Brand Guides / De Bethune / DB28
Reviewed by the Fine Watch Guide team · October 2026
The DB28, which debuted in 2010, is De Bethune's signature titanium watch, with an exposed hand-wound DB2115, a six-day reserve and articulated lugs that move with the wrist.
The DB28 is the watch that made De Bethune's name. Its titanium case has articulated lugs that adapt to the wrist, the moon phase sits at 6 o'clock, and the hand-wound DB2115 gives six days of power. The movement is open to view, so the watch looks like its own engineering. That openness is a pleasure to own and a challenge to service, and both sides deserve a plan.
The DB28 debuted in 2010, and it won the Aiguille d'Or at the 2011 Geneva Grand Prix. The case is titanium and measures 42.6 mm across. Its articulated, spring-loaded lugs are designed to move with the wrist, so the case is built around the lugs as much as around the middle. The thickness depends on the reference, so measure the watch before you compare it with a listing.
The dial shows the hours and minutes with a spherical moon phase at 6 o'clock. The power reserve indicator sits on the caseback, so you read it by turning the watch over. The Geneva Grand Prix entry for the moon phase gives a precision of about one day's error in 122 years.
Because the case and the movement read as one structure, the case is not just a box. A dent at a lug or a worn articulation changes how the watch sits and wears, so a case check belongs in every service, not only the movement. A specialist should also examine the lug pins and springs, since they carry most of the daily stress on the case.
The DB2115 is an in-house, hand-wound movement. It beats at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and provides 144 hours of power from a self-regulating twin-barrel system. The reserve indicator on the caseback lets you check the energy without opening the watch. A watchmaker will want the reserve tested at full wind and again partway down, so the result shows how both barrels are performing.
The balance spring has a flat terminal curve, and the shock protection uses a triple pare-chute system. A specialist should recognize both, since they set how the balance behaves after any adjustment, and nobody should adjust the balance without knowing them.
Wind the watch at a steady pace and stop at resistance. Don't force the crown, and keep the reserve in mind when you plan wear, since a watch left to run down needs a full wind before a timing check means anything.
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 length, exclusions, repair charge schedule or turnaround time online, so get everything in writing before the watch ships. Ask whether the brand will send a written statement of the work, including any parts replaced and the guarantee that applies, since a verbal assurance won't help you later.
The exposed architecture means parts and adjustments are specialized. A watchmaker outside the brand should say what they have opened on this family before they agree to the job. The case should be checked for lug wear and the seals, not only the movement.
Ask the workshop to photograph the parts before and after any work, and keep those images with the invoice. On a watch this open, the photographs are the clearest record of what was touched.
Titanium scratches more readily than steel, and articulated lugs can show knocks and wear. Look at the lug edges and the case flanks under good light, and ask the seller whether the lugs have been adjusted or replaced.
Check the moon phase, the reserve indicator on the caseback and the reserve itself. Ask who issued the papers, and whether the brand or a retailer serviced the watch last. An earlier home-made intervention may show in the movement, so ask for a written inspection report rather than a verbal assurance. Ask the seller for the names of the watchmakers who have handled the watch, and check that the brand recognizes them. If a previous owner or a dealer made changes, ask for the documents that show them, because a change to an exposed movement is easy to see and hard to explain without paperwork.
Limited pieces, such as the 2012 Aiguille d'Or commemorative edition, need matching papers. Confirm the edition documents against the brand's own records rather than the seller's description.
Titanium is light and comfortable, but it marks more easily than many owners expect. Wipe the case after wear, keep it away from abrasive surfaces, and avoid stacking it against other watches or hard objects. A soft pouch helps, and so does a habit of checking the lugs after a heavy day.
The articulated lugs are the part of the case that works hardest. Look for play that feels unusual, a lug that sits at a different angle from the other one, or a spring that has lost its firmness. Any of those changes deserves a look by the manufacture before it becomes a larger problem.
Keep the crown and the caseback reserve indicator clean, and wind the watch at a steady pace. Don't let a hair or lint build up in the case where it can work into the movement. The care is modest, but it protects the surfaces and the mechanism that make the DB28 distinctive.
The DB28 debuted in 2010 with the hand-wound DB2115 and a titanium case. It won the Aiguille d'Or at the 2011 Geneva Grand Prix.
The DB2115 is rated at 144 hours, or six days. The reserve indicator is on the caseback.
A watchmaker who has opened this family before can help, but the exposed architecture makes specialized parts and adjustments the norm. Discuss any outside work with the brand first.
The Geneva Grand Prix entry for the DB28 gives a moon phase error of about one day in 122 years. It's a precise display, but it still deserves a check at each service.
DB28 owners use De Bethune specialists for servicing, authentication and restoration.
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