De Bethune harness the sands of time with a new rendition of their DB25xs, presenting a heat-treated titanium guilloché dial evocative of sand dunes.
I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere. But in the horological world, sand has a meaning that far surpasses its physical properties. Used to track time as far back as the 8th century, sand was an important staple of timekeeping long before the mechanical clock was ever conceived. Now, however, it seems that horology has come full circle, thanks to the new timepiece introduced by independent watchmaker De Bethune.
Founded in 2002, the brand has since built a reputation for creating some of the most spectacularly finished watches in the industry. Using a wide array of meticulous techniques, it has presented watchmaking in its own unique light. Hardly the average watchmaker, the L’Auberson brand has carved out a distinctive niche within the industry, blending artistic and technical excellence into a form entirely its own.
Among its standout collections is the DB25, a staple of the De Bethune catalogue since its introduction in 2005. On its 20th birthday at Geneva Watch Days 2025, De Bethune launched a new version of the model line, designated ‘XS’, in a more compact frame for versatile wear. Now, with audiences acclimated to the new collection, the brand has expanded the range with a whole new offering inspired by the very sands that once governed time.
Sandstorm
The aptly named DB25XS Sand Winds stands in the same 40.6mm-wide, 8.8mm-thick frame as its older peers. The slim nature of the watch immediately gives the impression that the Sand Winds is a dress piece, and from the spec sheet alone that assumption would be justified.
Thirty metres of water resistance certainly sounds the part, yet a full Grade 5 titanium case certainly doesn’t. The thin structure of the watch, combined with its hollowed-out, bullet-shaped lugs, gives it an unexpected lightness and a sportier, almost otherworldly profile.
It’s an aesthetic that has informed many of De Bethune’s releases and one that has yet to be replicated elsewhere in the industry. The knurling on the crown ensures seamless operation, while the structure of the lugs allows for an incredibly comfortable fit. This is only further complemented by the alligator leather strap, which lends both toughness and comfort to the DB25XS line, before being completed by a titanium buckle.
…And It Was All Yellow
As is the case with many De Bethune watches, the dial combines an array of traditional techniques that cement the brand as a master of its craft. Most prominent is the centre, finished in yellow heat-treated titanium. This striking colour is not the result of paint or dye, but thermal oxidation that transforms regular titanium into the vibrant hue seen on the dial.
It’s an incredibly difficult process, requiring the titanium to be heated to between 300°C and 400°C before being cooled at the precise moment the desired colour appears. Miss the timing, and the tone shifts, forcing the process to begin again with a fresh piece of titanium.
Beyond the heat treatment, De Bethune has also applied a series of random guilloché cuts. Rather than subscribing to a single pattern, the brand has hand-carved seemingly random lines into the titanium, leaving behind unique patterns of depth and texture that create remarkable levels of light play.
Naturally, this is where the Sand Winds gets its name, as the guilloché mimics the phenomenon of aeolian transport, the process responsible for forming sand dunes in the desert. As always, the dial is decorated with a series of white gold spheres resembling stars, while the outer rim beyond the guilloché is similarly crafted from heat-treated titanium.
Printed Arabic numerals sit atop the chapter ring alongside a minute track, interrupted only by inset spherical titanium hour markers. Heat-treated brown, they match the Breguet-style hands that tell the time. As simplistic as the dial may appear at first glance, it is the result of hours of painstaking work to achieve such a brilliant finish, just the way De Bethune likes it.
Simple Complexity
Speaking of things De Bethune likes, turning the watch over presents a familiar sight for enthusiasts of the brand. Inside, the manual-wind Calibre DB2005 remains the star of the show, having debuted alongside the original DB25 models more than 20 years ago.
Beating at 4Hz (28,800VpH), the movement manages to deliver a scarcely believable 144-hour power reserve. This is due in large part to the patented self-regulating twin-barrel system, first introduced by De Bethune in 2004. Specialised friction-reduction technology provides a highly consistent and constant flow of power throughout the movement, ensuring the watch delivers every hour of its stated runtime.
Other distinctive features include the heat-treated blue titanium balance wheel, the signature deltoid base plate, and the all-too-familiar Côtes de Bethune finishing. Together, these elements made the Calibre DB2005 a tour de force upon its debut, marking it as significantly ahead of its time, even more than two decades later.
Initial Thoughts
I’ve really been trying to get into my yellow phase lately. I’ve found that yellow and yellow-toned clothing really suits me, and I’ve been trying to work more of the colour into my wardrobe. In fact, the only place I haven’t included it yet is my watch collection. While a watch like the De Bethune DB25XS Sand Winds will likely remain out of reach for me, it’s nice to know it exists.
My fashion choices aside, De Bethune is once again putting its serious horological credentials on display with this latest release. While nature serves as the primary inspiration, the Sand Winds is also symbolic of how far horology has come since we relied on sand itself to tell the time.
In that sense, despite the brand’s efforts to look and function unlike anything else, this De Bethune may be more closely connected to traditional horology than we realise. It stands as a shining example of how mechanical microengineering can still be used to create stunning works of horological art.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | DB25VxsTiS5v2 |
| Dimensions | 40.6mm case diameter × 8.8mm thickness |
| Case | Grade 5 titanium |
| Dial | Heat-treated yellow titanium with random guilloché & white/brown accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Manual wind Cal. DB2005 |
| Power Reserve | 144h (6 days) |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 3bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Brown alligator leather strap with titanium pin buckle |