De Bethune Specialists

Flageollet trained in watchmaking and micromechanics and worked on historic timepieces at the Musée du Locle. In 1989 he co-founded THA, Techniques Horlogères Appliquées, with François-Paul Journe. De Bethune came later, founded on 22 April 2002 with David Zanetta, and its manufacture is in L'Auberson rather than in Le Locle. Flageollet's background in restoration and historic watches is visible in how the company approaches the movement, which is one reason its identity centers on the architecture inside the watch.

In 2004 the brand introduced several foundational innovations, including a titanium and platinum balance, a hairspring with a flat terminal curve, and a spherical moon-phase display. Those ideas carried into the watches that followed and explain why the company's engineering is so central to its identity.

Ownership has changed over time. A 2017 investor group took a majority stake, and since 2021 the majority holder has been WatchBox, now known as The 1916 Company, with Flageollet and others keeping minority stakes. The company's contacts can change with ownership, so confirm who you're dealing with before you send a watch.

The DB28 family dates to 2010 and is built around a titanium case with articulated lugs, a crown at 12 o'clock, an exposed architectural movement and a spherical moon phase. The case and the movement read as one structure, so a service touches more than the caliber alone. Titanium shows scratches more readily than steel, and the articulated lugs are the sort of detail that gets knocked in use, so check the lugs and case edges at every service.

Exposed architecture is one reason De Bethune's servicing is best kept inside the company or with specialists who have handled the brand before. Parts and adjustments are specialized, and a generalist may not know how each component is set. Ask any outside watchmaker what they've opened on this family before you agree. Expect the watch to look different once the case is open, and ask the workshop to photograph the parts before and after any work, so you can see what was touched.

The Dream Watch collection is more experimental still. The brand's release for Dream Watch 6 says the entire clock was fabricated at the L'Auberson workshops. A piece like that is a one-off, so its service questions belong with the manufacture first. If you're buying a Dream Watch piece, get the brand's documentation for that specific piece before you commit, because a one-off's service history is hard to reconstruct later.

De Bethune's after-sales route runs through its contact form, where you select the after-sales service option. The brand doesn't publish a warranty duration, exclusions, repair charge schedule or turnaround time online. Treat that as a reason to get everything in writing, not as a sign that no warranty exists.

Don't assume a retailer's or an independent shop's warranty is the factory's. Ask the manufacture to confirm which terms apply to your watch and whether coverage carries over if the watch changes hands. Keep the original warranty certificate with the watch. If you buy a piece that has been to the workshop before, ask for the work order, since it records what was opened and replaced.

Before you ship, get written confirmation of the approved address, insurance, customs instructions, and whether your approval is needed before any paid work starts. Then send the reference, serial number, purchase date, papers and clear photographs of the problem. Ask also for a written statement of the guarantee on any repair, including how long it runs, so you know what you're getting when the watch returns.

Ask for the original warranty certificate and the purchase documents. A De Bethune's value depends on whether it's as it was made, so check the serial number, the movement and the case against the paperwork, and ask who issued the papers. Find out whether the brand or a retailer issued them, since that tells you which records to chase.

Check whether the watch was serviced at the manufacture or somewhere else. Because the movements are exposed and specialized, an earlier home-made intervention may show in the movement. Ask for photographs of the movement and a written inspection report, not just a verbal assurance. Expect the exposed movement to show polish and wear that a closed-case watch would hide, so the photographs are useful as a baseline.

Limited pieces need extra care. The 2012 DB28 Aiguille d'Or commemorative edition was limited to 50 pieces, so check that the edition number and the documents agree before you pay. A limited edition without matching papers deserves a longer conversation. Confirm the edition documentation in writing, and check the number against the brand's own published records rather than a seller's description.

For authentication, pick someone who has opened a De Bethune movement before, and ask what they'll check: the movement construction, the case and the serial. Get the results in writing, including any points they could not confirm. If the authenticator can't open the case, ask why, and treat that limit as part of the report.

For insurance, the appraiser should record the model, the material, the serial, the movement and the condition, and state the basis of value. A titanium DB28 and a limited edition aren't valued the same way, so describe exactly what you own. Record the case material as titanium if that's what it is, note the articulated lugs and the exposed movement, and photograph the dial and movement with the serial visible.

When you send a watch to L'Auberson, use insured transport with tracking, keep copies of everything you send, and expect a written estimate before any paid work. Confirm the delivery address in writing before the watch leaves your hands. Insure it for its appraised value in transit, not the price you paid years ago.