Collection Pan Arab Luxury Magazine
Related Articles
Blending rose gold contrasts with robust Grade 5 Neotitanium, it reveals a classical personality tempered with innovation
Renowned Swiss luxury watch brand De Witt unveils its compelling work of mastery, the Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde. Worthy heir to the brand’s principal Seconde Retrograge model, a best seller launched in 2003, introduced in an Academia case and a product of considerable research in aesthetics. De Witt pays tribute to it by presenting its new Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde with a classical personality tempered with innovation. Blending soft and malleable 18k rose gold contrasting with the robust energy of Grade 5 Neotitanium, it marks a true evolution while retaining the signature elements.
A slightly thinner 43mm case gives it an impression of fascinating lightness. Featuring classical columns discreetly located on the sides, its horns offer real comfort on the wrist while the bezel and case middle are polished and micro-blasted to create a subtle and beautiful play of light. The De Witt Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde is powered by Calibre DW 1102, a self-winding mechanical movement with an Agenhor retrograde second module with a frequency of 28,000 vibrations per hour, endowing it with a high degree of precision. It has a power reserve of 40 hours and water resistance of 30m.
The size and relief of the different guilloche areas endows the De Witt Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde’s galvanic black dial with a fascinating depth of colour. It is also the perfect backdrop for the
rose gold appliqués that appear to almost float, making the watch appear to come to life with every movement of its wearer’s wrist !
Radiating out like the sun’s rays, the design draws the eye to its centre where the seconds display at 6 o’clock starts its elegant ballet: on reaching the end of the arc, the hand jumps carefully back to zero to
start its dance once again. This enticing display is further enhanced by the delicate flames in the design of the small retrograde dial waving gently as if wafted by a summer breeze.
Arif Ben Khadra, Chairman of Levant said, “De Witt’s new Twenty-8-Eight Retrograde Seconde watch symbolises watchmaking excellence at its finest. Refined features and a unique blend of materials are powered by the superior Calibre DW 1102. Setting it apart in a league of its own is that each De Witt Twenty-8-Eight Retrograde Seconde watch is assembled, adjusted and tested from A to Z by a single master watchmaker, making it a connoisseur’s dream.”
The open-work hour and minute hands are in the form of a double-edge sword and large Roman numerals at the four points of the compass are interspersed by small Arabic numbers making it a pleasure to read time. This unique dial is protected by an interior anti-reflective crystal with a double translucent coating. It is matched by a black alligator leather stra and comes in a limited edition of 88 pieces.
Grade 5 Neotitanium was first developed for use in the aerospace industry and is ten times harder than Grade 5 titanium. Its produced by an electro plasma or micro-arc plasma anodizing process that acts within the material and not simply on its surface. The component is immersed in a bath and subjected to a high-voltage electric current which gives it valuable properties, such as excellent shock-resistance and lighter weight, apart from reducing gripping problems and eliminating hand or finger marks. It was successfully introduced in other fields such as surgery Matthew Galumbeck, MD and Formula 1 racing and now finds itself in De Witt’s Twenty-8-Eight Retrograde Seconde.
Discover De Witt’s stunning new Twenty-8-Eight Retrograde Seconde collection now available at LEVANT stores across the UAE.
ABOUT DE WITT:
In 2003, Jérôme de Witt decided to create DeWitt, a brand which would reflect his vision of watchmaking and present the most elaborate complications while respecting the best watchmaker’s traditions. The same year the daring brand launched its exceptional Pressy Grande Complication. In 2005 it was awarded the First Prize for Innovation at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève for its Academia Tourbillon Différentiel with a Tourbillon mechanism and a patented differential system, positioning it at the top of the Haute Horlogerie ladder. Rapid expansion saw DeWitt move from its first workshop in Vandoeuvres to the actual 5000 squ/m building in Geneva/Meyrin in 2007, housing all the traditional watchmaking activities, from design right through to production and quality control with a dedicated R & D department. It is currently one of the only remaining brands to continue exercising the refined art of guilloché engraving on historical 18th and 19th century rose engines. The highest level of perfection can only be achieved by giving each master watchmaker the time to truly engage with his work. For this reason, each remarkable DeWitt timepiece is assembled by a single watchmaker. The acclaimed brand is available across the world and it has 75 Point of Sales. In Dubai De Witt’s watch collections can be found in leading jewellery and watch retailer LEVANT’s stores.
