Celestial Craftsmanship: The Esperluxe x De Bethune DB27 “Night Hawk”

Natalie Chan
5 days ago
2 min read

A new star is born in the world of haute horlogerie as De Bethune reimagines the DB27 with its legendary “Starry Sky” pattern. This limited-edition collaboration with Esperluxe offers a rare, nocturnal take on a modern classic.

De Bethune has collaborated with independent store EsperLuxe to launch the DB27 “Night Hawk,” a distinct version of the brand’s renowned Titan Hawk series. Created in collaboration with master watchmaker Denis Flageollet, the “Night Hawk” is a commemorative endeavor that embodies the mutual vision of innovation and craftsmanship of the two collaborators. This release is highly meaningful, showcasing a celestial “Starry Sky” display that accurately depicts the night sky over the site where the EsperLuxe and De Bethune collaboration was established in 2021.

The DB27 “Night Hawk” presents various stylistic innovations for the series, particularly its distinctive titanium flame-blued dial, being the inaugural appearance of this celestial pattern on a DB27 model. The 43mm polished grade-5 titanium casing has a slim thickness of 9mm and has a series-first: matte flame-blued “short” floating lugs that conform to the wrist. The dial is adorned with mirror-polished blued hands and a chapter ring displaying silver-printed Roman numerals, while the mid-case is embellished with De Bethune’s distinctive “microlite” etching.

The watch, driven by the exclusive AUTOV2 movement, offers a 60-hour power reserve and features patented advancements such as a titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts and the “DB” balance spring with a flat terminal curve. The skeletonized automatic movement is observable through the transparent caseback, showcasing De Bethune's craftsmanship and technical expertise.

The DB27 “Night Hawk” is restricted to 10 units and is exclusively offered by EsperLuxe for $70,000 USD. Each watch is displayed on a blue cloth strap and includes an additional custom strap from Alex Crown.