Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Swizz Beats spotted wearing De Bethune

Swizz Beats — born Kasseem Dean and long recognized as one of music's most credentialed watch collectors — was recently spotted wearing a Pink Gold De Bethune King Of Gold DB28, reference DB28BRUS, a piece limited to just 10 examples globally. For a reference this rare, a public sighting carries genuine weight in collector circles.

The DB28BRUS is built around De Bethune's in-house manually wound DB2019 caliber, a movement that showcases the manufacture's signature spherical moon phase display accurate to one day's deviation every 1,112 years. The watch features a silvered grand feu enamel dial, a hallmark of De Bethune's commitment to traditional métiers d'art, paired with a pink gold case that works in deliberate contrast to the brand's more typical use of titanium and blued steel. The DB28 family has been the backbone of the Saint-Imier independent manufacture since its introduction, evolving through numerous configurations while retaining a consistent philosophy: maximum mechanical sophistication within a case that remains wearable at 42.6mm.

De Bethune occupies a specific and respected position in the independent watchmaking hierarchy. Founded in 2002 by Denis Flageollet and David Zanetta, the manufacture has earned its reputation through genuine technical invention rather than heritage marketing — including proprietary silicon-titanium alloy balance wheels, in-house mainsprings, and pioneering work in carbon nanotube dial construction. The DB28BRUS, with its pink gold execution and extreme production limit, represents the brand at its most uncompromising and collectible.

Swizz Beats is not a casual watch buyer. His collection includes documented examples from Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe, but his recurring interest in independent and architecturally distinct pieces — F.P. Journe, Urwerk — suggests a collector who curates with intent. Wearing a De Bethune this rare publicly is a statement that reads clearly to anyone who follows serious horology.

With an official list price of approximately $133,000, the DB28BRUS already occupies premium territory. On the secondary market, ultra-limited De Bethune references with precious metal cases and enamel dials have demonstrated strong retention and occasional premiums, particularly as collector awareness of the brand's technical depth continues to broaden internationally.