The Meteoric De Bethune Starry Varius Aérolite

De Bethune takes the DB25 Starry Varius to new levels of poeticism. The new Starry Varius Aérolite sets the personalised constellation against a unique blued ferrous meteorite dial, in a show of the Maison’s stellar technical mastery.

A Stellar New Dial

The dial of the new DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite is adorned with an ancestral stone forged in space. Muonionalusta Meteorite is believed to have struck Earth more than one million years BCE, somewhere between Finland and Sweden, on the banks of the Muniono River, and is probably the world’s oldest known meteorite to date. Composed of mainly iron and nickel, it is distinguished by the perfectly geometrical lines crossing at 60˚, forming a cross-hatched “Widmanstätten” pattern.

On full display is De Bethune’s mastery of thermal oxidation of metals. The azure shade comes about from chemical reactions of the metal compounds by heating the meteorite. Further enhancing the blue dial surface, and one of the great charms of the De Bethune Starry Varius collection, is the option of a personalised sky map on the dial. Tiny, intricate dots in white gold represent the stars in a chosen constellation from a precise sky map for a date and location of the owner’s choice.

Technical Brilliance

Inside the 42mm-diameter titanium case is one of De Bethune’s in-house movements. Visible through the double anti-reflective sapphire crystal case, the manual-winding DB2198V4 calibre is entirely designed, developed, and produced within the De Bethune workshops in L’Auberson, Switzerland. The same movement as the DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon that won the GPHG Chronometry prize in 2018, it is visually stunning as it is beautiful.

The 30-second tourbillon ticks at the high frequency of 36,000vph, suspended in an ultra-light carriage of just 0.18g composed of 63 parts. The balance wheel, composing of blued titanium with white gold inserts, is optimised for temperatures changes and air penetration. To maintain a perfect centre of gravity, De Bethune has developed and patented a balance spring with a flat terminal curve and fitted with a silicon escape wheel. The patented De Bethune dead beat seconds ensures the central seconds hand jumps to perfect chronometry.

The De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite comes on an extra-supple blue alligator leather strap and a grade-5 titanium pin buckle. Production is limited to 5 pieces per year.

Discover our collection of De Bethune watches here.