De Bethune announced Monday a new case for iPhones, or possibly any smartphone, called the DBM. This case is the first of its kind (to our knowledge) in that it includes a fine timepiece on the back, as De Bethune seeks to reintroduce the pocketwatch to popularity. Well, popularity should be taken relatively in that the price of the DBM is likely to dwarf the price of any iPhone.
“With this original horological tradition,” the company said in a statement, “De Bethune is establishing itself as a trendsetting pioneer and reconciling classic traditions with the contemporary lifestyle. DBM is far more than a watch; it’s an offbeat accessory conveying an exclusive vision of luxury.”
The watch on the back of the case is powered by a handwound, mechanical movement — Calibre DB 1024. It has a 48mm face, a six day power reserve, and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement features 31 jewels and 212 components.
The face is silver-toned hand-guilloché, and the hour and minute hand are blued steel. The smartphone case material is alligator, and the buttons on the side for controlling your iPhone are gold. The watch itself was designed by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet.
The case is technically a custom-order piece, and we’ve asked the company if it can be ordered for smartphones other than the iPhone. We’ve also asked if there’s an upgrade path for the timepiece itself as customers are likely to want the watch for years or decades longer than they would use the smartphone the case was designed for.
De Bethune hasn’t mentioned pricing, either, but if and when we get an answer on any of these questions, we’ll update this article.
DBM case for iPhone from De Bethune