DeWitt : 10 years of a passion for the exceptional

The House of DeWitt has always refused to choose between strong character and extreme refinement. Successfully defining the contours of its universe yet without fixing specific limits, DeWitt manages with disconcerting ease to reconcile apparently opposing principles : sturdiness and delicacy, classicism and innovation, pure aesthetics and traditional design. The watch company has been performing this sophisticated tightrope exercise for 10 years in creating its range of powerful and instantly recognizable timepieces.

 

The Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon Prestige model perfectly embodies this philosophy. Not only in purely aesthetic terms with architectural inspiration adorned by the famous DeWitt imperial columns framing the sturdy 46 mm pink gold case ; but also because the latest technical innovation from DeWitt testifies to the propensity of the House for exploring uncharted mechanical territory. An evolved version of the DW 8014 movement first presented in 2010, the DW 8015 caliber driving this watch features a patented Automatic Sequential Winding (A.S.W.) mechanism powered by a peripheral oscillating weight. As its name implies, this system enables constant distribution of energy through the going train by sequential winding of the barrel. This technical feat offers the advantage of avoiding all the usual rating flaws relating to the use of slipping-springs on conventional self-winding calibers.

 

In a slightly different variation of the Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon, DeWitt ‘dissects’ the supreme horological complication with an entirely in-house made hand-wound skeleton-work movement, equipped with a Swiss lever escapement and a Straumann balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve made from an unbreakable, auto-compensating, stainless and anti-magnetic alloy. The architecture of the skeleton movement remains resolutely robust and thus ensures a perfect balance with the design of the 43 mm grade 5 titanium case adorned with 48 imperial columns.

 

DeWitt timepieces often feature the luxury of paradox and ambivalence. The Twenty-8-Eight Full Moon is a twin-faced watch orchestrating an encounter between astronomy and horology, precision and dreams. The partially skeleton-worked self-winding caliber offers a dreamlike vision of the surface of the globe. On the right-hand side of the dial, celestial infinity is symbolized by a layer of Goldfluss, a synthetic glass produced according to a process discovered in 17th century Venice and which gave rise to Murano glass. The moon phase is depicted by a white mother-of-pearl half-sphere facing a second moon playing the opposing role.

 

Ten years after the launch of its first timepiece, DeWitt allows itself a subtle evolution with the new CLASSIC collection. The first model, the Classic Quantieme, incorporates a resolutely classical style and extremely pure lines without betraying the DNA of the House. The restrained, beautifully balanced case displays slimmer imperial columns. Horological tradition is beautifully mastered by an ultra-reliable mechanism indicating the days of the week, months and date, along with a mother-of-pearl moon-phase display delicately placed against a Goldfluss sky. This new collection testifying to a perceptible stylistic evolution also embodies an aspiration towards dreams of new watch projects. Dreams brought within reach by the production facility developed by the brand. With a 5,000 sq.m surface area and 70 employees mastering the full range of traditional watchmaking activities, the Manufacture is now self-sufficient in terms of production. For its 10th anniversary, the company based in Meyrin, near Geneva, nonetheless acquires even greater independence by treating itself to an exceptional gift : an in-house self-winding movement destined to progressively equip more and more of the watches bearing the imperial DeWitt signature.

 

 

While this watch was created exclusively for feminine wrists, it nonetheless bears the unmistakable imprint of the DeWitt style. Deriving inspiration from its rich heritage, the watchmaking House re-issues the Alma jewelry watch, the second ladies’ collection from the Manufacture. A smooth oval shape, a subtly curved profile, stylized DeWitt imperial columns… This model takes its natural place within the lineage of exceptional watches created by the brand. Elegance, comfort and the hallmark of imperial nobility distinguish the collection interpreted in seven versions adorned in pink gold, white gold, diamonds, and featuring exquisitely refined dials.

 

At the heart of the beautiful Alma beats a self-winding caliber driving a central seconds hand and a 42-hour power-reserve display. Its three openworked hands which are sword-shaped for the hours and minutes and slimmer for the seconds, mark the time read off in the center of a dial that is all about perspective created by playing with light effects.

 

On the first two jewelry versions of the line, a matt or polished inner bezel ring enhances the snow setting composed of round diamonds. A ring of baguette-cut diamonds and adorned with black painted hour-markers offers a refined interpretation of the minute circle. On the polished pink gold version, the Clou de Paris hobnail dial pattern sets the perfect finishing touch to the pure, radiant design of this model brimming with contrasts, rounded curves and shimmering reflections. An exceptional watch on which every detail highlights the expertise developed by the Manufacture DeWitt.

 

Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon Prestige T8.TP.001

Case : 18K pink gold Diameter : 46mm Movement : mechanical, with tourbillon and patented Automatic Sequential Winding (A.S.W.) mechanism driven by a peripheral oscillating weight Functions : tourbillon, hours, minutes, deadbeat seconds, power reserve Dial : chocolate brown, topped with matt rhodiumed grids Strap : semi-matt chestnut brown alligator leather Water resistance : 30m Limited edition : 99

 

Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon T8.TH.016

Case : grade 5 titanium with brown PVD finish Diameter : 43mm Movement : mechanical hand-wound skeleton caliber, Manufacture DeWitt tourbillon, 72h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, tourbillon Strap : grey alligator leather Water resistance : 30m

 

Classic Quantieme CLA.QUA.001

Case : 18K pink gold Diameter : 40mm  Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, central seconds, annual calendar, moon phases Dial : black Strap : black alligator Water resistance : 30m

 

Classic Quantieme CLA.QUA.002

Case : 18K pink gold Diameter : 40mm  Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, central seconds, annual calendar, moon phases Dial : white Strap : black alligator leather Water resistance : 30m

 

Twenty-8-Eight Full Moon T8.FM.001

Case : grade 5 titanium Diameter : 43mm  Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve  Functions : moon phases Dial : silver-toned, adorned with two Goldfluss plates, two half-sphere white mother-of-pearl moons  Strap : black alligator leather  Water resistance : 30m

 

Alma AL.003

Case : 18K pink gold, bezel set with 46 round diamonds (approx. 1.15cts) Dimensions : 38.38 x 32.50mm Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, seconds Dial : snow-set center, circle set with baguette-cut diamonds and adorned with 12 black hour-markers, 116 diamonds totaling 0.6cts Strap : alligator noir semi-mat  Water resistance : 30 m

 

Alma AL.005 

Case : 18K white gold, bezel  set with 46 round diamonds (approx. 1.15cts) Dimensions : 38.38 x 32.50mm Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, seconds Dial : white mother-of-pearl with Art Deco motif set with round diamonds, inner bezel ring set with round diamonds, 117 diamonds totaling approx. 0.23cts Strap : semi-matt black alligator leather Water resistance : 30m

 

Alma AL.002

Case : 18K pink gold, bezel set with 46 round diamonds (approx. 1.15cts) Dimensions : 38.38 x 32.50mm Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, seconds Dial : white mother-of-pearl with 6 pink gold-toned Arabic numerals and set with 6 round diamonds, snow-set center, inner bezel ring set with round diamonds, 171 diamonds totaling 0.51cts Strap : semi-matt black alligator leather Water resistance : 30m


Rédacteur en chef des magazines GMT et Skippers dont il est le cofondateur depuis 2000 et 2001, Brice Lechevalier est aussi à la tête de WorldTempus depuis son intégration dans la société GMT Publishing, qu’il dirige en tant que co-actionnaire. Il a par ailleurs créé le Geneva Watch Tour en 2012 et conseille le Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève depuis 2011. Côté nautisme, il édite aussi le magazine de la Société Nautique de Genève depuis 2003, tout en étant membre fondateur des SUI Sailing Awards (les prix officiels de la voile suisse) depuis 2009 et du Concours d’Elégance de bateaux à moteur du Cannes Yachting Festival depuis 2015.

Review overview
})(jQuery)