De Bethune’s Dream Watch 5 is more a piece of horological art than a timepiece. Its ogive-shaped case is the stuff of fantasy and sci-fi films, brought to life by the incomparable Denis Flageollet. De Bethune’s chronometric patents and completely unique vision of watchmaking can all be attributed to the mind of Flageollet.

Flageollet is a man who is constantly driving himself to thrust his watchmaking ever further to the sheer edge of madness. Which begs the thought that if ever someone was to issue a challenge worthy of Flageollet’s prowess, how far and hard would he run in answering.

This is precisely what happened in 2020, when of all people — American rap star, producer and talent scout Swizz Beatz, threw down the gauntlet and asked Flageollet to pursue the Dream Watch 5 of his own dreams. Flageollet and his team at De Bethune, not only took up the challenge but ended up creating version of the Dream Watch 5 that will now become the stuff of our dreams.

Enter the De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Tourbillon ‘Season 1’, rendered in hand-polished and blued grade 5 titanium case, which is then openworked and seamlessly fit with seven distinct precision-cut and polished pieces of sapphire crystal that for the first time allow us to bear witness to the space within the ogive-shaped timepiece.

The sapphire parts also create apertures through which time is read thanks to the digital jumping hour and trailing minutes discs. Cleverly nestled next to the time display is also an implementation of De Bethune’s spherical moon phase complication, a patented mechanism that is rated to be so accurate that it requires adjustment by lunar day only every 1,112 years.

Knowing that with the addition of the sapphire elements, would allow for the world’s first unadulterated view within the Dream Watch 5’s case, Flageollet set longtime collaborator, Michèle Rothen to the task to engrave architectural elements onto the inside surfaces of the case. She also took it upon herself to retouch and elevate every surface, such that even the seemingly unimportant inside of the case becomes just as much a part of the complete art piece.

Fantastical case aside, we cannot forget that the Dream Watch 5 boasts some of the brand’s biggest technical horological achievements as well. This includes that the calibre DB2149 features De Bethune’s titanium balance-wheel with white gold inserts (2016 paten), the De Bethune balance-spring with flat terminal curve (2006 patent), De Bethune ultra-light silicon and titanium 30-second tourbillon (2008 patent), De Bethune’s self-regulating twin barrel that account for its 4-day power reserve (2004 innovation) and lastly, the afore mentioned Spherical moon-phase display (2004 patent).

Tech Specs

Ref: DW5TSB

Movement: Mechanical hand-wound Calibre DB2149; jumping hours, minutes, central spherical moon-phase indication, 30-minute indication on the ultra-light silicon and titanium De Bethune tourbillon cage appearing on the back; 4-day power reserve ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel; adjustments made via crown adorned with a blue cabochon-cut sapphire, three positions for winding, the spherical moon phase and time-setting

Case & dial: Length 58 mm, width 47 mm; ogive-shaped in hand-polished and blued grade 5 titanium, openworked with sapphire blue inserts and hand-engraved motifs; caseback: screw-in back in polished and blued grade 5 titanium, openworked with blue sapphire inserts and opening onto the ultra-thin silicon and titanium De Bethune tourbillon performing one rotation every 30 seconds; water-resistance:      30 meters

Strap: Blue canvas/leather with an additional rubber strap; titanium with polished and blued titanium pin buckle

A 10-piece limited edition presented by De Bethune with the collaboration of its friend and fine watchmaking connoisseur Swizz Beatz.

Details: debethune.ch