Dubey & Schaldenbrand (D&S), a Swiss manufacturer since 1946, is evolving amidst an environment of cutting-edge technological advances.
While maintaining its historically elegant style, the independent manufacturer has stepped outside the borders of simple horological knowledge by successfully pushing into the next generation of production savoir-faire with the Grand Shar DB Titanium Carbon Fiber — the fruit of its labor at D&S’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
The D&S Lab utilized a grade 5-titanium alloy processed and refined in the most intricate ways and
controlled conditions to reach the final stages of production for the Grand Shar model—an electroplasma bath and patented method of fabrication, utilized in medical and aeronautic industries. The result is a unique color resembling no existing alloy in the watch industry to date.
In designing the dial, D&S experimented from scratch rather than utilizing existing material. After several efforts with numerous alloys and metals, and in order to find the ideal match for an unconventional case, an in-house manufactured carbon fiber dial was achieved.
The Grand Shar DB Ti dial was created and assembled in several layers, highlighting the signature Grand Shar interlocking sub-dials, the exceptionally dazzling Côte de Genève treatment in black on black at the heart of the timepiece, and allowing for the depth of the dial to enable clear visibility of the counters.
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The assembly of the sleek titanium grade 5 case is held firmly together by blued screws on the lugs and the case back, while providing sharp contrast of an edgy electric blue color on a canvas of lustrous gun-metal titanium reflecting hues of olive green. The Grand Shar DB Ti is assembled with a Valjoux 7750 in-house modified, three-counter chronograph with its date angled between III and IV. The rotor is carved out and plated with a black rhodium treatment, visible through an open case back, that also showcases blued screws and refined treatment on the movement’s bridge.
Due to the properties of the grade 5 titanium and the carbon fiber dial, this exceptional timepiece weighs in at an incredible 40% less than its stainless-steel counterpart.
The new vision of D&S underscores the incorporation of technological advances in production, but above all maintains the heritage, craftsmanship and historical knowledge of watchmaking, instilled in the brand in 1946 by its founders and namesakes.
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The Grand Shar DB Ti is the first sporty timepiece to take center stage for the new vision of D&S. It is limited to 26 pieces in special grade 5 titanium.
