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DEWITT - Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon

DEWITT - Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon

Show me your manufacture!

How detailed, how complex, and how perfectly finished are DeWitt dials? The first two declinations of the Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon gave a perfect demonstration of what DeWitt’s in-house dial-making unit is capable of releasing. But today, time has come to focus on the mechanics and to proudly and fully exhibit another segment of the Manufacture’s know-how: movement construction. Therefore, what better than a skeleton watch revealing DeWitt’s historical DW8028, the first 100% Manufacture movement?

DEWITT - Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton TourbillonThe DeWitt calibre DW8028 uses age-old, recognized and highly reliable technical parameters in its construction: 18’000 A/h, a variable-inertia balance, a 44° angle escapement and 72 hours power reserve. Why change a winning team?

Entirely produced in-house, this manually wound Tourbillon is equipped with a Swiss anchor escapement and a Straumann Hairspring® with Phillips terminal curve made out of an unbreakable, self-compensating, non-oxidizing, anti-magnetic alloy and sequenced at 2.5 Hz. The perfect homogeneity and incredibly precise flat rolling of the Hairspring (0,0001 mm) guarantee an extremely high precision to the mechanism.

The balance, as well as the escape wheel and the anchor are made of 18-carat yellow gold.

The Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon does not intend to compete with the ultra-skinny and fragile skeletons where as much material as possible was taken out of the construction. The architecture of DeWitt’s skeleton remains deliberately strong and is therefore very well balanced with the design of the case which features 48 imperial columns. A typical feature of practically all DeWitt masterpieces.

The carved-out main plate, a sand-brushed nickel silver base with black gold surface finishing and a yellow gold inscription of the calibre reference, is a marvellous labyrinth of curves, circles and straight lines. Meandering across the movement, the lucky observer will suddenly land on a stunning skeletonised “W” logo positioned at 9 o’clock. The play on depths, perspectives and layers is a typical feature of DeWitt designs and the Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon is no exception. The skeletonised “W” logo is actually duplicated on the lower part of the movement in order to offer these interesting volumes when admiring the movement from either side of the watch.

DEWITT - Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton TourbillonBut however robust the foundations, your eyes will inevitably be dragged deep into the movement and the captivating finesse of its ticking mechanics. You will marvel at the Tourbillon as it gracefully rotates on its axis, held in place by a long, slender and circular-grained Art Déco bridge.

The barrel, positioned at 12 o’clock, is also skeletonised in order to reveal the interior of the motor.

The shape given to the open-worked barrel was inspired by the design of vintage car steering wheels. As the barrel wheel gently turns with the unwinding of the spring, the stems of the upper part will glide over the stems of the lower part. Yet another interesting play on layers by DeWitt.

The Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon is housed is a 43 mm round case made in 18-carat rose gold (white gold for the Haute Joaillerie version). With a thickness of 10.78 mm, it is thinner than the Academia collection. Presenting particularly comfortable proportions with redesigned lugs and slightly more discrete imperial columns displayed on its flanks, it remains instantly recognizable and true to DeWitt’s strong DNA. Its balanced design offers the necessary combination of character and refinement for a successful wedding with the architectural lines of the skeleton movement.

On the interior side of the bezel, and surrounding the entire movement at a slight angle, a diamond-polished wall in 18-carat rose gold provides amazing reflections of the skeleton movement. The wall is decorated by four extremely precise and sharp “W” logos, displayed at the cardinal points. In the Haute Joaillerie version, the 18-carat white gold wall is additionally decorated with eight brilliant-cut diamonds, thus highlighting the hour indicators.

The Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton Tourbillon fully complies with the very demanding finishing norms of the DeWitt Manufacture. Entirely hand-made, the treatment and finishing-work on this piece are of a rare quality. Case, plate, bridges, wheels and even miniature screws are all angled, polished, satin-finished and treated to perfection in the patient and meticulous hands of our watchmakers. Particularly eye-catching is the alternation of polished and satin-brushed finishing on the columns of the bezel. It dazzles!

Last but not least, a particularity of all watches coming out of the DeWitt Manufacture, and an essential ingredient to the final quality and DeWitt signature stamp: every watch is entirely assembled, adjusted and tested by a single master watchmaker, from A to Z.

Movement Mechanical and skeletonized manually wound movement integrating a Tourbillon manufactured by DeWitt. Hand-finished
Functions Hours, minutes
Case Round-shaped, adorned with DeWitt’s imperial columns pattern on the flanks
36 baguette-cut diamonds and 104 brilliant-cut diamonds for the Haute Joaillerie version (T8.TH.009)
18-carat white or rose gold
Diameter: 43 mm
Total thickness:10,78 mm
Crown: 18-carat white or rose gold polished crown adorned with a ring made in blackened titanium featuring the “W” signature
Case back: Sapphire crystal
Dial Hands: Hours and Minutes: Open-worked hands in the shape of two-edged swords
Bracelet/Strap Chocolate-brown or matt black alligator leather
18-carat white or rose gold pin buckle, polished, engraved “W” signature
Retail Price Swiss Retail price 2012: above 150,000 CHF
References DW8028S