The Unique (and Superb) De Bethune x Urwerk Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019

For the 2017 edition of Only Watch, Urwerk surprised collectors with a unique and clearly unusual collaboration piece made with the most classic of independent watchmakers: Laurent Ferrier (more details here). The result was impressively bold and subtle at the same time. For the 2019 edition of the charity auction, Urwerk again teams up with a fellow indie watchmaker, but this time as bold and contemporary as the brand. Meet the De Bethune x Urwerk Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019.

It is with great pleasure that we announce this new watch…! Two of our favourite independent watchmakers reunited in a single watch, both known for being bold, futuristic, with a unique take on watchmaking, but at the same so different. On one side, you have Urwerk, master of Sci-Fi watches, with unique satellite displays and wandering hours. On the other side, you have De Bethune, a modern take on traditional watchmaking hand-crafted by master watchmaker Denis Flageollet. So imagine what can happen when you mix both… You end up with a watch with a De Bethune case, a display and dial by Urwerk and a base movement finished in the most impressive way.

The De Bethune x Urwerk for Only Watch 2019 is named “Moon Satellite” and is a fascinating mix between De Bethune elements and Urwerk elements. The case is easily recognizable with its floating lugs, its angular profile, its sleek surfaces and a crown at 6 o’clock. It measures 43mm in diameter and is crafted entirely in polished grade 5 titanium. The polished metal gives the case great reflections, from bright metallic to almost black.

On top of this “Moon Satellite” you’ll see a U-shaped dial aperture, which immediately refers to the work of Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei at Urwerk. Surrounded by a textured base plate, the signature satellite indication of the hours looks perfectly at home in this modernist context. The minutes are indicated on an arched track and all the numerals/indications are treated in light blue. Another indication of De Bethune’s work can be found at 6 o’clock: a spherical moon typical of the brand’s watches.

Turning the watch over, you’ll discover a jointly developed movement. While the display stage has been given to Urwerk, the base movement is clearly all about De Bethune, with the typical triangular main bridge, the double barrel and the transversal cock bridge. The movement is finished in a superb way, with concave plate covers and mirror-polished barrels bridge. The De Bethune x Urwerk “Moon Satellite” features a titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, a De Bethune balance spring and a silicon escape wheel. This hand-wound movement stores up to 4 days of power reserve.

The De Bethune x Urwerk “Moon Satellite” Only Watch 2019 is a unique piece but also a unique collaboration watch. It is visually and mechanically impressive and is definitely one of our favourite piece of the charity auction. Estimate CHF 120,000 – 150,000.

Only Watch is a biennial fundraiser for research on muscular dystrophy – Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies (AMM). Organized under the patronage of HSH Albert II de Monaco, the watches of the 8th edition will be auctioned by Christie’s on Saturday 9 November 2019. More details at www.onlywatch.com. And discover all the Only watch 2019 timepieces here.