De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial Watch Review
The De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial is the latest version of a model that first appeared in 2012. Despite the passage of time, the 2012 reference still looks fabulous. Moreover, its case confers extraordinary levels of wearer comfort and its movement blends technical virtues with flawless finishing.
De Bethune watch
On the virtual catwalk of Watches & Wonders 2021, this year’s fashion is undoubtedly the green dial. While the watch industry has occasionally flirted with verdant green tones in the past, this year numerous brands, including some members of Haute Horlogerie’s elite, have chosen to dive into a creative pool of emerald, pistachio and sage shades as well as many other green tones. Indeed, if green is your colour then you about to be indulged with numerous choices and you can bask in the knowledge that you are unequivocally en vogue.
The problem with words such as ‘fashion’, ‘trend’ or the notion of being ‘en vogue’ is that they all imply a degree of post-dated obsolescence. Will green dials be a passing trend? The honest answer is nobody really knows. It is the market that will eventually decide if green attracts consumers in the future.
Now, De Bethune, the independent watch brand, has chosen to release a new version of its DB27, the De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk. Termed ‘Green microlight’, the dial of the watch appears modern and extremely elegant. The centre of the horological vista is divided into three sections, each embellished with a gently arcing motif. Its openworked hour and minute hands engage with an hour track, marked with Roman numerals as well as a minuterie, incorporating Arabic numerals and square markers positioned in between.
De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial
Originally released in 2012 to mark the Swiss brand’s 10th anniversary, the De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk looked like no other watch at the time of its unveiling. I remember shortly after it was launched, affixing the watch to my arm and immediately noticing how it ergonomically hugged the wrist. Its cosseting embrace could be attributed to its ingenious floating lugs as well as its lightweight Grade 5 titanium case. De Bethune has repeatedly shown that several of the features on its watches don’t just look good, they also prove very practical.
Unusually for a Grade 5 titanium case, all of the surfaces are highly polished, a difficult and labour-intensive execution few other brands dare to employ. To the rear of the watch, an exhibition caseback reveals the self-winding calibre AUTOV2. The movement looks ultra-modern with the oscillating mass partly encompassing shades of blue and the trottoir, the channel accommodating the peripheral rotor, again presented in blue.
Although the movement within the De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial is über-modern, it encompasses super-refined finishing that stands comparison with classical Haute Horlogerie creations. The calibre AUTOV2 also demonstrates the Maison’s watchmaking expertise and innovative spirit. The patented titanium balance with white gold inserts proves easier to regulate and is less susceptible to shocks. Likewise, the brand’s patented balance spring, equipped with a flat terminal curve, enhances isochronism, effectively making the spring breathe more concentrically and, by default, aiding precision.
To my eyes, the new De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial is gorgeous. Based on the brand’s track record, it should continue to proffer eye appeal for years to come. But most of all, this watch is teeming with virtues, bestowing attributes that will never go out of fashion.
De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk Green Dial – the brand’s press release
It was in March 2018 that De Bethune’s manufacture introduced the latest in-house self-winding calibre; the Auto V2, the beating heart of a timepiece with a modern twist.
Indeed, the DB27 Titan Hawk draws its inspiration from the design and technology of its predecessors while adding an innovative touch. Slim lines, a green microlight dial, sandblasted steel minute hands with hand-polished steel tips, a microlight case middle, and brushed lugs and open back. A watch that stands out not only for its sleek design but also for its entirely manufactured movement.
Focusing on the essentials, the DB27 Titan Hawk is equipped with the latest AUTOV2 calibre, hour, minute, second, which features a single barrel providing 60 hours of power reserve. The last titanium balance with white gold inserts remains visible on the back of the watch. Thanks to the technique still developed in-house, the movement is equipped with an optimized oscillating weight made of titanium and tungsten alloy allowing it to power itself.
If the inspiration of the original DB27 Titan Hawk model is very quickly perceived, each detail is rethought and reworked to find the elegance and readability of an object above all functional. Juxtaposing Roman numerals and Arabic numerals, the reading of the time is given around rings located at the periphery of the dial. The time display on the green dial is punctuated by sandblasted steel hands with hand-polished white tips.
Machined into a 43 mm case in grade 5 titanium, accompanied by a khaki green canvas strap, we find all the De Bethune codes in this model: the patented mobile lugs, the crown at 12 o’clock, a microlight decoration on the middle and the green microlight dial.
Sporty and modernist at the same time, this timepiece reflects the avant-gardism of the Manufacture as well as its artisanal tradition.