De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius DB25VTIS3 2021 [Preowned]

Overview 

De Bethune occupies an uncommon position in independent watchmaking: a manufacture that pursues technical innovation and dial artistry with equal rigour, and produces both in-house. The DB25VTIS3 is the Starry Varius — the DB25 case fitted with De Bethune's most recognised dial treatment, a blued titanium surface set with individual white gold star pins. That combination of a hand-wound manufacture calibre, a proprietary shock system, and a dial built through thermal oxidation and hand-set goldsmithing is the proposition this piece carries.

The case is 42mm polished titanium with the Varius hollowed lug construction — lugs carved from the case body and curved to follow the wrist, producing the distinctive profile and comfortable fit that make this size wear smaller than the dimension suggests. The dial is deep blue titanium, the colour achieved through controlled thermal oxidation rather than lacquer or coating; the process produces a tone that shifts between blue-black and a cleaner mid-blue depending on the light. Individual white gold pins are set across the surface at varying depths to represent stars, with gold-leaf accents for the denser areas of the star field. Silvered hour and minute hands sit above the dial surface with sufficient contrast to remain legible.

The Calibre DB2005 is a hand-wound movement with a 6-day power reserve — 144 hours, which accommodates rotation among multiple pieces without the discipline a shorter reserve demands. The balance wheel is titanium with white gold inertia blocks, a combination that reduces mass while maintaining rotational stability; the escapement uses a silicon escape wheel, removing the need for lubrication at that contact point. De Bethune's patented triple pare-chute shock absorption distributes impact energy across three flexible arms rather than the single-point system in most modern shock absorbers. The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.

De Bethune produces fewer than 500 pieces annually, which means secondary market supply for any specific reference is genuinely limited. The DB25 Starry Varius trades with more pricing legibility than most independent pieces at this tier, and RM300,000 represents a meaningful discount from new retail for a piece in this configuration. This particular piece is in excellent condition, complete with box and papers dated December 2021, at RM300,000.

Specifications

Condition

Preowned, Excellent Condition, Complete Original Set with Box and Paper dated December 2021. 

Warranty

12 months warranty from SCW