The Dream Watch by Denis Flageollet is undoubtedly one of the boldest watch designs on Earth. Closer to a miniature sculpture than a watch, it is easy to imagine this beautiful futuristic vessel silently exploring the boundaries of our galaxy. The De Bethune Dream Watch, initially presented in 2014 in a sparkling convex titanium case, has also become a canvas for the most extravagant artistic collaborations. The latest DW5 Empreinte model, a stunning collaborative work by Denis Flageollet, designer Clara Martin, and the skilled hand of engraver Michèle Rothen, has joined the brand's exclusive Maestri’Art collection.
The Dream Watch, with its aerodynamic delta-shaped profile, is suited for the boldest creative journeys. Emerging on the watch scene in 2014, this miniature spaceship (58 mm long x 47 mm wide) displays jumping hours, trailing analog minutes, and a rotating spherical moon phase indicator in a porthole on the case. The latest DW5 Empreinte model is the third Dream Watch to enter De Bethune's exclusive Maestri’Art collection, where artists are invited to collaborate on unique creations. To date, we have already seen the DW5 Armilia, recreating the fantastic cityscapes of artist François Schuiten, and the flamboyant DW5 Cempasúchil with engraved images of the Mexican Día de los Muertos by Michèle Rothen.
Light in the Darkness
Clara Martin's collaboration with De Bethune revolves around the concept of “empreinte” or imprint and its various semantic branches. Without delving into the details of each of her five interpretations of her conceptual approach, suffice it to say that Clara Martin won the first De Bethune/ECAL (University of Art and Design Lausanne) prize in 2019. Aimed at encouraging graduate research work, Clara Martin's graduation project “The Power of Black” caught Denis Flageollet's attention and led to this collaboration.
As the title of her thesis suggests, the color black is the main protagonist of the latest DW5 Maestri’Art model. Inspired by the works of French artist Pierre Soulages, who was fascinated by the properties of black and how light reflects on black surfaces, Clara Martin set herself the task to “change the current perception and connotations of the color black”. Her graphic experiments with textures and shapes prove that black is more than just a color and is much “more powerful and sensitive than we think”.
Master Alchemist
Denis Flageollet's years of mastery in titanium processing prompted him to explore a new oxidation process to obtain black and blue hues from the metal. For the first time in the world, Flageollet achieved unique blue-black variegated patterns on a titanium vessel by combining the science of vacuum deposition of metal oxides with his innate mastery of fire.
Engraver Michèle Rothen
Once again, Flageollet invited engraver Michèle Rothen to participate in the latest Dream Watch model, challenging her to transform the cold, hard properties of titanium into something “delicate and sensitive.” Engraving titanium, which is harder than steel, was a challenging task, but Rothen managed to alter the surface with a captivating pattern. Combined with the black and blue titanium, under certain lighting, the surface of the DW5 Empreinte can resemble the iridescent feathers of a hummingbird.
Manual Winding Movement
The watch is equipped with the DB2144V2 hand-wound caliber, featuring several of the brand's innovative developments. It has a five-day power reserve, provided by a self-regulating twin barrel. The regulator includes a silicon balance, a De Bethune balance spring, and a silicon escape wheel. The precision moon phase mechanism is accurate to one lunar day every 1112 years.
This unique DW5 Empreinte piece comes with a supple leather strap and a matte grade 5 titanium clasp. Price upon request. More detailed information can be found on the website www.debethune.ch.