Look – we were going to put together a nice write-up about how De Bethune’s latest addition to its iconic Titan Hawk series blurs the boundaries between watchmaking and art, but then Michael Jordan entered the chat, wrist-checking case number 23 of the ultra-limited edition series. What can we say? The man steals the spotlight almost as easily as a basketball and boasts some serious horological bona fides to boot.
Anyway – De Bethune’s DB27 Titan Hawk JPS features a 43mm black zirconium case that’s ultra-strong, hypoallergenic, and lightweight. The case’s ‘floating lugs’ and simple black canvas strap ensure the piece conforms perfectly to the wearer’s wrist so that nothing detracts from the sleek design elements: slim lines, a microlight dial and case middle, and oxidized hand-polished yellow titanium hands. That the yellow titanium is evocative of gold is no coincidence (with Flageollet, nothing is). The “JPS” means “John Player Special” – a nod to the competitive motorsport roots of the watch’s colorways.
The DB27 Titan Hawk JPS features De Bethune’s in-house AUTOV2 mechanical self-winding movement and carries 60 hours of reserve power – as if anyone besides Jordan would ever consider wearing something else for that long. Horophiles with a spare $60K will need to act fast if they want to be like Mike: the ultra-limited run of 25 pieces (now 24) is sure to go quickly and is only available through De Bethune.
For more about De Bethune, see “The Art of Watchmaking”.
