because it’s essentially the same material as blued titanium, purple titanium will likely have the same durability. Like the blued finish, the purple is actually a thin oxide layer on the titanium that’s created by the heating process. That means it holds up well enough to careful everyday wear, but the purple surface finish can be worn off.

Because the Purple Rain is variant of the DB28xs, it feels exactly the same as earlier versions of the model. It’s compact and lightweight, but the colour makes it hard to miss on the wrist. The DB28xs feels like a classical dress watch because of its size, though it looks anything but classical. Though it is easily wearable, I feel the scaled-down DB28 design doesn’t have quite the same proportions as the original, full-sized model.

The Purple Rain is priced at US$99,000, which is the same as earlier versions of the model and also fair considering the unusual aesthetic and high quality construction.

Extra light and small

By the standards of modern watches, the DB28xs is compact, and compared against most avant-garde designs, it’s small at 38.7 mm wide and 7.4 mm high. But it feels bigger thanks to the sprung lugs that give it a bigger silhouette while also allowing the case to sit snug and comfortably on the wrist. The lightness of the construction further improves the wearability.

Like the other versions of the DB28, this has the crown at 12 o’clock, which makes winding and setting a little more inconvenient as the upper lug sometimes gets in the way. This isn’t a real obstacle, but it’s there.

The dial is finished with De Bethune’s own “random guilloche“, a wavy engine-turning that is no discernible repeating motif, unlike traditional guilloche. And the dial is also inlaid with tiny white gold spheres meant to represent the stars in the night sky.

According to De Bethune, the “starry sky” on the wavy guilloche is inspired by the night sky reflected on water – and the design is certainly successful in evoking that image.

The sapphire window on the back that is also in purple titanium shows off the DB2005. Though mechanically identical to earlier versions of the movement, this has been customised to match the purple case with the base plate and linear bridge in purple titanium.

As with the front, the view from the back is eye catching because of the many mirror-polished components. And it is instantly recognisable as a De Bethune movement with a high quality of finishing that’s a mix of hand- and machine decoration.

Despite the sci-fi aesthetic, the movement design was inspired by historical pocket watches, a favoured combination of De Bethune cofounder Davide Zanetta. The movement is dominated by a large barrel bridge in a delta shape that’s made of mirror polished titanium. It contrasts starkly with the matte, radial guilloche on the purple base plate.

Below are two very large barrels that give the watch a six-day power reserve. Another feature that contributes to the long running time is the patented lightweight titanium balance wheel that’s fitted with six white-gold regulating weights.

Diameter: 38.7 mm
Height: 7.4 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: DB2005
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: Six days

Strap: Alligator with pin buckle

Availability: Now from De Bethune and its authorised retailers 
Price: US$99,000, or CHF90,000 (excluding taxes)

For more, visit Debethune.ch.