Michael Jordan Scores The First De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk John Player Special Racing Themed Watch

Basketball great Michael Jordan just scored the first in a very limited series of John Player Special themed watches from avant-garde watchmaker de Bethune called the DB27 Titan Hawk JPS. Jordan is an investor in WatchBox, a pre-owned watch retailer that acquired de Bethune a year ago, something that no doubt gave him an edge in snagging one of the 25 pieces. His is number, 23, his longtime Chicago Bulls jersey number.

There’s something magic about the black-and-gold color combination, but it’s not the first time the livery of the legendary 1970s JPS Formula One Lotus racing team has been used on a sports watch. A Rolex John Player Special themed Daytona with a Paul-Newman style dial was produced back in the early ’70s in very limited quantities. De Bethune has now adopted the livery on its DB27 Titan Hawk JPS. The difference is that the DB27 is rigorously modern, with an in-house movement, and it thus stands apart from its vintage predecessors.

The drama lies in the contrast between the black dial and zirconium case and the gold accents (actually oxidized titanium), gold index numerals and gold tipped hands, which are also titanium, with polished gold tips. There are no sporty subdials, only a discreet ring of Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic index for the minutes. The result is a clean, almost minimalist take on the black-and-gold color combo.

It contains the AUTOV2 movement, first introduced in 2018, with a 60-hour power reserve from a single mainspring barrel. It has De Bethune’s signature titanium balance, and a rotor for the automatic winding system, made of titanium and white gold. The balance bridge is fixed at two points on the movement plate for maximum strength and stability. The case is made of zirconium, a high-tech, high-strength, hypoallergenic and lightweight material that is lighter and stronger than stainless steel, and it is surrounded by De Bethune’s articulated floating lugs that hug the watch to the wrist. It comes on a black canvas strap. This is a limited edition of 25 pieces, priced at $60,000.