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Results for Denis Flageollet

412 articles · 21 videos found · page 2 of 15

First Look – The Impressive Complexity and Beauty of the De Bethune DB Kind of Grande Complication Monochrome
De Bethune DB Kind Apr 8, 2024

First Look – The Impressive Complexity and Beauty of the De Bethune DB Kind of Grande Complication

Blurring the lines between classical watchmaking, traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design, De Bethune offers collectors the best of all worlds. Spearheaded by master watchmaker Denis Flageollet, De Bethune’s latest masterpiece is a compendium of the core technical and aesthetic markers accumulated by the brand over the past 22 years. The eight complications of this impressive […]

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De Bethune Introduces Custom Regulation with the Sensoriel SJX Watches
De Bethune Introduces Custom Regulation Nov 14, 2022

De Bethune Introduces Custom Regulation with the Sensoriel

De Bethune’s latest invention aims to customise the regulation of a mechanical watch to suit the individual owner. Dubbed the Sensoriel Chronometry Project, it takes the form of a electronic wrist instrument that measures the wearer’s activities and environmental conditions over a two week period – gathering two million data points per hour according to the brand. With this voluminous quantity of data, De Bethune will then regulate a DB28GS Grand Bleu sports watch specifically for the particular owner, optimising timekeeping based on the wearer’s activities. [Updated to include response from Denis Flageollet.] Initial thoughts On paper the Sensoriel is interesting and impressive, but on reflection it raises several questions. For one, the two million data points recorded per hour – for a two-week period – results in an extraordinary amount of information on the wearer’s activities. Can any mechanical watch be regulated to a fine enough resolution that makes even a fraction of that data useful? My knowledge of watchmaking is certainly inexpert but I am sceptical. Mr Flageollet points out De Bethune utilises an algorithm to process the data and sieve out the “elements specific to the wearer, in a way to bring out a specific chronometric DNA for each wearer”, allowing the watch to be regulated according to a smaller number of data points. The second salient point is more philosophical. Historically the pursuit of chronometry meant good timekeeping regardless...

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De Bethune Fills Marc Newson’s Hourglass with Blued Steel SJX Watches
De Bethune Fills Marc Newson’s Hourglass Jun 22, 2022

De Bethune Fills Marc Newson’s Hourglass with Blued Steel

Designed a decade ago by Marc Newson, the industrial designer most famous for his Lockheed Lounge chair and the Apple Watch, the sleek hourglass is exceedingly simple yet remarkably complex to fabricate. It’s made of a single piece of glass – blown by hand in Switzerland – and filled with millions of tiny metal spheres known as nanoballs. De Bethune has applied its signature heat treatment to the object, resulting in the De Bethune x HG Timepiece Blue Hourglass, a limited edition pair of large and small timekeepers filled with heat-blued steel nanoballs. Initial thoughts More sculpture than timekeeper, the hourglass is a beautiful object that is incredibly simple yet impressive in its artisanal nature. The glass is blown by hand yet perfectly in form and proportions. The De Bethune touch adds another level of beauty to the object. Instead of the plated nanoballs found in the standard version of the hourglass, the Blue Hourglass contains blue nanoballs heat treated by Denis Flageollet himself. However, the addition of Mr Flageollet’s talents to the prowess of Swiss glassblowers comes at a high price. The smaller, 10-minute Blue Hourglass costs CHF25,000, more than double the price of the standard hourglass with plated nanoballs. That’s affordable relative to everything else than De Bethune makes, but it’s a steep premium for the hourglass. Tinkling timekeepers The Blue Hourglass is available in the two standard sizes: the larger, 60-minute timer and a smaller 10...

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Business News: Watchbox Takes Majority Stake in De Bethune [Updated] SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin who’s now Aug 31, 2021

Business News: Watchbox Takes Majority Stake in De Bethune [Updated]

Watchbox, one of the world’s largest retailers of pre-owned watches, has just announced that it’s taken a majority stake in De Bethune, an independent watchmaker that’s recently enjoying a revival in its fortunes. The deal closed on August 31, according to Patrik Hoffmann, the former chief executive of Ulysse Nardin who’s now the head of Watchbox Switzerland. According to Mr Hoffmann, De Bethune now has just four shareholders, down from a dozen or so previously, with Watchbox holding the largest stake. While Watchbox now has board representation, its investment is largely passive says Mr Hoffmann. Both of De Bethune’s key men will remain in their equity stakes as well as management roles: Pierre Jacques as chief executive and cofounder Denis Flageollet as its technical and watchmaking head. And Mr Hoffmann adds will be no change in terms of De Bethune’s products. “Denis sees the brand DNA so clearly,” continues Mr Hoffmann, “So it would be a big mistake to change that… [since] few brands have the same clearly-defined DNA.” The road from 2002 As the saying goes, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. De Bethune was originally cofounded in 2002 by a vintage watch dealer active in the late 20th century, Davide Zanetta, a truly original character who was legendary in his time. Mr Zanetta sold his majority share of the brand in 2017 after many years of losses. One of the investors who bought into the brand in 2017 was Steven Rostovsky, a pre-own...

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De Bethune Debuts Contemporary Chiaroscuro on Titanium SJX Watches
De Bethune Debuts Contemporary Chiaroscuro Jun 3, 2021

De Bethune Debuts Contemporary Chiaroscuro on Titanium

Resembling an alien seashell, the Dream Watch 5 is De Bethune’s most unusual case and unquestionably its most artistic creation. While the model started out as a pared-back affair entirely in polished titanium, the DW5 has since evolved into a canvas for decoration like over-the-top, dancing-skeleton engraving. The DW5 Empreinte sits in between the two aesthetic extremes. Clad in deep, dark colours, the case is inlaid with a subtle, organic pattern that’s hard to describe. The distinctive colours and pattern were conceived by Clara Martin, who won the 2019 prize in the annual contest sponsored by De Bethune that’s open to masters students at the University of Art and Design Lausanne, better known by its French acronym ECAL. Ms Martin’s vision was realised by De Bethune cofounder Denis Flageollet, a talented watchmaker and self-taught metallurgist, as well as Michèle Rothen, the brand’s go-to engraver. Denis Flageollet and Clara Martin Initial thoughts De Bethune’s avant-garde in both style and watchmaking – an attractive combination that leaves the watchmaker with few peers. But even so, the DW5 still manages to stand out from the brand’s other offerings, as it is arguably a sculpture first and a timepiece second. The fluid, organic case is three-dimensional and gorgeous – and even more incredible when executed in the right material and colours, as demonstrated by the meteorite version of 2016. The DW5 Empreinte gets it right, with a deep black case a...

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Independent Watchmaking Showcased Virtually SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Dual Dufour Duality Much Mar 11, 2021

Independent Watchmaking Showcased Virtually

A leader retailer of independent watchmaking, Singapore-based The Hour Glass has just inaugurated The Persistence of Memory, a virtual exhibition dedicated to the craft. Covering the period starting from 1970 till today, the exhibition encompasses most of the key figures in independent watchmaking during those five decades. And it is about people, rather than brands, since these timepieces are often, quite literally, the creation of a watchmaker’s mind and hands. I wrote most of the content, and it was written as a brisk journey through the careers of each watchmaker, along with their most important timepieces. The Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain Hosted on a dedicated site, the exhibition is arranged into sections and largely chronological, tracing the evolution of the craft from its start with individuals like George Daniels, to the stars of today, most notably Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia. Other boldface names in the exhibition include Francois-Paul Journe, Kari Voutilainen, Philippe Dufour, and Denis Flageollet. A trio of Resonance by F.P. Journe Dual Dufour Duality Much of the content is illustrated by uncommon and special watches – over 150 in fact – drawn from collections around the world. The line up of timepieces include the two landmark pocket watches by George Daniels, the Space Traveller I and Grand Complication, as well as the most important examples of Philippe Dufour’s work. Visit the exhibition on Thehourglass.com.  

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De Bethune DB Kind Of Two Tourbillon: Two Dials Means Double The Pleasure (Plus Video) Quill & Pad
De Bethune DB Kind Jan 26, 2021

De Bethune DB Kind Of Two Tourbillon: Two Dials Means Double The Pleasure (Plus Video)

There’s a new double-faced superstar in town: the De Bethune DB Kind Of Two Tourbillon. Co-founder and chief watchmaker Denis Flageollet wanted to create a watch with two distinct identities, incorporating two sets of brand “DNA” on the same watch. He also wanted to use the brand’s signature, patented floating lugs to their fullest extent. Elizabeth Doerr thinks Flageollet succeeded in his goals and explains why here.

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De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce the Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce Sep 23, 2019

De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce the Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019

When Urwerk cofounder Felix Baumgartner was in town recently to launch the UR-100 SpaceTime, I quizzed him on the De Bethune and Urwerk collaboration for Only Watch 2019. While the other brands taking part in the charity auction had already unveiled photos or renderings of their respective creations, Urwerk and De Bethune only offered a pen drawing. Felix replied that the movement had been completed and delivered to De Bethune some weeks ago, and Denis Flageollet, De Bethune’s resident technical genius, was working on building the one-off titanium case. And now Mr Flageollet has completed the watch, and this is it. The initial drawing The meeting of minds Named the Moon Satellite, the watch is essentially an Urwerk wandering hours time display module – with the time indicated on satellites – mounted on top of a hand-wound De Bethune movement, resulting in the cal. DBUR2105. Visually the movement is trademark De Bethune. The calibre has a delta-shaped barrel bridge that is entirely mirror polished, as is the base plate, one of the most distinctive movement treatments of De Bethune. And in striking contrast against the polished surfaces, the balance and shock absorber bridges are in blued steel. The base movement cal. DB2105 boasts several of De Bethune’s patented innovations, including a spider-like titanium balance wheel, the triple pare-chute shock absorber for the balance, as well as the De Bethune hairspring and silicon escape wheel. And it also incorporat...

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Introducing – The New Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition Monochrome
Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Jul 3, 2025

Introducing – The New Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition

Rado’s long-standing connection with tennis has inspired a rich catalogue of special-edition timepieces that celebrate the sport in style. Over the years, the brand has released collectable models that nod to various facets of tennis culture through subtle design cues, commemorative engravings, and visual touches. From the 1998 DiaMaster ATP Tour and Roland Garros editions […]

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Casio G-Shock NASA DW5600NASA20: A Fresh Take On Nostalgic Space Awesomeness Two Broke Watch Snobs
Casio G-Shock NASA DW5600NASA20 Apr 24, 2020

Casio G-Shock NASA DW5600NASA20: A Fresh Take On Nostalgic Space Awesomeness

The DW5600NASA20 is a new release from G-Shock that “pays homage to NASA” (National Aeronautics and Space Agency). Mostly pure white, the DW5600NASA20 is as clean as the Columbia Laboratory on the ISS. It features the old red NASA logo prominently above the display. There are some other interesting unique features as well...

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“We want to take the top guys down,” says new TAG Heuer tennis ambassador Alex De Minaur Time+Tide
TAG Heuer tennis ambassador Alex De Jan 22, 2019

“We want to take the top guys down,” says new TAG Heuer tennis ambassador Alex De Minaur

Few sports so frequently, and so intensely, show the individual under pressure as Grand Slam tennis singles. Take the case of Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece, who just two days ago defeated the GOAT (fact), Roger Federer. At the end of the first set, a grimly fought 13-11 tiebreak that went against him, he looked gone. … ContinuedThe post “We want to take the top guys down,” says new TAG Heuer tennis ambassador Alex De Minaur appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Louis Vuitton’s Escale Dons Turquoise and Malachite SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton s Escale Dons Turquoise Nov 25, 2025

Louis Vuitton’s Escale Dons Turquoise and Malachite

Louis Vuitton expands the Escale line with a pair of limited editions featuring turquoise and malachite stone dials – and unusually, matching stone mid-cases. By integrating the case band in the same material as the dial, the brand elevates the familiar Escale silhouette into something more sculptural, while retaining the signature riveted form inspired by its historic trunks. The result is one of the more distinctive takes on the current stone-dial trend. The platinum-and-titanium construction allows for a double-walled case with a stone ring on the outside, giving the watch proper water resistance, while the larger 40 mm case creates space for colour and texture to shine. With only 30 pieces in each colourway, the editions reinforce Louis Vuitton’s ambition in high-end watchmaking. Initial thoughts This year has been a strong one for Louis Vuitton, an ambitious trunk maker seeking to prove itself as a serious watchmaker. It certainly has the industrial means to accomplish that through its control of Geneva-based La Fabrique du Temps and what is clearly a deep bench of design talent. The latest pair of Escales takes the stone dial trend to its logical next step: stone cases. Thanks to the upscale construction, it avoids the trap of feeling gimmicky, unlike, say, the Tissot Rockwatch. The quality is outstanding which helps rationalise the steep price tag. The distinctive construction of the Escale case makes it an almost ideal platform for the stone case band, so it is...

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Introducing – The Bold Colour of the New De Bethune DB28XS Yellow Tones Monochrome
De Bethune DB28XS Yellow Tones If Oct 22, 2025

Introducing – The Bold Colour of the New De Bethune DB28XS Yellow Tones

If you want to talk about an emblematic design of independent watchmaking, then the DB28 should be on the list. Born in 2010, this watch, with its incredible design, would become a working laboratory of innovation for the brand, developing titanium surface treatments and unprecedented materials for the movement. The DB28 and its floating lugs, […]

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First Look – The Zenith Chronomaster Original Dons a Handsome Blue Dial Monochrome
Zenith Chronomaster Original Dons Jun 26, 2025

First Look – The Zenith Chronomaster Original Dons a Handsome Blue Dial

The year 1969 marked a before and after in watchmaking with the release of the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. Zenith’s El Primero calibre, a high-frequency integrated chronograph, was the first to cross the finish line. Initially used to power three models, the round A386, with its tri-colour counters, became the undisputed brand icon. In […]

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Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones SJX Watches
De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones Even Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones

Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...

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Hands-On: the Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster III Worn & Wound
Timex made tennis-themed Snoopy watches Oct 30, 2024

Hands-On: the Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster III

Tennis is having a bit of a moment. From the tennis-core revival Zendaya seems to have inspired to the hordes of people (and celebrities, who we all know aren’t people) who descended on Flushing Meadows earlier this fall for what turned out to be the most attended tennis tournament ever, tennis has taken center stage in a way few might have expected even a few years ago. And for all those looking to lean into the undeniably great looks of the tennis world, Maurice de Mauriac has you covered with the latest iteration of their Rallymaster tennis watch, produced in collaboration with Racquet Magazine. Historically, tennis players don’t wear watches and, yet, tennis and watches have long been visibly connected. Pretty much every top-flight player on the WTA at ATP tours has some sort of watch deal, and post-match pressers have become ripe material for watch-spotting. Despite this link, the concept of a ‘tennis watch’ remains somewhat nebulous. Tennis-themed watches have been around for a while (Timex made tennis-themed Snoopy watches as far back as the early ‘70s, or even late ‘60s), but the idea of the on-court tennis watch - like the highly technical pieces worn by players like Rafa Nadal or Jess Pegula - is relatively new. In the context of the Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster series, what we have is a tennis watch in the more traditional sense. By this, I mean to say that the Rallymaster line falls more in line with the Snoopy tennis watches of old (or of ear...

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Patek Philippe Does Double Denim: Introducing The World Time Date 5330G And Nautilus Chronograph 5980G Fratello
Patek Philippe Does Double Denim Introducing Apr 9, 2024

Patek Philippe Does Double Denim: Introducing The World Time Date 5330G And Nautilus Chronograph 5980G

Patek Philippe does double denim at Watches and Wonders 2024, and I’m all for that. The brand from Geneva is casually showing some laid-back novelties that are, of course, not as casual as they appear to be. The complicated World Time Date 5330G first debuted as a limited edition at Patek Philippe’s “Watch Art” grand […] Visit Patek Philippe Does Double Denim: Introducing The World Time Date 5330G And Nautilus Chronograph 5980G to read the full article.

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Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis White Fratello
Gerald Charles Apr 13, 2026

Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis White

Gerald Charles has always been a large supporter of tennis. The different surfaces and colors within the game have been featured on the brand’s watches. Today, the theme continues with an ode to Wimbledon, the most famous tournament of all. While the new Maestro GC Sport Tennis White isn’t an official collaboration with the All […] Visit Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis White to read the full article.

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