Fresh off the release of the Steel Wheels at SIHH, horological indie darling De Bethune unveiled two new watches at Baselworld this year. The headliner of the two is undoubtedly the DB25 Starry Varius. This new timepiece taps directly into the ethos of what has made De Bethune such a success since its initial launch in 2002 and updates it with a new take on how to approach customization in the watch industry.
With the Starry Varius, the astronomical motifs that De Bethune has become known for over the past decade-plus are suddenly customizable with the option of choosing how the night sky looked from any date and geographic location ever. Say you want to memorialize the night you proposed to your significant other in Paris? No problem. How about a way to commemorate the night your son was born in a hospital outside Chicago? All you have to do is tell the De Bethune team when and where and the rest is up to them.
Each star is notched by fitted gold pins and the Milky Way pattern is made possible through a traditional gold leaf technique and enhanced by laser beam micro milling. The thin case (8.8 mm) is made from polished grade 5 titanium and is 42 mm in diameter. The watch features openworked lugs that have become one of the brand’s trademarks over the years. Inside the watch is the DB2105 caliber that is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback with a double anti-reflective coating.
The movement features a titanium balance wheel as well as a triple pare-chute shock absorbing system. It maintains a six-day power reserve. The De Bethune Starry Varius (which, if you guessed it was named after the world-famous violin-making family, Stradivarius, you’d be correct) starts at CHF 60,000 and the cost of personalization varies.
You can read more about the growing trend of personalization in the watch industry here.
