DB27, Titan Hawk V2, Titanium

Founded in 2002, De Bethune began as an unlikely duo when David Zanetta, an Italian art and vintage watch retailer, and Denis Flageollet, a fourth-generation watchmaker who founded THA alongside FP Journe and Vianney Halter, decided to start their own venture so as to be less constrained by brands and their suppliers. They chose the name De Bethune after Chevalier De Bethune, a revolutionary 18th-century French escapement designer, as a nod to their ambition to become a truly independent manufacture. De Bethune have since established a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is possible from a technical and materials perspective, whilst upholding the hand finishing tradition of the Jura mountain range in which they reside.

The DB27 Titan Hawk was released in 2012 to mark the brand’s 10-year anniversary. It was a more restrained dial than the DB28, with the balance on caseback side yet retaining the floating lug case. The DB27 was updated in 2018 to this V2, which removed the date and added a more sporting centre seconds. The Titan Hawk V2 also debuted this salmon dial with central guilloche, an enviable tone made more dramatic by the elevation and layers of its design. The handset is media blasted and partially heat blued titanium, which gives a hint of what lies inside. De Bethune’s signature deltoid shape is echoed in the dial but not a structural bridge here. The outer tracks contrast Roman and stylized Arabic fonts, separated by a modern rectangular take on Chemin de Fer. 

From V1 to V2, the caseback went from mostly closed to entirely open with ample hand finishing and a generous display of heat blued titanium. The balance is particularly innovative, made of heat blued titanium for low mass with high mass white gold at critical interial points. Futher, the terminal curve is De Bethune’s own patented shape. This is all housed in 43mm case which wraps around the wrist in De Bethune’s signature style with a screw-down crown at 12.  

It is a three-hander that floats on the wrist in every way. The Titan Hawk found its footing in the V2, leaning into this role with a traditional salmon tone dial that found acclaim within De Bethune’s collectors. While obviously of the future, the DB27 is the most reserved and traditional of the floating lug models: distinctive, technically exceptional, and restrained independent watchmaking from Denis Flageollet.

This DB27 presents in great overall condition. Its titanium case bears light marks, just hairlines, commensurate with occasional wear. The floating lugs operate perfectly. Its clasp bears comparably light wear if any. The calibre AUTOV2 is running well in specification on our timing equipment. It comes with its full set, on its original strap.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.