De Bethune DB1

De Bethune DB1 is the first line from the independent Swiss brand De Bethune. It was created in 2002 by the brand's founders, Denis Flageollet and David Zanetta, and it was the DB1 that established the brand's design language. Compared with the brand's later avant-garde lines, the DB1 has a strict, classic silhouette: it belongs to the early era of independent Swiss watchmaking.

DB1 models are recognisable by three features: teardrop ogive lugs, a guilloché dial and a single-pusher chronograph. Its only pusher is built into the crown, so there are no separate pushers on the side. The movement is hand-wound: calibre DB 2008, based on the THA (Techniques Horlogères Appliquées) architecture, developed by Denis Flageollet and François-Paul Journe.

When choosing a DB1, assess the case metal, the condition of the guilloché and hands, the state of the movement, and which papers are included. The line is represented by the Chronograph Monopoussoir: a men's watch with a 42 mm white gold case and sapphire crystal, a white dial with Roman numerals, blued steel hands and a chronograph scale around the edge, a black leather strap and a white gold buckle.