De Bethune debuts the DB25 Imperial Fountain, which is a new special edition set comprising of 12 timepieces
This collection is inspired by the bronze zodiac animal heads which once adorned the fountain in the famous Old Summer Place (Yuanming Yuan) outside the Bejing in China. The fountain was created somewhere in 18th century, by French and Italian Jesuits and Chinese artisans. Made for Qianlong Emperor of China, it was actually a clepsydra, or a water clock. Every day at noon water would have sprouted from the mouths of the 12 zodiac animals, to tell the current time. The Qianlong emperor was so captivated by water fountains, mazes and European-style buildings, that he had a number of European artists working at his court. The fountain was destroyed during the Second Opium War in 1860, and only seven of the original 12 Zodiac heads have been found, buried in the ruins of the Old Summer Place.
Each of the watches in this stunning series features one of the 12 animal heads in the center of the dial. The illustrations were engraved using the bas relief technique, by the hand of the master artist Michèle Rothen. The solid gold relief stands out nicely from the Grand Feu enamel backdrop, giving off the impression that the sculptured gold has been raises above the surface of the dial.
The watch is powered by a new movement Calibre DB 2145, which uses peripheral hour and minute hands, in flame-blued steel, that circle around the engraved zodiac head. The micro ball bearings are animating the rotating disks and putting the hands in motion. The case is crafted in white gold and it measures 44mm in diameter. The back of the case is openworked and fitted with a sapphire crystal. De Bethune DB25 Imperial Fountain is mounted in a black alligator leather strap with pin buckle. The watch provides 6 days of power reserve.
Author: Marina Milojevic
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