Time And Space

Watchmakers are still fascinated by the cosmos, as shown by these out-of-this-world creations.

- Paige Reddinger

De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite 

De Bethune’s watches are already rare, with only around 300 being made a year. But just a handful of collectors will be able to lay claim to this latest inspiration from the heavens, as production of the DB25 is limited to five per annum (price upon request). What makes this piece even more exclusive is its Muonionalusta-meteorite dial in a crosshatched Widmanstätten pattern. Fragments of this celestial stone were discovered west of the border between Sweden and Finland on the banks of the Muonio River, in 1906, and are said to date to about 1,000,000 BCE.

Other brands have used meteorite—Rolex, most recently, in its Daytona model from 2021—but what sets this one apart is De Bethune’s treatment. The material undergoes a thermal-oxidation process that creates fluctuations in the bluish hue, a blending of colours that suggests solar systems in a galaxy. Dotted across the surface, a series of white-gold pins of varying diameters creates a constellation of stars. The pattern can be customised to replicate the night sky on a specific date and location.

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