Luxury watch business The 1916 Company, which brings the De Bethune brand to its lounges across the world, recently launched in Hong Kong. Tatler caught up with the founder to talk about his journey from a legacy-bound apprentice to a driving force in the watchmaking industry
In an industry where heritage often eclipses innovation, Denis Flageollet stands as a beacon of progressive design and mechanical ingenuity. As the co-founder of De Bethune, Flageollet has carved a niche for himself and the brand in the high-end watchmaking world, delivering futuristic timepieces that challenge the norms of traditional horology. In his chat with Tatler at the reopening of The 1916 Company’s lounge in Central, Hong Kong, Flageollet delves into his journey from reluctant heir to a dynasty of watchmakers to a pioneer in the field, the inspiration behind the name De Bethune, and the driving forces that led him to branch out on his own.
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How did you decide to become a watchmaker?
I am the fourth generation of watchmakers in my family—[but] I was not attracted to the field in the beginning. The more I read about watchmaking, learning about the history of watches, the ancestors, the greats, the more I [became] interested.
What made you choose the name De Bethune for the brand?
In the 17th century, there was a knight in France called De Bethune who was curious about science; he was a sailor as well. He also invented some watchmaking components because he needed to sail with precision. His name in French was Chevalier De Bethune; on our dial, we could not write [the whole name] because it was too long, so I went with De Bethune.
You formed the Technique Horlogère Appliquée (THA), a watchmaking workshop that worked with legacy brands, including other greats such as François-Paul Journe, Dominique Mouret and Simon Bull. When did you decide to establish your own independent brand, and why?
I was very happy working at THA, because we were already working on ideas to create beautiful watches and I could see a future for myself there. But over a period of time, I started to feel a bit of frustration because I had so many great ideas to actually propose to the other brands that I was working for, and the answer [to my proposals] was always “No!” I could not understand why they would say no to my ideas. So this actually pushed me to do something on my own. At some point, I nearly changed direction [from watchmaking] and considered getting into manufacturing boats, because I love working with wood and I love being in nature.